Who Will Hug the Sun by Ey Wade. The sun will entertain your children with her antics as she watches Earth’s inhabitants and tries to find someone or something to hug her. Through delightful illustrations, your child will learn how an eclipse works. Free on Smashwords this weekend only.

Purchase from Smashwords  CODE: EV94P

This eBook is also available on Amazon

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Tell us a little about yourself. I am 42 years old and a country boy at heart.  While I was born in Brooklyn, NY, I grew up in a small rural town in North Carolina called Lewiston-Woodville.  I was raised by my great-grandmother and my great-uncle.  I left home at 18 to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earning a degree in Speech Communication with a concentration in Performance Studies.  I currently work full time as a Property Manager for a large commercial real estate company in Washington, DC.  I am also the CEO of Foresight Publishing, LLC.

Tell us something few know about you. This is a really good question!  Few people know that I was in a Comcast commercial a few years back.  Readers can go to the multimedia page of my website (www.jmccoylee.com) to check it out.  Also, I used to be a dancer for Bally Total Fitness.  One crazy thing about me is that I am fascinated with mental illness.  Sometimes I think the mentally ill are gifted and we simply can’t understand their gift.  Yes, crazy I know…

What genre(s) do you write? I am a gay fiction writer.

Tell us about your latest book? Just Tryin’ To Be Loved is a love story of sorts… a love story that goes horribly wrong.  The book is centered on Mark Harris who has never felt worthy of love (much like I did for a long time).  His parents disown him after he divulges that he’s gay, and this leads to low self-esteem.  Like many other people with a poor self-concept, he ends up falling for the wrong guy.  Unfortunately, his choice has serious consequences, and he ends up fighting for his life.

As in all good love stories, a noble guy does come along.  Unfortunately, Mark is so damaged by this former relationship and his parents’ abandonment that he doesn’t feel he deserves to be loved.  He literally throws himself into his work and shuts himself off from the possibility of ever being happy again.  You’ll have to read the book to see if he opens his heart.

I hope the reader leaves believing in the universality of love.

Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination? Most often my characters are based on people I know or have observed.  In Just Tryin’ To Be Loved, the main character is most like me in that his thoughts on love, relationships, friendships and life in general mirror my own.  Through Mark I think readers will really get to know me.  I experienced a lot of pain in my life and I release it through Mark.

Where can readers purchase your latest book? Purchase the ebook or print from Amazon or the print directly from www.jmccoylee.com

What other titles have you written?

I recently released a short story called Best Friends.

Synopsis: 

Throughout the years, Roland kept his secret from everyone, including his best friend, Terrence.

Terrence, a varsity letterman, and Roland, a guard on the basketball team, became fast friends in high school.  After graduation, they jumped at the opportunity to be college roommates and share everything from the bills and good times to friendships.

A quiet movie night at home left Roland deciding whether to take a chance and reveal his secret and risk changing their friendship forever.

…a change that could leave them both with a secret only best friends can keep.

I also co-authored the multiple award-winning book, How could my husband be GAY? with Ondrea L. Davis.

Synopsis:

How could my husband be GAY?, is an autobiographical look into the life of Ondrea L. Davis. On the outside, Ondrea’s life is nothing short of a fairy tale. She has a dream home, the perfect husband and three beautiful children. Ondrea soon discovers that her husband, Marceous King, is not the man she thought she married. Exhausting all efforts to salvage her marriage, Ondrea finds herself in the fight of her life. In the process, she uncovers a highly sophisticated web of deception and shocking secrets. Marceous will stop at nothing to keep Ondrea from exposing the truth and derailing his plan – even if it means destroying her in the process. In this battle of good versus evil, who will be the ultimate victor?

Lastly, I also wrote, produced and starred in my own one-man show called One Family’s AIDS.

Synopsis:

One Family’s AIDS is the captivating story of an African-American man who has been diagnosed with HIV. One Family’s AIDS addresses the alarming statistics of HIV/AIDS cases among African-Americans.

This one-man show, told from four different perspectives, is the story of Gene Alexander McCoy – a young, educated African-American man who finds himself in a race for time to make peace with his family and with God upon being diagnosed with HIV. The play chronicles Gene’s life as he confronts such issues as HIV/AIDS, family, abandonment and homophobia. With the help of his over-bearing mother, a nurturing grandmother, and an uncle who doesn’t really feel comfortable talking about Gene’s sexuality or disease, we learn the complexities of love and relationships, the damaging results of fear and shame, and how the relentless quest for the truth ultimately leads us back to each other

When you were published for the first time, which route did you go – mainstream, small press, vanity published or self-published and why or how did you choose this route? I self-published originally through AuthorHouse.  Partnering with them was an amazing learning experience as it relates to the publishing industry.  I quickly learned my limitations and it was very frustrating.  In fact, I became very discouraged with the industry, with the politics and the overall treatment of self-published authors.  So much so, that I gave up writing for a few years.

I would love to be published traditionally, but at the same time I feel that self-publishing affords me an amazing amount of control both of my voice and my finished product.  This was one of the reasons that Foresight decided to re-release my first title.  I’ll tell anyone, when you know better you do better.  When Just Tryin’ To Be Loved was originally released, I think the product was great as evidenced by the reviews, but the book lacked commercial appeal and it wasn’t marketed well. People say, don’t judge a book by its cover, but that’s not really true in this industry. We are a visual culture.  I didn’t want to be associated with a subpar product.  So, we re-released a product that we think is on equal footing with titles that are currently being released.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors? Two words:  Write & Research

What do you have on the burner for the next year? I am working on a number of new and exciting projects, but only one that I can share right now.  I am currently working on the sequel to Just Tryin’ To Be Loved called ‘Til Death Do Us Part which will be out some time this summer.

How can readers reach you? (websites, blogs, social media… give urls) I currently do not have a blog site.  Maybe I’ll start blogging one day.  Until then, readers can find me on Facebook and Twitter @jmccoylee.  I recently posted my official book trailer on YouTube.  It features music by one of my favorite singers, Adele.  I had a lot of fun working on this trailer with my designer.  I’ll be uploading more videos soon.

Of course, readers can visit my website (www.jmccoylee.com) and sign up to receive updates from me!

Dee here: Thanks for coming by J’son and spending a little time with us.

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Tell us a little about yourself. I was born and raised in Detroit, and I’m a graduate of Wayne State University, with a BA degree in Mass Communications. I retired as a Federal government executive administrator after a 28 year career.  I have an adult daughter and two grandchildren.

When you’re not writing, what do you do to relax and have fun? I’ve been a singer all my life and did some professional singing years ago.  I’m active locally as a karaoke singer.  In 2009 I won the local karaoke Millennium award as the Best Female Vocalist. I love to sew and I’m an avid cruiser.  My guy and I are cruising the Caribbean again this summer.

Tell us something few know about you.

• When I was in college I partially supported myself by singing at weddings and funerals.
• When my daughter was young and money was tight I sewed and made most of our clothes.
• I used to be a Disc Jockey and I have an FCC (Federal Communications Commission) license.

What genre(s) do you like to read? If the writing is good and the subject interesting I’ll read anything, but one of my favorites is science fiction, especially novels/stories involving time travel.

What is your favorite novel and why? There are so many novels I love I can’t name just one.

What was the last novel you read that you enjoyed and why? I recently finished a short novel called Do Over by Jeff Kirvin.  I enjoyed it because it was about time travel and was well written with a profound twist at the end.

When did you begin writing? I wrote short stories and poems as a child, starting at about nine years old.

What genre(s) do you write? So far my published novels have all been romances.  Before my books I wrote short stories and some news articles.  I love playing pinochle and I plan to write a non-fiction “how to play” book one day.

Where do your concepts for your novels come from? All my novels have originated from something that actually happened to me.  For instance the hero in my novella All The Way Home owns and runs a construction company.  This was rooted in an incident years ago when I was waiting at a bus stop and a man operating a bull dozer nearby stopped working to come over and hit on me.

How long does it typically take you to write a book?  It varies. Because of special circumstances I wrote one of my books (Fantasy) in about two months.

Tell us about your latest book? Meeko Moore, a recent Grammy winner, is the stage name of small town girl Tameka Morgan, a deacon’s daughter who is determined her music not compromise her convictions.  But her sleazy manager, Danny Dorsey, repeatedly demands more titillating music and tawdry costumes.  Tameka must fend off his repeated sexual overtures, as well.

Needing time to regroup, Tameka flees LA to return to her Georgia hometown and encounters Tyler Barnett, the handsome new assistant pastor of her childhood church. The town is soon ablaze with vicious gossip about the pair, which threatens both their careers, and Danny lays a revengeful plot thatthreatens their very existence.  Will their love–and faith–be powerful enough to prevail?

There is a major plot twist about two-thirds into the book that numerous readers have loved.

Tell us a little about your main and supporting characters of your current book? Tameka Morgan (AKA Meeko Moore)—Beautiful young Grammy winning pop star from a small town in Georgia whose voice Rolling Stone Magazine calls “one of the most beautiful sounds ever recorded.”  Tameka was raised as a deacon’s daughter and refuses to abandon her beliefs to advance her career, despite the manipulations of her manager.  She worries that her association with Ty will hurt his standing with his congregation and impede his mission as a minister.

Reverend Doctor Tyler Barnett—Handsome young assistant pastor of Tameka’s childhood church who is a former college football player.  Ty drives around in a pink and black 1957 Buick Roadmaster he reconstructed himself.  He works closely with the church youth as a basketball coach and mentor.  Ty is worried that as a country preacher he does not have enough to offer a woman like the lovely Tameka.

Danny Dorsey—Tameka’s deceitful and unscrupulous manager who tries to threaten and trick her into performing music she feels “would make a streetwalker blush.”  Danny wants to control Tameka’s body as well as her career and will use every trick in his dangerous arsenal to get what he wants. He tells Tameka “I made you—and I can break you!”

Eddie Mae McElroy—Tameka’s best friend who is now an English teacher who has her back through thick and thin.  Eddie Mae teaches “good solid standard English” but sees nothing wrong with “a little ebonics between friends.”

Deidre (Dee Dee) Slayton—Once a childhood friend of Tameka’s, Dee Dee now has her eye on Ty and will do anything to keep Ty and Tameka apart.

Margaret Taylor Morgan—Tameka’s widowed mother and role model who runs a catering business.  Margaret is a genteel Southern lady, but she stands up for what she believes in, and one of the things she believes in most is her child.

Percy Stallworth—Widowed church organist who convinced Tameka to go after a career as a singer and who is afraid he is too old for the much younger lady of his heart.

Jesse James—the town sheriff who was Tameka’s late father’s best friend.  Tameka calls him “Uncle Jesse” but he wants to be so much more to Tameka—and her mother.

Reverend Hawkins—Church Pastor who calls Ty his “Number One” assistant and supports the young lovers one hundred percent.  His congregation affectionately
refer to him as “The Hawk,” and Ty admires that the Pastor “always knows how to get gracefully out of a ticklish situation.”

Calvin—16 year old member of the Young People’s Choir who has an out of control crush on Tameka

Melantha (Milo) Gordon—Danny’s young secretary who is the victim of his sexual harassment.

Lincoln Palmer—Ty’s college roommate now a well-known criminal attorney

RandyBarnett—Ty’s older sister who questions his relationship with pop star “Meeko.”

Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination? Both.  Some of my characters are total imagination.  But I have to say that for most of my characters I have someone, real or fictional, in mind as sort of the “blueprint” for the character. For instance there is a character named Marcel in my first book All For Love.  Whenever I worked on that character I had in mind the maître d’ from the fancy restaurant scene in the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

Are you consciously aware of the plot before you begin a novel, or do you discover it as you write? All my books except the first one were written from an outline, required by my publisher.  But for each book I found at points it just didn’t “work” according to the original game plan, and I had to add, omit, or change something

Tell us who or what was the inspiration behind your latest book? So much of my life as a child and young woman was centered around our church.  I wrote Follow Your Heart in response to a challenge.  When I told a colleague I was thinking about writing a romance involving the Black church she told me to “forget about it,” because I could never write a “good” romance with a minister as the hero.  My reply was “Oh, no?  Just watch me!”  I couldn’t be happier that the book has been so well received.  It won an Award of Excellence from the Romance In Color website and Romantic Times called it “…a flawless literary diamond…”

Follow Your Heart is dedicated to my Mom, Lebertis Knight Manees Wright, who passed away in September, 2011.  My mother was the greatest role model for a Christian woman that I have ever known, and since this is a Christian romance this had to be her book.

Where can readers purchase your latest book?

Kindle edition Amazon.com at Follow Your Heart on Amazon.com

Nook edition at Barnes &Noble at Follow Your Heart On Barnes and Noble

Also autographed copies of the print edition of Follow Your Heart and of all my other books as well are available through my website www.RManees.com.

What other titles have you written?

FANTASY, ISBN 1-58314-030-1

A MOTHER’S TOUCH, ISBN 1-58314-015-8, a three author anthology containing my novella, “All The Way Home”

FOLLOW YOUR HEART

Print edition ISBN 0-7860-0560-2

eBook edition April, 2012 ISBN 978-0-9855324-0-6

WISHING ON A STAR, ISBN 0-7860-0423-1

ALL FOR LOVE, ISBN 0-7860-0309-X

If you could change one thing about your writing career thus far, what would it be? I wish that my writing career—and my life—had not been interrupted by health issues, not the least of which was the stroke I had in February, 2011.  But I realize how blessed I am to have recovered with minimal impairment, and I am thankful to be actively writing once again.

What do you find to be the best and worst part of being an author? The best part is being able to, a least for a short while, live in a world totally of my own imagination.

The worst part is the dreaded deadline.

When you were published for the first time, which route did you go – mainstream, small press, vanity published or self-published and why or how did you choose this route? My first book was picked up by main stream publisher Kensington Publishing.  I didn’t really choose this route.  It more or less chose me. The book started as a short story, but it refused to stay short.  When I finished it was 93,000 words. My friends urged me to submit it to a publisher.  When I was offered a contract I almost fainted!

How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

It was a dream come true.  I had a small quiet celebration at home with a few family and friends.

What was your reaction the first time you saw your book in the bookstore? I just stood there and stared at the book for the longest time.  Finally I went up to the counter and introduced myself as the author.  It was a small bookstore and it happened that the person at the counter was the owner.  We scheduled a book signing then and there.

Since you’ve been published, how have you grown as a writer and now a published author? I have a much better understanding of the business end of writing than I had at the beginning.  When I first started I didn’t even know what an ISBN was.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors? Get a copy of The Writer’s Market and a copy of Become a Successful Author by Deatri King-Bey.  Every writer who wishes to become published or continue to be published should have a copy of each.

What do you have on the burner for the next year? I’d like to see my seventh print novel published.  I plan to write a movie screen play from one of my books.  I’d also like to finish my “how to” book on playing pinochle.

How can readers reach you?

My website is www.RManees.com Readers may sign up for my Insider List on this website

My email address is RManees@aol.com

My “snail mail” address is Raynetta Manees PO Box 3203 Southfield MI 48037

My business Facebook page is Raynetta Manees, Author

I am also on Linked In

I welcome questions and comments.

Do you have anything else you’d like to add?

Just that I appreciate the opportunity for the interview and that I hope readers will try my books.

Dee here: Thank you soooooo much for visiting us. You are a new author to me and I look forward to reading your work. And thanks for the little shout out about my book. Feel free to come on back and introduce us to your future books.

I’m baaaaack!!!  Look what I just found

Juggling a career as a TV reporter and raising a grandchild alone is challenging enough for lovely plus size 18 Jolene Jefferies. But then she meets Akron (Ron) Jamison, a strikingly handsome widower with a college age son and teen age daughter. Ron is a carpenter who has started his own construction company and wants her help in convincing the city council to give him a grant to repair old houses in the community. Jolene knows she has her hands full, for it isn’t long before they try to build a house of their own. But will a dark secret from Jolene’s past cause her to lose her career—and Ron’s love?

Amazon Barnes & Noble and she has more books!

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Tell us a little about yourself. My full legal name is Bettye-Lynn Griffin Underwood.  I’m a left-handed Moonchild Baby Boomer, I live in the Upper Midwest, and I’m a writer.

What genre(s) do you like to read? The same ones I write:  women’s fiction and contemporary romance.  I’ve never been into thrillers or westerns or spy novels or stuff like that.  And I like my romance realistic; I don’t enjoy fantasy stories.  I guess I’m just too down-to-earth a person.

What is your favorite novel and why? I have two:  Bebe Moore Campbell’s Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine because of her skilled use of metaphors and just overall fine writing; and Jacqueline Susann’s The Love Machine because I just gobbled up the story and didn’t want to stop reading.  My goal is to create stories that have the vivid writing Bebe Moore Campbell demonstrated in that book and the can’t-put-it-down plot elements Jacqueline Susann demonstrated in hers.

Where do your concepts for your novels come from? I tend to use current events and also obscure facts about celebritiesthat aren’t particularly well-known to the general public.

How long does it typically take you to write a book? Hard to answer, because I don’t dedicate myself to one book at a time.  I do try to stay focused, but when I feel a strong urge to write a particular scene, I do it.  Typically I’m outlining one book, writing another, and doing pre-edits and revisions on a backlist title.  So when I’m ready to put the heaviest focus on a single project, its plot is going to be fully laid out and anywhere from 30% to 60% of it is already written.

Tell us about your latest book? Isn’t She Lovely? is women’s fiction that centers around secrets, scandals, old wounds, and new attachments amid a gubernatorial campaign…

‘In the years since her husband left her, Tracy Pegram has struggled to support her children, working full-time and taking classes to advance her career. Then her son is injured in a hit-and-run accident…and when she learns the irresponsible driver is the son of a millionaire politician, she wants blood.

Illinois Attorney General Keith Norwood’s promising political career stalled after a horrific road accident killed his wife and her mother before his eyes. Voters felt he should tend to his traumatized young son, who also witnessed the crash, and he lost his party’s nomination for governor. Now, four years later, he is running again and leading in the polls when his troubled son, Josh, runs over a child and flees the scene in a panic. In an attempt to protect the teen, Keith and his lawyer offer a private settlement to the injured boy’s mother.

Tracy is livid at the candidate’s attempt to buy his son out of trouble, but when Josh Norwood asks to apologize to her son, she sees into the heart of the troubled teen and opens her home and heart to him. Before long she recognizes a tortured soul under the rigid public persona of Keith Norwood as well, but opening her heart to the father the way she has to the son is out of the question…or is it?’

I’m very proud of this book, and I’m pleased that it has met with such enthusiastic reader response.

Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination? I often use names of real people for both major and minor characters:  Hilton White (from A Love of Her Own), Hattie Jackson, Schuyler (Skye) Audsley, and Cornelia (Hatch) Hatchet (all from From This Day Forward and The Heat of Heat) come to mind. I may use personality facets in my characters, like favorite sayings by those close to me (particularly my husband). One exception: The character of Jon Lindbergh in A Kiss of a Different Color actually was based on a real person.

Are you consciously aware of the plot before you begin a novel, or do you discover it as you write? I am absolutely aware of the plot before I start writing.  When I wrote for traditional publishers, I landed new contracts by plotting out my novels in a synopsis before I wrote the book. I find it a good habit, even though I’m now indie publishing, as this prevents me from starting a story and then getting stuck.

Does the setting play a major part in the development of your story? Yes.  I’m fairly new to my current geographical area of the Midwest (halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee), and find it pretty fascinating.  There are the shabbier cities that remind me of smaller versions of my hometown of Yonkers, New York, plus wealthy suburbs, plus gorgeous lakefront homes with private beaches. There’s a rich African-American history here; many people migrating from the South settled in this area to work at the breweries of Milwaukee and the auto plants of Kenosha. Joe Louis used to spend time at his trainer’s house in Carol Beach, on Lake Michigan. Apparently, local kids from affluent families in the area used to go meet his train for a glimpse of The Champ or say hello to him as he’d be out jogging. Add the great city of Chicago. I’ve set most, if not all, of my books in this general area since I moved here in 2006.

Where can readers purchase your latest book? Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords

My other indie titles are available at the Sony store, Kobo, Diesel, and Apple, but I have not yet made Isn’t She Lovely? available for inclusion in these catalogs.

What other titles have you written? A Kiss of a Different Color (interracial romance), The Heat of Heat (contemporary romance, a three-in-one), Save The Best For Last (contemporary romance, in my opinion a highly underrated book), and an eBook reissue of A Love of Her Own (contemporary romance).  My mainstream titles from Dafina (Trouble Down The Road, A New Kind of Bliss, Once Upon A Project, If These Walls Could Talk, Nothing But Trouble, The People Next Door) are also still available as eBooks.

Since you’ve been published, how have you grown as a writer and now a published author? My dedication has increased…I now write most days. The quality of my writing has improved, as it does for most writers. There is a direct correlation between the two along the lines of practice makes better (not perfect). I have learned to trust my instincts and let my characters drive the story forward. Plotting a book now comes easier for me, although it can still be challenging. And my editing skills are sharper (although I use someone to help get my work ready for publication). All of this made the decision to indie publish after being dropped by two houses an easy one. I went right into it, actually getting started after Harlequin didn’t offer me another contract but while I was still writing for Dafina. As a result, I’ve never dropped the ball and have had at least one book published every year since 1998.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors? It’s all been said a million times before. Anyone who’s truly interested is already doing it. Those who aren’t won’t ever listen, so next question!

What do you have on the burner for the next year? I plan to release my first indie mainstream fiction title, a multigenerational story of long-held secrets and the lies told to cover them up that are exposed over a half century later.  I’m presently preparing to release another backlist title, A Love For All Seasons, as an eBook (which I will be offering free for Kindle), and I am also working on another romance, a combined sequel to Save The Best For Last and The Heat of Heat, because readers have asked for more about two minor characters who have a rather complicated relationship

How can readers reach you? I have two websites that are linked to each other:  my author website, www.bettyegriffin.com ; and my publisher website, www.bunderfulbooks.com .  My blog, www.chew-the-fat-with-Bettye.blogspot.com , is linked to my author site.  And I have pages for both Bettye Griffin and Bunderful Books on Facebook, plus I finally started twittering/tweeting (#BettyeGriffin).

Thanks, Deatri!

Dee here: Thanks for dropping by Bettye.

Twice a fool for love, Desiree Young learned her lesson a little late, but she’ll never forget it—Just say no to romantic relationships! Work has become her life, and she honestly loves every minute of it until… Until nepotism rears its ugly head, and she may lose everything she’s worked so hard for to the most irritatingly-sexy grouch ever.

Two failed marriages have taught Dallas Write a valuable lesson—There is no such thing as happily ever after. Work is dependable, and he loves what he does. After his beloved great uncle leaves his business to him, Dallas must give up his true love—being a master chef—to learn and run the business. Dallas lost both of his businesses to divorce and won’t allow his uncle’s business to be taken over by an outsider—no matter how intelligent, gorgeous and perfect for him she may be.

Two work-aholics, burned twice by love. Well, you know what they say: Third Time’s A Charm.

Purchase this eBook from Barnes & Noble, Amazon Note, this title will come out in print after the 4th book of the series is released.

Tell Her How You Feel (Book I) Amazon or Barnes & Noble
Santa’s Helper (Book II)Amazon, Barnes & Noble
Print Double header of Books I & II from Amazon

Back Story Third Time’s A Charm

This is the third book in the Write Brothers Series. Dallas is the grump of the bunch, the one some would consider socially awkward. Authors often write parts of themselves into characters. Like Dallas, some consider me socially awkward at times (it’s okay, I know SMILE) and like him, I am pretty straight forward (okay, so tact isn’t my best friend) but also like him, I’d go that extra mile for you. Romance is fantasy, and having a socially awkward hero is… okay, it’s not done, but why not. I’m pretty sure by the end of the book, you’ll love him as much as I do.

To follow the Write brothers and off shoots from this series, visit http://www.Son4Sale.com

Please use the “Share” buttons to spread the word about this title. THANKS!

Jared has been lost emotionally since the end of the Civil War. When thrown from his horse and injured in the middle of nowhere, he closes his eyes and waits for death to take him. Death doesn’t come. Instead, he is woken by the voice of an angel and his will to live returns. But not just live. He wants to live with Joy.

Purchase this eBook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble (note this title is coming to print soon)

Back Story

The first book I wrote was a historical interracial romance called Deeper. At the time, I’d been reading historicals and come across several bad ones. My sister and I were in the bookstore, and I was complaining about the state of books, when my sister said, “If you don’t like what’s out there, write your own.” My first attempt at writing a full length novel wasn’t very good. The story concept was great, but my execution left much to be desired. I began studying the craft and went in to “fix” my original manuscript Deeper, but was quickly overwhelmed. I didn’t want to write the same book over, another idea had come to me. I’d take the heroine from Deeper and change her up a little and put her in a different situation. That situation was Journey’s End.

Tell us a little about yourself. My name is Cheris Hodges and I’m a southern girl, raised in South Carolina and I currently live in Charlotte, the home of the Democratic National Convention and the worst NBA team in the league.

When you’re not writing, what do you do to relax and have fun? I love to watch superhero movies and cartoons, especially Batman and She-Ra. And there is no other way to relax than to sleep. LOL!

Tell us something few know about you.

1. I drink coffee about 24-hours a day and then wonder why I can’t sleep.
2. I love to go to the firing range and shoot my .380. I always shoot the target at least three times in the head.
3. I put hot sauce on everything, including my salad.

What genre(s) do you like to read? I love to read mysteries, of course romance, mythology and true-life stories.

What is your favorite novel and why? Their Eyes Were Watching God is my favorite novel. I remember watching The Cosby Show in the early 1990s and hearing Claire and Denise talk about the book. Then we were given an assignment in my English class to read a book and discuss imagery. I chose Their Eyes and my teacher asked if I thought I could handle the book. I received an A on the paper. Now, I read the book again every year.

What was the last novel you read that you enjoyed and why? The last novel I read was Sinners and Saints by Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley and it was a hoot. I loved how Jasmine and Rachel kept trying to one up each other in the name of their husbands. It was funny and had a wonderful twist.

When did you begin writing? I started writing in middle school, which was last week. LOL! Professionally, I started writing in 2000. But writing was something that had been in me because I’m the youngest in my family and when my sister and brother (six years and 12 years older than me) started dating, I was left alone. So, I made up stories and shared them with my friends at school.

What genre(s) do you write? I write romance and some romantic suspense.

Where do your concepts for your novels come from? It depends. I’ve gotten some concepts from reading news articles, from an old Motown lyric or from a dream.

Tell us about your latest book? Recipe For Desire, which was released on March 6, tells the story of Devon Harris and Marie Charles.

A Party Girl’s Work Is Never Done. . .

At twenty-seven, Marie Charles is still Charlotte’s number one party girl. But when she adds a DWI arrest and a totaled Jaguar to her list of tabloid news-making escapades, her daddy is done bailing her out. Sentenced to five hundred hours of community service at My Sister’s Keeper, a homeless shelter for women, Marie won’t have much time left for partying. . .

Renowned chef and TV star Devon Harris volunteers at My Sister’s Keeper. And he’s not happy Marie is joining him. He may be single–and she may be gorgeous–but the last thing he’s interested in is a superficial southern belle. But as Marie outgrows the selfish girl she was, Devon is turned on by the woman she’s becoming. . .

How can readers reach you?  Readers can reach me on Facebook, www.facebook.com/cherishodges Follow me on Twitter @cherishodges And on my blog at www.cherishodges.blogspot.com

Thank you for the opportunity, Deatri!

Dee: You are most welcome Cheris! I’ve been following your work since your first published title and wish you continued success. Come on back any time.

Tell us a little about yourself. I’m a military spouse and mother of two young children. I mean, really young. As in, the oldest is in kindergarten. So my writing time is hard won, and very precious to me. In college I majored in Elementary Education, but once I went into the classroom…well, then it wasn’t for me anymore.

When you’re not writing, what do you do to relax and have fun? I love to read. My favorite authors are Beverly Jenkins, Gwyneth Bolton, Farrah Rochon, Sarra Cannon (young adult fantasy), Marcia Colette (urban fantasy), and so many more. I read a lot of historical non-fiction for research and pleasure. Recently I’ve discovered audio books- finally I can read while driving! YAY!

I also sew, scrapbook, make jewelry, make flashcards for my children, and attempt to crochet.

Tell us something few know about you.

• I had nine jobs between the ages of 16 and 22. (So now you know why I work for myself- LOL) I did everything from being a fast food worker to being a nanny.
• I’ve been with my husband since the fifth grade. We were just friends back then, but as puberty set in, well you get the picture.
• I didn’t learn to ride a bike until I was 12. Haven’t been on one in over a decade-but I did learn, dang it!

What genre(s) do you like to read? Mainly romance and young adult fantasy. I like a good mystery now and then, too, like Pamela Samuels Young, Walter Mosely, or James Patterson.

What is your favorite novel and why? Night Song by Beverly Jenkins. I was 16 when I found my step-mother’s copy. I was fascinated by the image of a loving black couple on the front, and what I found inside the cover of that book inspired me. I learned to believe in true love that day, and the desire I’d always had to be a writer became greater than ever.

What was the last novel you read that you enjoyed and why? Fast Break by Regina Hart. I knew nothing about basketball, now I feel like I know lots. The storyline was really unique, and she is very descriptive when introducing her characters.

What genre(s) do you write? Romance: contemporary, historical, and paranormal. I hope to do some young adult, eventually.

Where do your concepts for your novels come from? Everywhere: television news reports, conversations I overhear in the coffee shop, dreams.

How long does it typically take you to write a book? Anywhere from 2 months to a year, depending on length and research required.

Tell us about your latest book? In 1879, near the small northern California town of Ridgeway, Lilly Warren is a young black woman who has recently lost her father. There is little time for mourning, though, as the responsibility of running the twenty-six acre farm now belongs to her. To make matters even more complex, her father has deeded the house and the land to her in his will with an interesting condition: that she share the land with a person she’s never met, or forfeit ownership. Ricardo Benigno is a Spanish captain of the Anna Juanita, a shipping vessel bringing spices and oils to the shores of California. Seeking out the farm of his old friend Leonard Warren, he discovers that the older man has passed away. To his surprise, Ricardo has also been willed joint ownership of Warren land, as long as he shares it with Lilly, Warren’s only child. The attraction between them is instant, and they both agree that marriage is the only acceptable way they can share the land. But can two people from such different worlds learn to love each other, or will Lilly’s heart be broken if she dares to kiss the captain?

I’m very excited about Kissing the Captain, my first historical romance. It’s sweet, so no hanky panky, but I think I laid the sexual tension on pretty thick between my Black/Portuguese heroine and my Spanish hero.

Are you consciously aware of the plot before you begin a novel, or do you discover it as you write? I’m a plotter. I need at least a timeline of events to get started. I also make a very basic thought web, like you learn to do in fifth grade, that is basically a bubble with lines extending out. I label the lines Characters, Setting, Plot, Conflict, and Resolution.

Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination? Yes and no. A lot of the characters sort of present themselves to me. But people I don’t like in real life often become my villains. (I change their names.)

Where can readers purchase your latest book?

Kindle, Nook, Print version coming soon!

What other titles have you written?

As Kianna Alexander:

Skye’s the Limit, Contemporary Mystery w/ romantic elements.

As Alexandra Kane:

Darkness Rising, PHOENIX Files Book 1- January 2011 -Paranormal Romance, Interracial:

If you could change one thing about your writing career thus far, what would it be? I would have gotten serious about writing and submitting before I had my babies, when I had nothing but time on my hands.

What do you have on the burner for the next year?  Working on getting out at least two more releases this year- The Preachers’ Paramour, sequel to Kissing the Captain, and Midnight’s Serenade, third book in the PHOENIX Files series. Next year, a third book in the Roses of Ridgeway series (Loving the Lawman) and a PHOENIX Files prequel (When Twilight Falls). Busy, busy!

How can readers reach you? Twitter: @AuthorAlexandra

As Kianna Alexander

http://www.KiannaAlexander.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kianna-Alexander/237587478935

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3029237.Kianna_Alexander

As Alexandra Kane

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alexandra-Kane/156797787681924

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4413997.Alexandra_Kane

Do you have anything else you’d like to add?

I give book clubs discounts on my print books when they order five or more copies directly from me. Contact me via my website for details.

I love my readers. They are what keep me going on days when I just can’t seem to get the words right. If you’ve ever bought, reviewed, liked, tweeted, shared, or commented on any of my books, I am truly, truly appreciative. Following your dream can be hard, but the readers make it worth it.

Tell us a little about yourself. I’m an award winning Northwest author and just completed my thirteenth manuscript. My stories are published by Books to Go Now. I write contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal and romantica. My manuscript, Shot in the Dark, was a finalist in the Emerald City Opener, Cleveland, and Toronto RWA contests. I write for the news site, The Seattle Examiner, to help others accomplish their career goals in writing.

When you’re not writing, what do you do to relax and have fun? Spare time or not writing… I remember that. I support what I call my ‘boys in shorts’ my local professional football (or soccer, as some call it) teams. This does not make me a soccer mom! I also blow glass beads with a blow torch and keep up my vegetable garden.

Tell us something few know about you. I’m a little OCD about Phantom of the Opera. Love it! The ultimate angst hero.  And the new show/sequel Love Never Dies, the Phantom and Christine have a secret baby! How can any romance author not LOVE that?

What genre(s) do you like to read? I read everything. I think you need to if you want to be a rounded as an author. If you only read one thing, you won’t be able to add additional elements to your storytelling.

What is your favorite novel and why? The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. She weaves such amazing characters with description and passion. It’s not just the hero and heroine, you remember ALL the characters. Even the dog, Rollo, has his place. I love her characters because they are vulnerable and human and do REALLY stupid, human things. Again, it adds that depth. Perfection is no fun to read about because it doesn’t exist.

What was the last novel you read that you enjoyed and why? Chris Karlsen’s Journey in Time. This is the second in a series, and both books are great. Chris has a knack for weaving history in with highly passionate characters. Two knights killed at the same moment, one accidently. Their souls are stuck as ghosts. Great concept. I read someone told her, “Ghosts can’t be sexy”… well they are very wrong.

When did you begin writing? In junior high I started a very exciting and intriguing Starsky and Hutch fan fiction series. I got out of writing with raising kids and then got serious about seven years ago.

What genre(s) do you write? Contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal and erotica. Novels, novellas, but mainly short stories.

Where do your concepts for your novels come from? Many places. My historicals, hearing all the recent news about the soldiers, it started my wondering, what if soldiers returning from the Crimean war had PTSD a hundred years ago. There would be no name or cure for it. The Christmas Horse came from a newspaper article.

How long does it typically take you to write a book? The short stories a month. Novels four to six months. I have a VERY hard-core critique group. I love the pain they send! If it gets past them, I figure my work is good to go.

Are you consciously aware of the plot before you begin a novel, or do you discover it as you write? I am somewhere between a plotter and pantser. I have to know the beginning the middle and the end (especially the end!) I don’t write out a long plot outline, but do jot down the ideas. I have short attention span and forget the great ideas I came up with.

Tell us about your latest book? At Christmas, Kara Hayward makes a pack with her girlfriends She’s wearing a headband of mobile mistletoe until a man kisses her. The problem is it’s now Valentine’s Day.
Will Kara be stuck wearing the headband of shame the rest of the year, or will she find Mr. Right in a place she never expects?

If I can get it written, the next will be St. Patrick’s Day.

Tell us a little about your main and supporting characters of your current book? Kara’s working three jobs, one at the local mall for Make-me-a-bear. When a fight breaks out and spills into her store, she’s accidently sprayed in the face with pepper-spray by her ditsy co-worker.

Jack leaves his niece at Build-me-a-bear for a few hours of carefree shopping. He’s a busy police detective who doesn’t have time to date.

You just never know where you’ll find love.

Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination? A little of both. A friend gave me a shirt that said, ‘be careful or you’ll end up in one of my books’. So true.

Tell us who or what was the inspiration behind your latest book? The Mobile Mistletoe series I got the idea from a friend who bought a Christmas headband with the dangling mistletoe. She said, “Hey, this is mobile mistletoe!” I through, that’s a GREAT name for a series.

Does the setting play a major part in the development of your story? Depends. Probably more with the historicals. Settings are more a part of the story.

Where can readers purchase your latest book?

http://www.bookstogonow.com/sweetjenniferconner.html

http://www.amazon.com/Comes-Valentines-Mobile-Mistletoe-ebook/dp/B0077FRCNY/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3

What other titles have you written? Valentine Surprise, Valentine Encounter, Cupcakes and Cupids, Do You Hear What I Hear?, New Year Resolution, The Duke and the Lost Night, The Reluctant Heir, Christmas with Carol, Auld Lang Sigh, Rush of Love, Fields of Gold, Christmas Chaos, The Christmas Horse, The Music of Christmas, All I Want for Christmas is You, Weddings First Chance, Kilt by Love

If you could change one thing about your writing career thus far, what would it be? I would have started writing seriously a long time before I did.

What do you find to be the best and worst part of being an author? Not enough time. It would be the perfect world to do it all day and stay up 24-7!

When you were published for the first time, which route did you go – mainstream, small press, vanity published or self-published and why or how did you choose this route? Small press.

How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

It’s a great feeling. I was more serious than the press. They went out of business, but I’m still here. You need to make sure that your work is the best it can be, and that is why it’s good to go through a press with editing. The process is very important.

What was your reaction the first time you saw your book in the bookstore? A few weeks ago my eBook was in the top 40 Kindle books. I was ahead of Stieg Larsson. I was very excited. My husband said, “who’s Stieg Larsson.” He just doesn’t understand.

Since you’ve been published, how have you grown as a writer and now a published author? I’ve grown a million miles. I think if you don’t learn something new everyday, it’s a shame. I hope I grow and learn until the day I die.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors? Read, learn ask question, find mentors. Join a GOOD and supportive critique group. It is essential. You need others to read your work and tell you what is wrong with it and how it can be better. I think this is the problem with some self-publishing. You need to ask yourself, is this my BEST work? Is it ready for others to read? If you’ve only had your mom and your best friend read your work, it may not be ready.

What do you have on the burner for the next year? Many. I am still working on my historical series, The Regimental Heroes. The Wounded Nobleman is next to go up. The Mobile Mistletoe series. My full-length, Shot in the Dark.

How can readers reach you? www.jenniferconnerbooks.com,

http://www.facebook.com/jennifer.conner2

http://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Conner/e/B0042850FG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Do you have anything else you’d like to add? Thanks so much for the opportunity!

Dee here. Thank you, Jennifer, for taking time out of your day to tell us a little about yourself and your books. We’re all read-aholics here and I look forward to your future works. Come on back any time.

DEA Agent Ashton Powell’s undercover assignment is to befriend Diana and find evidence to use against a powerful drug lord. From day one, Ashton is attracted to Diana, but he believes she is a drug lord’s ex-lover. Fearing she will choose to return to the drug world, he fights against his growing love for her.

Purchase the eBook from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Print
Genre: Women’s Fiction

Back Story

Those of you who have been hanging out with me over the years know I’ve often said that my first published novel was originally a different book, but one of my characters kept trying to take over the novel. Ernesto wanted his story told and it wasn’t quite the story I was writing. Sooooo, I wrote Caught Up (my first published novel) to make Ernesto happy. But what happened to the original book? This is that book.

I knew publishing houses would not want this book because it is not a romance in the traditional sense, though romantic. To keep my characters from being placed in boxes, I knew I’d have to go it on my own someday if I wanted this published. So there you have it. I hope you enjoy.

If you’ve read Caught Up, you’ll notice similarities between the stories, yet they are still very different, so I suggest you let Caught Up go and read this for what it is: Operation White Rose. If you haven’t read Caught Up, wha’cha waiting for? Grab a copy. It’s a great book.

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Happy Reading