Introducing SORMAG

Today I continue my series about literary service providers with another favorite of mine. Shades of Romance Magazine, othewise known as SORMAG to many of us. I remember when LaShaunda launched SORMAG. Way back when we were both aspiring romance writers. LaShaunda has a heart of gold and she gives and gives and gives to the literary community . I'm so happy to be able to feature her. 

Introduce yourself to the readers.  Hello everyone, my name is LaShaunda C. Hoffman.  First I’m a wife, and mother of three.  I work full time for the government and in my off time I’m the owner of SORMAG – Shades Of Romance Magazine.  An online magazine.  I’m also an aspiring writer, working on a few manuscripts.

Tell us about your literary business.  Shades of Romance Magazine or SORMAG as I call it.  Is an online magazine for readers and writers of multi-cultural literature. It is an interactive magazine that features author interviews, blog tours, columns, book reviews and articles. I started it in 2000 to help promote authors and their books.  It has moved from site to print to a blog over the last 10 years. 

Who are your customers? Our customers are mainly authors looking to promote their books.  Sometimes we’ll have a few businesses promote their events or products.  We welcome business that want to reach readers  18 – 65.

Our readers are book readers, book clubs, and authors.

How did you get started? I have always had a love for books.  I fell in love with romance books and had a hard time finding places on the web that promoted the multi-cultural books.  I decided to start a magazine that would help promote multi-cultural books.  We started off just promoting romances and then we moved to all types of books.  We celebrate 10 years of promoting books and their authors.

Like all business, there are ups and downs in publishing. The current economic downturn has caused a sharp reduction in book sales.   How does this affect your business? A lot of my customers have tighten up their promotion belt, which means less ad sales than in the past.  Some have come to me with a budget and I try to work with their budget because I understand that most publishers aren’t paying big advances like they use to.  I’m willing to work with my customers.  My goal is to help them promote their products.

Share a rewarding or successful literary experience you’ve had recently. This month I’m on the cover of the EKG Literary Magazine, which is a blessing, because I’m usually the one doing the interviewing.  It was a nice write up about me and what I do with the magazine.  I am very thankful for the opportunity and exposure to their readers.  - http://ekgliterarymag.com/

How would you like to improve your business? I would like to see SORMAG at more literary events.  I see this as a way to meet new readers.  I know there are a lot of readers who don’t know about us and I would like to be able to attend more events in order to do this.

What do you enjoy reading? Any Christian Fiction favorites or recent notable reads? I enjoy all types of books.  I try to read at least two books a month.  Usually I have a paperback and a book I’m listening to.  I’m currently reading, Dreams That Won't Let Go by Stacy Hawkins Adams. I enjoy her style of writing.

Where can writers find you on the Internet? You can find me on my  blogs – SORMAG – http://sormag.blogspot.com  or my personal one – SEE YA ON THE NET – http://lashaunda.blogspot.com

I’m on facebook and twitter or you can send me an email – sormag@yahoo.com

Women's History Month blog Tour

Celebrate Women in Leadership Series
with Dawn McCoy

During the month of March 2010, Dawn McCoy, author of Leadership Building Blocks will highlight great women in leadership during Women’s History Month.

Rhonda: Thank you for allowing me to be a guest blogger today at Urban Christian Fiction. Today, in the Celebrate Women in Leadership series, I want to highlight Nannie Helen Burroughs.

What I most like about courageous Nannie Helen Burroughs was that she was a fearless woman ahead of her time. She was a civil rights activist, teacher, and noted orator. She was the founded the National Training School for Women and Girls in Washington, DC in 1901. She was a pivotal force who made an impact as a leader through religious and educational efforts, particularly for African American women.

First, Burroughs shared moral values, such as a solid work ethic to help young women become self-sufficient wage earners. In 1896, she joined other women to form the National Association of Colored Women (NACW) to promote political mobilization of Black women. As her political partisanship ripened, she became a much sought- after participant in that arena, particularly by the Republican Party.

Also, in 1900 at the annual meeting of the National Baptist Convention in Virginia, Burroughs gave a speech, “How the Sisters Are Hindered from Helping.” Her speech gained her national recognition and led the served as a lightning rod for the formation of the largest Black women’s organization in the United States, the Woman’s Convention (WC) an auxiliary to the National Baptist Convention (NBC). Because of her hard work, leadership, and dedication, the membership of the WC grew dramatically, reaching one million members in 1903 and 1.5 million in 1907.

When Herbert Hoover was elected president in 1928, he chose Burroughs to head a fact-finding commission on housing. In 1909, she founded the National Training School for Women and Girls, which was renamed the Nannie Helen Burroughs School in 1964.

Nannie Helen Burroughs is often quoted because she was an amazing leader with unparalled courage. She once said that "What we need are mental and spiritual giants who are aflame with a purpose . . . We're a race ready for crusade, for we've recognized that we're a race on this continent that can work out its own salvation.”

TOUR GIVEAWAY: Blog visitors who leave comments OR radio callers with questions for Dawn are eligible to win an autographed copy of Leadership Building Block and a copy of the Effective Community Engagement CD.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dawn McCoy is author of Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider's Guide to Success. As one of the youngest elected African-American elected to the Sacramento City Unified School Board, McCoy shares seven leadership fundamentals in her book. Inspiring readers to be top in their field, Dawn shares her insights based upon twenty years serving as a nonprofit and government executive.

A motivational speaker, coach, and founder of Flourish Leadership Group, a leadership development and communications firm, Dawn is dedicated to transforming ordinary people into extraordinary leaders. In recent years, she has worked with organizations to develop their vision and create phenomenal results. Dawn has worked with hundreds of individuals to help them capture their spirit of leadership and truly become the effective leaders they were meant to be.

Visit Dawn online at FlourishLeadership.com.

Read an excerpt online and visit the tour schedule at http://bit.ly/LeadershipBuildingBlocks.

Introducing Literary Signature Services

Today, I continue my features on literary services providers by introducing Renee Williams. I selected Renee for this feature, because I've observed that she works very hard supporting authors. In particular she is very good to us that are newly published. 

Hello Renee, introduce yourself to the readers. I am Renee Williams, born and raised in the same little town in Southeast Texas.  I’m an avid reader, and have been since my youth.  I am the mother of two, step mother of three and the grandmother of three with a fourth on the way.  I am presently employed as an administrative assistant to the best boss in the world!  I love God!!!  I am active in several ministries at my church.

Tell us about your literary business.  I am the owner of Literary Signature Services, which encompasses several endeavors.  I love event planning and working with authors, so I offer my services to them in planning dinners and/or multi-day events for them and their readers.  I am also a literary blogger/reviewer at All the Buzz (http://www.allthebuzzreviews.com), where I post reviews, author interviews, event recaps, as well as being a tour stop for many virtual tours.  Last year I launched A Hopeful Romantic (http://www.ahopefulromantic.com), which is home to all things romance. 

I also have an inspirational blog, The Master’s Vessel (http://www.themastersvessel.com).  I love spreading God’s love and God’s word, and offering an encouraging word to everyone in need.

Most recently, I have delved head first into web design, offering customized web sites and blogs to authors, or really anyone who wants a beautiful site at a reasonable price!  In addition to my own sites, I have most recently designed the new blog site of national best-selling author Francis Ray (http://www.francisrayblog.com) as well as the site for romance author Victoria Wells (http://www.victoria-wells.com).  I have two more that I am working on right now, and hope to add more in the future.

And finally, LOL, I also plan virtual tours for authors who are seeking an affordable, yet effective way of promoting their latest release.

I’ve got another major project in the works, but it may be a year or so before it’s fully launched.

Who are your customers? Even though I promote to authors, all of my sites are for everyone, especially the readers.  As a reader myself, I love being able to go to sites where I can interact with an author and learn more about them.

How did you get started? Brenda Jackson was coming to Texas a few years ago for a romance writers convention.  I knew I wanted to meet her since she is one of my all-time favorite authors.  So I started planning a dinner for her, which was wonderful, and that’s when the bug hit.  LOL  From there, I branched off into being a reviewer, and All the Buzz was born.  The virtual tours came from working with Marlive Harris of TheGRITS (http://www.thegrits.com), who is my mentor and shero!  Web design came about from having to design my own blogs (again with the help of Marlive) because I couldn’t afford the high prices a lot of web designers charge.

Like all business, there are ups and downs in publishing. The current economic downturn has caused a sharp reduction in book sales.   How does this affect your business?  It cuts down on all aspects – advertising, virtual tours, web design.

Share a rewarding or successful literary experience you’ve had recently. Being able to work with any author is a rewarding and successful experience for me.  It’s not an opportunity many get, so I value each one.

Where do you see Literary Signature Services in five years? I see Literary Signature Services as being a force to be reckoned with in the literary industry, providing all aspects of service – quality and professional service – at a reasonable cost, for the writer who is just starting out to the best-selling author who has numerous books under their belt.

What do you enjoy reading? Any Christian Fiction favorites or recent notable reads? I enjoy reading romance, Christian fiction, mystery/suspense.  The most recent notable Christian fiction reads for me are Heavenly Places by Kimberly Cash Tate and the Jubilant Soul series of books by Stacy Hawkins Adams.

Where can writers find you on the Internet? All the Buzz – http://www.allthebuzzreviews.com , A Hopeful Romantic – http://www.ahopefulromantic.com, The Master’s Vessel – http://www.themastersvessel.com

Selling My Soul by Sherri Lewis

When Trina Michaels steps off the plane after her two-year missions trip in Africa, she realizes that other than longing to see her mother and her best friend, her heart aches to fly back to the place that now feels more like home than anywhere she’s… ever lived. And to the man who’s stolen her heart.

Her dream of a quick return to Mozambique fades within hours when Trina discovers that her mother has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Trina is forced to go back to her job as a publicist to cover her mother’s health costs.

She’s assigned a damage control client, Bishop Walker, a megachurch pastor accused of covering up a church sex scandal within his church involving the molestation of young boys. Representing him could cost Trina her most valued friendship, the love of her life, and her soul.

Click to read an excerpt:
Selling My Soul by Sherri L. Lewis (excerpt)

Sherri Lewis will having a blog tour. Sign up for updates about the tour by clicking here.

Take Off the Mask Blog Tour - Day One

Who I’ve Become is NOT who I AM, is Sonya Visor’s first non-fiction book. Her passion is to minister to the people who hide behind masks. Sonya’s calling is to break and destroy the yokes of bondage, releasing the power of God into the lives of others by the preached Word and prayers of deliverance. When you can find the strength, to step into who you truly are; you can find the strength to BE THE (Tru U). TruU Ministries is the women’s ministry that God has charged her with to help other’s become free.
Sonya shares her heart with her husband, Pastor Tony Visor, who she calls her better half, for nineteen years. She and her husband have ministered effectively in the city of Racine together at NCC since 1999. Sonya is blessed to love two sons, Jason and Tony, Jr. Visit her online at sonyavisor.com.

About the Book

Who are you when nobody’s looking? It’s time to take off what hides who you truly are…the mask! Are you tired of going around family, friends and church folk with a frozen smile and a broken heart? Unmask your true identity and learn your real name as pastor’s wife and playwright Sonya Visor cuts to the heart with dynamic testimony of sexual molestation at a young age.
BEING SILENT GAVE POWER to the hands that touched her life. Can hands meant to protect you also have the power to crush your identity? YES! But when we stop allowing a mask of shame to hold us captive with CLOSED mouths, WE CAN let Jesus be real in our lives.
Discover who you have become and embrace who you really are in a book that goes past the pews and what other’s think about you — to bring glory to God by being transparent and transformed. It’s time to take off your mask and let the true you show up!

A Message from Sonya

View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/TakeOffTheMask.

My Mother's Child Blog Tour - Day One

My Mother’s Child Blog Tour with Dwan Abrams

Dwan Abrams is a full-time novelist, freelance editor, and publisher. She’s the best-selling author of My Mother’s Child (the sequel to Divorcing the Devil), Married Strangers, Divorcing the Devil, Only True Love Waits, and The Scream Within. She’s the founder, publisher, and editorial director of Nevaeh Publishing, LLC a small press independent publishing house. She’s currently signed to Urban Christian, an imprint of Urban Books/Kensington. Her sixth novel, the second book in the Married Series, is set to hit national bookshelves in 2011.

List your published books. 

My Mother’s Child, Married Strangers, Divorcing the Devil, Only True Love Waits, and The Scream Within.  I also have an ebook on self-publishing and small presses.

Which book did you find the hardest to birth? 

My Mother’s Child was the hardest to birth because of the subject matter.  I had to write from the male perspective when dealing with the deranged stalker and the husband of one of his victims.  That was challenging.

Which book is your current favorite? 

My Mother’s Child because of the unexpected outcome.

How would you describe your writing style? 

According to Robert Frost, “Style is that which indicates how the writer takes himself and what he is saying. It is the mind skating circles around itself as it moves forward."  I used to consider myself to be a “seat of the pants” writer.  I just sat down and wrote as the ideas came to me.  As I grow and change, so have my preferences.  I now prefer to do character sketches and brief outlines.  Nothing too detailed.  Just enough to give me a well-rounded view of the characters and keep the story at an even pace. 

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind? 

No.  Since I get most of my writing done at night, I usually turn on the TV with the volume down low.  Other times I prefer silence.

Tell us anything about you as a writer that you think might be interesting or unusual. 
I’m actually shy.   
What advice do you have for aspiring writers? 
Read a lot and study the craft.  Don’t fall so in love with your work that you can’t take constructive criticism.
Writers are often encouraged to write what they know. Have you found that to be the case with your writing? 
There may be little things that I’ll throw in here and there like locations and food preferences, but the premises of my stories aren’t pages from my life.

About the Book

Lyric Stokes lives, by most standards, a charmed life. Married to Michael Stokes, a prominent heart surgeon, she has financial security and lives in the lap of luxury. All is not perfect, though. Lyric feels inadequate because she gave birth to a daughter, rather than the son that her husband so desperately wanted.
After an unexpected turn of events, Lyric discovers that she’s pregnant again, but now she has to decide whether she even wants to keep the child she has longed for. She seeks solace in her church, where her daughter also feels at home; but they can’t get Michael to join them. Disagreeing with organized religion, he has put his job before all else, including God. The distance between the couple grows further every day.
Nigel Fredericks has a history of stalking women. He’s been accused, but never convicted. Now he’s set his sights on Lyric. She’s at a low point in her life, and Nigel knows just how to take advantage of that vulnerability. Lyric’s life is turned upside down; Nigel is like a cancer eating away at her mental stability, her marriage, and ultimately, her life. Will Michael reevaluate his priorities and his faith in time to save his family?

Listen to an excerpt from My Mother’s Child

Visit Dwan online at http://dwanabrams.com.

View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/MyMothersChild

TyWebbin Creations

Today's literary service provider feature is about TyWebbin Creations. I've used TyWebbin for everything and found the owner to be the utlimate in creativity in professionalism. The owner, Ty Moody, has single-handedly created my virtual brand.

Hello Ty, thanks for being a part of this feature. Introduce yourself to the readers.
Tyora "Ty" Moody is a writer, graphic designer and online book promoter. For over ten years, she's specialized in marketing and design for authors and small businesses. As an avid bookworm, she has managed two book blogs, Christian Bookworm Reviews (est. 2002) and Written Voices Blog (est. 2006). She's the Books Editor for WOW! (Women of the Word) Magazine. Ty is a member of Sisters in Crime (SinC) and American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). She writes romantic suspense and cozy mysteries. Her Christian faith is blended into every project, whether writing or design-related.

Tell us about your literary business.

That's interesting that you ask about my "literary business." I wouldn't call it that because I do on occasion still do design work for small businesses and non-profits. For some reason and only God knows, he steered this little bookworm to work more with authors. There are two key people in my life who set the stage for my working mainly in the literary realm, that's Marina Woods of GoodGirlBookClubOnline.com and Marlive Harris of TheGRITS.com. Both of these two women approached me in 2000 and they opened up a world of opportunities I couldn't have imagined.

Tywebbin Creations is a design and marketing company. On the design side, I do web design and graphic design. For web design, I design HTML-based sites or can set-up a customized blog for an author, whichever they prefer. My graphic design services include promotion items like bookmarks, business cards, postcards and electronic media kits. Last year, I started designing book covers which was something I had many authors ask me about doing over the years. On the marketing side of Tywebbin, I started coordinating virtual book tours in 2009. With the virtual book tours, I promote authors in the various realms of social media.

Who are your customers?
The majority of my customer base has always been authors. My first client back in 1999 was an author. I remember she kept sending me emails asking me did I build websites for others and I was real hesitant back then. I eventually put together the website for her and it's been amazing. Even clients who come to me with ministry-based sites often have a book or two that they desire to promote.

How did you get started?
I've been designing websites since 1997. The first website I started is one that still is online today, www.faithwebbin.net. A year after I started Faithwebbin, I started two other websites, one called DOEnetwork.com and the other AAKultureZone.com. DOEnetwork.com was probably the most popular site and I had met quite a few author and writer friends from the years 1998-2004. I decided in 2004 to let DOEnetwork.com go. That was a hard decision, but it opened up time I needed to let Tywebbin grow.

Like all business, there are ups and downs in publishing. The current economic downturn has caused a sharp reduction in book sales. How does this affect your business?
There has been a slight affect on the web design front. Over the past two years, I have re-designed my packages I offer so that I can fit an author's budget. Back in the day when I used to do a lot of maintenance work, these days I try to set-up sites in a way that allows the author much more control over pages that needed to be updated frequently. I also do more blog design work than I used to since blogs are usually easier and less expensive to set-up.

The virtual book tours are surprisingly popular and I continue to consult with authors all the time. I think it's because I offer quite a bit of services within the packages I offer. I prayed to not undercut my skills and time, but at the same time offer value with the pricing tiers I have set-up. I know how tight an author's budget can be and how hard it can be to balance promoting when you aren't an "online" person.

Share a rewarding or successful literary experience you’ve had recently.
It occurred to me as I coordinated blog tours for two anthologies earlier this year, I needed a way to represent as many of the contributing writers as possible. So, I added video services to Tywebbin. I just have to send a shout-out to the editors and contributing writers of Victorious Living for Women and SistahFaith. I was extraordinarily blessed and ministered to via both projects - and that's not something I expected while editing video late at night.

The experience reminded me of the types of books I've chosen to promote - Christian Fiction and Nonfiction. These books are about ministering, sharing the Gospel and planting a seed in someone who really needs to develop a relationship with God through his son Jesus. Sometimes it's easy to get so busy, you lose sight of your purpose. God's instilled in me technical skills and passion to be used as a vessel. It's a blessing and I pray to continue to always keep that in mind on every project.

Where do you see Tywebbin Creations in five years?
I mentioned above I added new services like the virtual book tours, book covers and video editing. Some independently-published authors have asked me about doing layouts for the inner pages of a book. That's something I have in my future consideration category. There are other areas I would love to explore - like e-books. I can see there is going to be a major shift in publishing with all the new devices like iPad, Nook and Kindle. Each of these devices will need a special way to format the book. I keep my eye on the publishing and online trends daily. It wasn't until 2007 that I really started to understand the value of social media. Life throws changes and curve balls at you and I plan to keep up. Me staying ahead, often helps me keep my clients ahead.

What do you enjoy reading? Any Christian Fiction favorites or recent notable reads?

I enjoy both Christian Fiction and Nonfiction. My favorite Christian Fiction writers are Sharon Ewell Foster, Claudia Mair Burney, Stacy Hawkins Adams and a certain debut novelist, Rhonda McKnight. :) It's no secret, my favorite genre is mystery and suspense. I love to read and write in this genre. Currently, I'm catching up on two of Terri Blackstock's book, Double Minds and Intervention.

I love reading or tacking bible studies from Beth Moore and Joyce Meyer.

Where can writers find you on the Internet?

Last year, I had a crash course on trying to brand myself. That wasn't easy to do since I'm all over the place. LOL! I now prefer to send people to www.TyoraMoody.com. You can pretty much access everything I do from that main page - including Tywebbin.com, my profile on Facebook.com, Twitter.com, etc.

Rhonda, thank you for the opportunity!

Glad to have you, Ty. Please visit Ty's website to see the website designs and graphic design projects Ty has completed. Including my website at www.rhondamcknight.net 

Fifteen Years Blog Tour - Day One

Fifteen Years Blog Tour

KENDRA NORMAN-BELLAMY is a national best-selling author and the founder of KNB Publications LLC. She is the organizer of Visions in Print, an Atlanta-based national organization for faith-based writers, and The Writer’s Hut, an online fellowship for African American Writers. She is the founder of Cruisin’ For Christ, a groundbreaking at-sea ministry that celebrates writing, gospel music and other God-glorifying arts, and also serves as a motivational speaker.
A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, Kendra currently resides in Stone Mountain, George with her family. For more information, visit www.knb-publications.com.

Kendra, list your published books.

To date, my published titles are: For Love & Grace, A Love So Strong, Crossing Jhordan’s River, Because of Grace, Thicker Than Water (anthology), More Than Grace, One Prayer Away, The Midnight Clear (anthology), In Greene Pastures, Three Fifty-Seven A.M., This Far By Faith (anthology), Battle of Jericho, The Lyons Den, The Morning After, and Fifteen Years.

Which book did you find the hardest to birth? 

It wasn’t hard to write, but In Greene Pastures was probably my most challenging simply because I made the birthing process longer than it had to be. It was my first time tackling a faith based mystery, and I was procrastinating getting started on it. Fear of the unknown, I guess. It was unchartered territory for me, and in my mind, I made the process a lot more difficult than it ended up being. Once I sat down to really start writing it, God showed me who was really in charge, and it flowed.

Which book is your current favorite? 

I’m in the middle of writing my favorite now. I Shall Not Die (release date: October 2010) will be my first nonfiction/ministerial book and much of it is a testimony of my own life experiences. I have countless emails from people who have told me that they were blessed by my fictional novels, but I know that it’s going to be a blessing to others on an entirely different level. I Shall Not Die is much more than a book; it is a motivational ministry that God has assigned to my hands. Knowing the powerful and positive impact that it will have on the lives of those that He is having me write it for is what makes it my favorite.

How would you describe your writing style?

By industry identification, I’m a seat of the pants writer, meaning that I don’t write drafts or chapter outlines prior to launching full speed into crafting the story. By no means is there anything wrong with doing that; it’s just not my personal style. I sit at the computer and type out the story as it comes to me. I equate that to being led of God. I invite and implore Him to give me what to say in the stories so that they will ultimately not only entertain the reader, but minister to him/her in some small way as well. I want God to be glorified in everything that I write, so it’s important to me to seek His direction before writing even the first word.

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind? 

Often times I do. The nature of the music is largely based upon what type scene(s) I’m working on at the time. Gospel music fuels some settings, love songs stimulate others, and jazz music or neo soul might be the order of the day for others. I tend to migrate to whatever propels me the most in that moment.

Tell us anything about you as a writer that you think might be interesting or unusual.  I write best when I’m chewing gum. I won’t try to explain the reason for that because quite honestly, I don’t understand it myself. All I know is that the thoughts seem to flow more smoothly when I’m chewing Extra sugarfree gum (preferably the winterfresh flavor). Based upon how the creativity is flowing, I have been known to chew up to 15 sticks a day.


What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Prayer, Patience, and Perseverance.  That’s always my answer to a question such as this. Aspiring writers, in my humble opinion, need to have all three. I advise prayer because everybody needs God whether they recognize it or not. He’s there to help them over the hurdles and through the mazes that can present themselves along the way. I advise patience because writing isn’t a get rich quick scheme and most of us don’t become overnight successes. It takes time, and the waiting game can be disheartening; especially to a person who thought the journey would be a sprint rather than a relay. I advise perseverance because when you have that, you’ll stick it out even when the times get rougher than rough. Discouragements will come along the journey, but prayer, patience, and perseverance will combine to make you an overcomer every time. 

Writers are often encouraged to write what they know. Have you found that to be the case with your writing?
Not necessarily. I’ve tackled subjects in my writing that I have no personal knowledge about or experience regarding. Sometimes the subjects I write about require that I to do online research or talk to those who may have some experience in that particular area. I’m certain that it is easier to write what you know, but I don’t know if I’d encourage anyone to box themselves into a place where they only stick to those subject matters that they are personally familiar with. Instead of saying “Write what you know,” I’d rather tell an author to “Know what you write.” In other words, educate yourself about whatever you’re going to write about before you do it. That way, it’s accurate, and when people read it, it’s not obvious to them that you have no personal knowledge about the subject matter or situation.

About the Book

Josiah Tucker, the son of a substance dependent and neglectful mother, spent most of his childhood years in the custody of the State, living in foster homes throughout Atlanta, Georgia. At the age of fourteen, he was taken from  the foster family that he had grown to love, the Smiths, and returned to his negligent birth mother. Enduring the hardships faced while living with his birth mother JT manages to makes something of his life.  However, fifteen years after being taken from the Smiths and at the peak of success, he finds himself feeling empty and at his lowest.  When he decides to reconnect with the Smiths, JT finds his faith in God renewed and discovers his attraction to his foster sister.

View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/FifteenYearsBlogTour.

Interview with Aisha Grant, author of Secret Wounds and Hidden Pains

Hello Aisha, welcome to Urban Christian Fiction Today. Introduce yourself to my readers. Thank you for having me Rhonda! Well as you know, my name is Aisha Gant aka A. Life…. I am mother of 2 and I am a business woman who owns a salon w/a patented product called; The Ears Free Hair Wrap. I too, am a personal trainer/group fitness instructor (who needs instructional training herself LOL).  So as you can see, I am always doing something. (Smiles) Aside from all that, I Love Happiness & I Love to Write. It is my release and I do it with the intent that my work would help heal the hurt with happiness!

Tell us about your novel, Secrets Wounds and Hidden Pain. Secret Wounds & Hidden Pain is a novel about 4 women, all leading different lives, while wearing the same mask. Charlene is the estranged wife of a minister; who finds that she’s spent too much time keeping the books of her business when she should have been keeping track of her husband’s infidelity. Denise is an exotic dancer and single mother of 5; who because of her past life’s circumstances have had to make possible, the seemingly impossible. Michelle is a battered newlywed; who thought ‘a piece of paper’ would change a man.  And Katrina is a well-dressed, good girl; stashing skeletons in her closet. Each lady dons the mask as if no one can see that the beauty behind it is really wounded.

What inspired this novel?  In one word; LIFE! And not just from my perspective but from the lives of so many people I come in contact with on a day to day basis. I’ve seen and do see us, as a people, hiding behind the walls of wounds, when in fact we should all be showcasing the scars of victory! A scar says, ‘I’m healed!’ (And I’m not talking about a scab either! That just states that the healing process has begun!) So in short, my inspiration stemmed from a desire to see people healed…for real!

What would you like readers to take away? I want everybody, readers as well as listeners, (the ones who let others read and then ask for a report) (LOL) to first understand that life happens. And during life; life happens again and again. But it is what you do during and after the ‘happening’ that matters. Pain is sometimes unavoidable and the wounds that we receive are usually evident. BUT…if we learn to accept the things we can’t change, we’ll get a better understanding of how to deal with the things we can. As in the case of Secret Wounds & Hidden Pain; it is my endeavor that readers realize that it’s okay to remove the mask! Hiding can only be done for so long. And besides, wounds don’t heal properly in the dark. So…snatch off the mask-like band-aid and let the air of life act as a healer!

The cover art is pretty graphic. It definitely will grab a readers’ attention. What has been the response to it? (SMILES) The cover is doing exactly what I wanted it to do! (LOL) Which is: Arrest the attention of the reader, incarcerate the wounds of the mind, convict the pain plaguing the heart, and then set the reader free…to walk in healing! It has been well received by all and I thank GOD for that. It is a slight variation of what I originally ‘saw’ while talking to ‘My Daddy’ but thanks to Him and a spirit-filled graphic designer, what is seen is a depiction of everybody at some point in their lives. So it makes you wanna, at least take a glance. (SMILES)

 Tell us a little about your journey to publication. With my first work, Chaya’s First Death-The beginning of an end to her life as an enabler I didn’t really know, know what it took to make it successful. I just knew I loved to write and I had something to share with the world. I contacted many different publishing houses and even talked to a few authors, of who some were and are, reluctant to share information. After doing so and being rejected, I decided with the help of an author sis of mine to go the self-publishing route. And here I am.

What have been your challenges as an independently published author? Marketing! Of which takes: Moolah! So I might need to rephrase that huh? (LOL) Marketing and/or having the money to market, to me, is the most difficult, esp. in times like these. You can only push an email for so long to the same list of unresponsive people! And even though some sites offer discounted rates for exposure, that can sometimes be expensive as well. And who’s to say they are really sending out blasts with your info on it? (I dunno, I am just funny like that.) (LOL)

What marketing and promotion tips have you found most effective? To be honest with you, I haven’t found one that supersedes the others. I send out frequent emails, Facebook notifications, etc. and although I am not receiving the support I’d like, I am still grateful for that which I have received thus far. I have even sent out a number of review copies and the ones who’ve responded have all given me 5 stars. I guess it just takes time, being that I am independently published. But be on the look-out because I’m comin’! LOL

Share a scripture that defines your goal for your writing? Rhonda, since I use my hands for everything I do (hair, gym, write, etc.), I have always found Psalms 90:17 to be my stay. It simply states: “…Let the beauty of the Lord my God be upon me; and establish the work of my hands…”

Tell us where readers can find you on the Internet? EVERYWHERE! (LOL) Actually, they can go to my sites; www.eborya.com ; www.alife3dots.com ; Amazon.com and I’m also on Facebook and Myspace!

Dreams That Won't Let Go

My Review:  4 of 5 stars

Sibling Rivalry

Building on the characters she created in the prior two novels, The Someday List and Worth A Thousand Words, author Stacy Hawkins Adams introduces a new progression in the Burns family drama, Dreams That Won’t Let Go. The third installment of the Jublilant Soul series did not disappoint. It is definitely a novel that could be read without having to go back and read the prior two, but honestly, they’re great books, so I say why not read them all?

In Dreams That Won’t Let Go, we meet up with the ugly twins jealousy and envy amongst sister and brother. Sibling rivalry always makes for a juicy read, especially when it’s written by someone as talented as Ms. Hawkins Adams.

Indigo Burns is engaged to be married and would be enjoying the preparations if her prodigal brother, Reuben had not returned home, and how dare he decide to stay. Reuben Burns is a looking for a safe place to heal but struggles with his personal demons and failures. Indigo loves her brother, but resents him a great deal at the same time. This was apparent from page one and did not let up until almost the end of the story. Indigo really had to grow to get to the place where she could help him. Likewise Reuben had to grow in order to help himself. The themes of family resilience, love and faith were addressed realistically and thoughtfully. Ms. Hawkins Adams did a wonderful job of illustrating the pain and frustration of family tension in the midst of a huge faith challenge. I loved the resolution to the issues the characters had.

The strength of the novel was the emotional intensity and various plot twist that will definitely keep the reader turning the pages. I highly recommend this novel.

This novel was provided  the publisher: Revell Books.

Simply Said Reading Accessories

This month I decided to feature companies that provide services to the literary community. I purchased book thongs from Debra when Secrets and Lies was released and gave one to a book club president. She asked me where I'd gotten them and said she wanted to buy them for her book club for Christmas. It was then that I realized, hey, I have alot of book clubs reading this blog and they perhaps would like to know about some of the providers of literary services, because of course they love all things literary. So up first is one of my favorites. Debra has a great service. Her products are beautiful.

Hi Deb, welcome to Urban Christian Fiction Today. Introduce yourself and tell us about your literary business.  Hello! I'm Debra Owsley and my company is Simply Said Reading Accessories. I create, custom design and made by hand, reading accessories such as Gift-Marks, also known as Bookmarks, Book Thongs, which is Jewelry for the book lover and Note Cards that we call Love Notes for Authors, Book Stores, Book Clubs and Book Lovers.
I took my need to support my “book habit” into a business I truly love!

Who are your customers? Anybody who wants bookmarks! Authors, bloggers, bookclubs. Some of my customers have been Pat G’Orge Walker, Sherryle Kiser Jackson, Dwan Abrams, and many others who write outside of Christian fiction like Carleen Brice who has a Lifetime Movie previewing this week, and new authors like you Rhonda.

How did you get started? I am also a hairstylist and most of my clients read while under the dryer. One Christmas I decided to make them a bookmark for presents that year. They went over very well. The following year, I was trying to figure what to give again and noticed they were still using the bookmarks! Several asked me to make some as gifts and Author Marcia King-Gamble asked me to create some for her for a event she was doing. I also got orders from some area bookstores. I then started selling them at book events and book festivals I attend

Like all business, there are ups and downs in publishing. The current economic downturn has caused a sharp reduction in book sales.   How does this affect your business? Sales have been very slow the last year or so. And the authors are not getting the advances they once got. It’s been tough. I really had to create packages and sets of items that would be the best value for the money. I didn't attend a few events that I normally would have. I see things moving a bit more and I'm adding on more products and services. Knowing that people are on a tight budget, My focus has been giving them something that they will get plenty of use from while retaining their information, that fans will really hold on to. I had to change direction a bit and become more intentional about my direction.

Share a rewarding or successful literary experience you’ve had recently. I recently had a lady call me who got a bookmark from someone as a gift. She was giving a Tea Party and ordered 250 bookmarks, to “mark” the event with a prayer on the back. It always amazes me how far a bookmark can go. I always tell authors that giving a “giftmark”, really makes people hold on to them and since they are gift quality, people give them as gifts.

One thing I happy been especially grateful for was that several of the authors I have worked with or connected with, such as Donna Hill, Bernice MsFadden and Carleen Brice, featured my work during the holiday season. I was truly surprised and quite humbled to the fact they thought enough of what I do to, give Simply Said Reading Accessories a shout out. SORMAG’s LaShaundra Hoffman also blessed me in a huge way. To me being successful is not always in money, but in the kindness of friends, just because. It was also very satisfying to know people are paying attention.
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Share with me your dream opportunity for Simply Said Reading Accessories. I have been working hard to take this business to another level. I am adding on more products and offering additional services. I also would like to coach authors how to make things happen on a really tight budget. You just need some imagination and a plan. Some people can’t see the forest for the trees, and I want to help them to see all that it’s all right in front of you and it’s truly within reach. I guess project coordinator would be the name of that hat!  One of the things that I have going for me is , yes I’m in the business but I still think like a fan. I feel that once you stop looking at things from a fan’s perspective you lose insight. I also would love to pull together a team of people who are excellent in what they do. I have had the chance over the last few years to meet the cream of the crop, and cream always rises to the top. One other thing  I intend on doing is to hire some of the young sisters and brothers I see with so much talent and show them how to turn that into an income. Simply Said Reading Accessories  in five years will be a force to be reckoned with.

What do you enjoy reading? Any Christian Fiction favorites or recent notable reads? I read several books a week, anything from romance to Non Fiction, depending on my mood. I just finished reading Beautiful Ugly by Shelia Lipsey. The acknowledgement was “To Ugly” and it just made me weep. It was the perfect siegway to a great story about how people see themselves and live in such a ugly life because of demons that haunt you. I am looking forward to reading Secrets and Lies which I’m hearing great things about.

Where can writers find you on the Internet. I would love to connect with you! If you leave Rhonda a comment and email and tell me you read this blog, I would love to offer you a 25% off any retail item! Authors or people who need promotional material, let’s talk. I have a special offer for you. I can be reached at www.simply-said.net, www.facebook.com/simplysaid, www.simplysaidreadingaccessories.blogspot.com
email me at odebdeb@aol.com

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