The Love Child Blog Tour - Day One

Meet Ashea Goldson, author of The Lovechild

Ashea Goldson, originally born in Brooklyn, NewYork  is a wife of twenty three years, a mother of two daughters, a grandmother of one, a  graduate of Fordham University, a writer, a poet, a publisher, a reviewer, an internet radio host, an educator, and a co-founder of a Christian preparatory school. Active in the ministry, she is a dedicated member of World Changers Church International for many years. She has a lifetime of experience with writing which ranges from being published in local newspapers, magazines, and online  publications to full length books.
Her first Christian fiction novel is The Lovechild, published by Urban Christian Publishers in 2008. Ashea’s short story entitled “The Kit Cat Trial” will be released in an anthology named Pets Across America in September 2009. Her second Christian fiction novel, Joy Comes In The Morning, will be released in July 2010, also by Urban Christian Publishers.  She has recently released a non-fiction title, Resurrecting Vision: 45 steps To Digging Up Your Destiny And Seeing It Through God’s Eyes through her own publishing company.
Calling herself a kingdom writer, and passionate about this calling, she is currently working on her third novel, random poems, several short stories, a children’s book, and is organizing a literacy group for youth in her community. During her relaxation time she can be found hanging out with her family, snuggled up to a good book, or listening to gospel music.

List your published books.

The Lovechild, Resurrecting Vision, (and currently in production, Joy Comes In The Morning)

Which book did you find the hardest to birth?

Undoubtedly,The Lovechild because it’s my first novel and also my first traditionally published work.

Which book is your current favorite?

Joy Comes In the Morning

Tell us a little about this book.

Joy Comes In The Morning deals with self-condemnation vs. God's agape love, and restoration. Sister Alex Carter is a good woman and seemingly a pillar of spiritual strength, working diligently in the ministry, trying to help everyone, yet she is unable to help or forgive herself. In fact, she is really a ticking time bomb. Although the one thing she wants more than anything else is to marry her fiancé Deacon Joshua Bennings, a Bishop’s son and the church’s most eligible bachelor, she can’t seem to escape a mistake from her own past.

Alex learns to fight, striking a moral indictment against the church, debating to right the wrongs of hypocrisy, and competing with a flirtatious church sister for the man she loves. She’s also holding onto a job that’s pulling her further away from the will of God for her life and trying to block an old lover’s  selfish attempt to expose her.

As Alex wrestles to hang onto her spotless reputation, her pre-packaged life begins to unravel, bringing her to the brink of losing everything she has worked so hard for. Despite her adversity, she ultimately discovers through Christ, no matter how dark it gets, joy always comes in the morning.

How would you describe your writing style?

I would describe my writing style as relaxed contemporary.

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

Sometimes I use soft gospel or jazz to soothe me and sometimes I use it to soothe me when I’m writing. It can put me in a certain mood. I prefer instrumentals.

 

Tell us anything about you as a writer that you think might be interesting or unusual.

I subconsciously put my writing career on hold for many years while focusing on my family. Then after receiving a revelation on the purpose and perfect will of God for my life, I threw myself back into writing at full force.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

1.    Believe in yourself, no matter how discouraged you may become. Persevere, by writing, until the end.

2.    Complete a manuscript, even if it’s the roughest draft. Just get the story down on paper and proceed to fix it at that point.

3.    Find a local or online writers group for support, possible critiques, and/or information. Writing can be a lonely profession. Seek out others who are on the same path.

4.    Study, study, study the craft of writing so that you can produce the best possible quality work at all times. This study also includes industry trends and formats.

                                                   
Writers are often encouraged to write what they know. Have you found that to be the case with your writing?

That is true to some extent, but I tend to write about characters who may have familiar personality traits, but who may be in unfamiliar places and circumstances. I thrive on the mystery of the unknown. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

In The Lovechild, Makaeli Hunt, a successful fashion designer, has been driven far away from home by her family’s dysfunction. While living in Italy, trying to heal the wounds of yesterday, ambition becomes her comforter. When a family emergency forces her to return to her home, in seven life altering days, amidst  memories of a tumultuous past, will one revealed secret drive her away from her family and God forever? Or will she discover what it means to be God’s lovechild?

Dealing with issues of racism, depression, self-esteem, drug addiction, mental illness, verbal and physical abuse,The Lovechild is a story of redemption and re-dedication, confirming our victory in Jesus Christ.

Follow the blog tour at http://bit.ly/TheLovechild

For more information about Ashea, visit her at http://www.asheagoldson.com.

Book Review - A Deep Dark Secret by Kimberla Lawson Roby

On the outside, twelve-year-old Jillian Maxwell is the perfect child. She’s helpful with chores around the house, gets straight As in school, has plans for college, and stays out of trouble. She seems to have everything a girl could want: a big, beautiful new home, an adoring little sister, a mother who cares about her, and an attentive stepfather. 

But inside, Jillian harbors a terrible secret.
Too frightened to tell, convinced that her friends and loved ones, especially her mother, won’t understand—and worse, will blame her—Jillian endures her pain in silence, believing that things will get better. However, as time passes and her dilemma intensifies, the bright, hardworking girl becomes sullen and disinterested in her studies. Then, just when it seems she’s on the verge of losing everything, Jillian discovers she has more strength than she ever imagined…and the power to change her fate. 

A Deep Dark Secret

a novel 

by 

Kimberla Lawson Roby

Reviewed by Rhonda McKnight

Kim Roby tells a poignant story of Jillian Matthews, a young girl struggling to survive sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather. The character is at the heart of this novel, and the intensity of her emotions drives the story.  Readers will weep with Jillian and bear the burden of the pain right along with her.

Roby does an excellent job focusing on all the areas of this problem including the development of shame, guilt and depression; the loss of self-esteem. Through subplots we learn how sexual abuse leads to domestic violence, promiscuity, and other psycho-social behaviors.

A Deep Dark Secret is an insightful, timely and necessary look at a growing problem that hides under the veil of manipulation and secrecy.  I hope women and teens everywhere will read this story and begin discussions that will uncover the darkness.

Visit the author Kimberla Lawson Roby at her website www.kimberlalawsonroby.com 

New from Kimberla Lawson Roby - A Deek Dark Secret

Kim you are an author who perhaps needs no introduction, but tell readers a little about yourself?
I am a New York Times bestselling author of eleven novels, two novellas and have a 14th book being released on January 19, 2010, entitled BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PRAY FOR. I began my career in 1995 when I wrote my first novel, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, and after being rejected by a plethora of literary agents and publishers, I started my own business in 1996 and self-published it. I then went on to sell just over 10,000 copies within the first six months of publication and before that, I signed with an agent and major publishing house for my second novel.

I’m a devoted fan, so I know A Deep Dark Secret is a very different novel for you. Tell us about it and what inspired the story? A DEEP DARK SECRET is a story about 12-year-old Jillian Maxwell who is a straight-A student, who does chores without being told and is basically the model child that any parent would be proud to have. But what no one knows, including her mother, is that she is harboring a devastating secret—what know one knows is that her stepfather, a beloved an upstanding deacon in the church, has been sexually molesting her for five years. I was inspired to write this story because while I didn’t experience exactly what Jillian experiences in the book, I do know full well what it is like to have an adult male touch me inappropriately when I was between the ages of six and eleven. I have also heard far too many similar stories from other women who were kind enough to share their histories with me.

Did you write the story with teenagers or adults in mind as the readers?Both. I wrote it for teenagers who may be current victims of sexual molestation but are afraid to tell and also for the 39 million adult Americans in this country who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

In your estimation or based on the research that you did for the novel, why do you think the secrecy of sexual abuse has so much power? It’s my belief that most children are afraid that no one will believe them if they tell what is happening to them, they sometimes blame themselves, and in many cases their abuser has lied and manipulated them on so many levels that they don’t see any other choice but to live with and deal with this horrible secret all alone.

When I closed A Deep Dark Secret I thought, “This is a very important book”, why is it important for you? It is important because not nearly enough people talk about it, and my hope is that Jillian’s story will bring about much more awareness and conversation, so that victims can finally get the help they need.

You’re writing two books a year now. How difficult is that with promotion?
Yes, this has been very different from when I was writing only one book a year! I don’t really feel that the promotional aspects are difficult, but it is very, very time-consuming. I’ve always been completely hands-on when it comes to marketing my work, but now my efforts have doubled. Interestingly enough, though, the promotion of my novels is something I really do enjoy being involved in daily.

Many authors aspire to make the New York Times Bestseller list, it’s not possible for all, but what are Kim Roby’s key marketing and promotion tools?Communicate with readers online and in person as much as you possibly can twelve months out of every year, build a street address mailing list, an online mailing list, interact and chat with your readers on Facebook regularly as well as on any other social network you might be a member of and do as many public signing and speaking events as you can—locally, regionally and nationally.

If you weren’t an author what would you be? Wow, that’s a good question! I would probably do something in the area of marketing or motivational consulting.

Any plans to tour with this book? What cities might readers find you in?
For A DEEP DARK SECRET, I’ll be visiting Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Schaumburg, IL, Nashville, and Norfolk, VA. Readers can also visit www.kimroby.com for more details and any updates.