The Legacies

(Author Michelle Larks)

About the author

Michelle Larks is an Illinoisan native. She was born and raised in the Windy city, Chicago, and currently resides in a western suburb. Michelle was educated in the Chicago public school system and attended the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Michelle has released four books since 2003. The titles include A Myriad of Emotions, Crisis Mode, Mirrored Images in e-book format and Who's Your Daddy. Michelle contributed to two anthologies, Blended Families and The Midnight Clear. Urban Christian Books released Michelle's latest book, titled Keeping Misery Company on October 30, 2007. Her second book with Urban Christian titled The Legacies will be released in July of 2008.





About the book

The Legacies unfolds with Chicago teens, Morgan Foster, and Noah Stevens about to embark on their first year of college in downstate Illinois. Both are trying to escape their family legacies.

Morgan has led a life of luxury, and the heiress is poised to take the reins of the family's illegal pharmaceutical business. Noah's father is optimistic that his son will join him in the pulpit. Noah and Morgan hope to become anonymous faces in the crowd. Cupid shots an arrow through the young couple's heart and they soon fall in love.

In the twinkling of an eye, four years have elapsed and it's time for Noah and Morgan to face the music. But, as their parents discovers the hard way, ala Murphy's Law, that life doesn't always go as planned.

Noah's mother perishes in a terrible automobile accident, forcing the young man to make a deathbed promise. Morgan's mother finds herself on trial after the Feds through a terrible betrayal make a strong case against the elder Daniel's woman, which climaxes in a sensational murder trial.

Family drama, greed, feuds, power plays, teem in the tale of The Legacies and most of all tell the readers how God sends angels our way to help aid us through the trials and tribulations of life.

More about Michelle Larks:
www.MichelleLarks.com

Positively Positive

(Author Bhatupe Mhango)

About the author
Bhatupe has a background in political education, gender mainstreaming and HIV management. She has worked with a number of international organizations, including UNDP and the German Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

In her home country, Malawi, Bhatupe was involved in the networking and management of various social groups at national level and served as the Chairperson for the Young Women Leaders` Network and as Vice President for Public Relations for the Lilongwe Toastmasters Club.

She also served, by presidential appointment, on the board of the Malawi Institute of Management. In 2004 she produced a personal documentary of her experience of living with HIV titled Open Up that was disseminated both nationally and internationally for the use of youth empowerment programs in the area of HIV.

In 2005 she founded a women`s non-governmental organization called The Crisis Center which offers telephone counseling services to local women. Today, Bhatupe is a competent Toastmaster and is currently working as the 1st International Coordinator of UN Plus, an advocacy initiative within the United Nations, based in Geneva, Switzerland.

Positively Positive, a devotional on overcoming the challenges of living with HIV for young, Christian women (Kachere Series, 2006) is Bhatupe`s first publication. She has knowingly been living with HIV for 7 years now and is now working on her first novel, ``To all my sisters``, due end 2009.




About the book

Positively Positive is Bhatupe`s first book. It is a devotional written for the reader`s use over a period of one month. It delves into complicated issues of self-esteem and personal motivation. It asks difficult questions about purpose and drive and prompts the reader into developing a life-plan and a renewal of mindset on sensitive issues, such as those posed by HIV and AIDS.


The author can be contacted at:
watupe@yahoo.com

Soulful Strut

(Author Lynn Emery)

About the author

Mix knowledge of voodoo, Louisiana politics and forensic social work with the dedication to write fiction while working each day as a clinical social worker, and you get a snapshot of author Lynn Emery.

Lynn has been a contributing consultant to the magazine Today's Black Woman for three articles about contemporary relationships between black men and women. Lynn is a licensed social worker with a special interest in mental health issues as they affect women, and in particular women of color.



About the book

New life, New love
Monette Victor spent 15 years in prison for a crime she didn't commit. Now she's free, and making up for stolen time. She's bared her soul in a best selling tell-all memoir, hosts a hit radio talk show, and has more speaking gigs than she knows what to do with. And she's counseling young black women at risk. Monette's suddenly the hottest sister in the city--and she's got no time for romance.

But here comes Jayson Odum, a self-made businessman and a sweet, black Adonis in overalls. It's all wrong and Monette knows it. His folks are the Huxtables, her's are pure, messed-up 'hood'. She's an ex-con, he's so clean he squeaks. Monette's had to stay tough to gain respect, and she can't afford any more mistakes in her life. But she's about to be blindsided by a big dose of bad trouble--and maybe driving Jayson away would be the worst mistake she ever made.

Learn more about Lynn and her novels at:
www.lynnemery.com

Hungry For It

(Author Fiona Zedde)

About the author


Fiona Zedde moved to the United States from Jamaica as a sweet, yet misunderstood, preteen. After spending a few years in Tampa and getting her undergraduate degree in Gender Studies and British and American Literature at New College of Florida, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where she currently lives. At the moment, she is to quote a pithy bumper sticker "the artist currently known as starving" but she someday hopes to eat regular meals at the Ritz.

Her fiction has been published in various anthologies including Wicked: Sexy Tales of Legendary Lovers, Best Lesbian Erotica 2004 & 2007, and Iridescence: Sensuous Shades of Lesbian Erotica. Her erotic lesbian romance novels, Bliss, A Taste of Sin, Every Dark Desire and Hungry For It are available now in bookstores. The novellas, "Pure Pleasure," "Going Wild" and the soon-to-be-published "Sweat" appear in the collections, Satisfy Me, Satisfy Me Again, and Satisfy Me Tonight, respectively.




About the book

With good looks, limitless sex appeal, and the wealth and popularity that comes from owning the city's hottest jazz bar and restaurant, Remi Bouchard can have anyone she wants. Lately though, the allure of wild one-night stands and no-strings flings is starting to wear thin. Remi craves something more.

At her best friend's wedding, she looks across the crowd and finds exactly what she's been searching for an intense, soul-searing connection. But passion this deep has its dangers" especially when it means falling in love with the one person who should be off limits.

Raise the Red Teddy

Kobina Wright

About the author

Kobina Wright is many things, including the creator of the Hodaoa-Anibo language, but a by-stander, she is not! Whether you see her as a genius or something else, her work is sure to leave an impression on you.

Wright is a second generation Southern California native and attended the University of Georgia for two years before transferring to California State University, Fullerton, where she earned her BA in journalism, minoring in Afro-Ethnic Studies.

Performing on stage since the age of 5, Wright took to the arts of acting, singing and dancing early in her childhood and by the time she reached her mid-teens, she began taking her painting seriously. A portion of her painting titled "Dissonance" can be found on the cover of the first printing of second book titled "Growth Spurt." In her teens Wright also began studying choreography and in her third year of high school, co-founded the dance group "Ten Rows of Beans." Also in this year, with the help of her mother, Ernesta Wright, published her first book, a volume of poetry titled "Oh Yeah!" to help offset the cost of college expenses.

While attending the University of Georgia, Wright joined and performed with the dance group Pamoja. In Georgia, she had the opportunity to study modern dance and four years later, while attending California State University, Fullerton, founded the Likizo Dance Troupe, which performed for two years throughout Southern California, from Hollywood to San Diego. After graduating from CSUF, Wright published her second volume of poetry, " Growth Spurt" and worked as an assistant editor at Entrepreneur Press.

Pursuing her passion for acting, Wright attended the Gloria Gifford Conservatory for the Performing Arts for two years where she discovered that her training in acting made her a better writer. At the GGC, Wright performed scenes from plays such as "Laundry and Bourbon;" "The Dreamer Examines His Pillow;" "Cheaters;" and "Savage in Limbo." She also directed a reading of scenes from her screenplay titled, "Snapped Back." Her experience at the GGC was instrumental in preparing her for her roles in movies such as "Sunday Morning Stripper;" "Messed in the Head;" and her notable performance in the horror film, "Dark Town." Other stage productions include "Soon As I Get Home;" "The Storm is Over;" "Teachers are Human Too;" and "The Little Red Hen."

Wright has written for publications such as LACMA Magazine, The Daily Titan, and CYH Magazine. In 2004 she wrote her third volume of poetry titled, "Say It! Say Gen-o-cide!!" dedicated to the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. In 2003 Wright created the Hodaoa-Anibo language and in 2004 published the first edition Hodaoa-Anibo Dictionary.

"I've been told so many times to just pick one or two things and concentrate on being good at that, but I've started out with one" then two" then three " then four" now how can I go back to one? In my world, I get to do everything, or almost everything I want to do. It may slow my pace of progress a little, but it lays a good foundation for inspiration in all my artistic interests." Kobina says.



About the book

There are so many single mothers around making
the same dating mistakes over and over and over
again. So why are there no warning signs? Your
children may not come with a handbook, but a single
mother sure would benefit from some tried and true
guidelines.

Raise the Red Teddy explores the some
of the pitfalls of dating that non-mothers don't have
to take into account. It's a whole different world to
consider from when you should allow your children to
meet Mommy's new "friend" to dealing with their
rejection of your new beau.


More about Kobina Wright:
www.dramaticpause.net

The Ultimate Plan

(Author Nicole B. Simpson)

About the author

Elder Nicole B. Simpson is the host of "The Power of Gospel Radio Show" that airs each week on Wednesday afternoons and Sunday evenings. As the host of "The Power of Gospel" she is honored and excited when a visionary comes along with a life changing message for the world.

God has given her that same type of message through her new release "The Ultimate Plan" because she has weathered the storms in her life and grasped the opportunity that presented itself during her wilderness season by moving into ministry full time, opening her own financial planning firm (Harvest Wealth Financial) and promoting economic empowerment in the penal system, throughout the body of Christ and at schools/organizations across America.

Society has encountered natural disasters too numerous to count, untimely and unfortunate shootings across America, and major layoffs for any employees working in the corporate and manufacturing sector-clearly we must have a plan of action in place to deal with these issues. The book "The Ultimate Plan" is a faith based financial planning book that helps us to protect ourselves from events in life that will naturally occur. Elder Simpson believes that opportunity presents itself in the midst of every storm. The question becomes, can you recognize it? How do you handle the crisis in your life?



About the book

Opportunity presents itself in the midst of the storm! Even with the best laid out plans, life happens. People die, people lose jobs, people separate, people start over, and sometimes people lose everything.

What separates survivors is the belief that in spite of tragedy, one can survive the pressures of life. Having a life plan is critical. This workshop will teach people how to take the necessary steps to ensure financial stability during the different seasons, giving them greatest opportunity to move forward in life.

Blackberries, Blackberries

Blackberries,Blackberries

(Author Crystal Wilkinson)

About the author

Crystal Wilkinson's short stories have been described as story poems". She is the author of two books, Blackberries, Blackberries (2000) and Water Street (2002), both published by Toby Press. Water Street was a long-list finalist for the prestigious Orange Prize and short-listed for a Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation Legacy Award in fiction. Blackberries, Blackberries was named Best Debut Fiction by Today's Librarian magazine.

She has been published in the anthologies Confronting Appalachian Stereotypes: Back Talk from an American Region (University of Kentucky Press, 1999); Gifts from Our Grandmothers (Crown Publishers, 2000); and Gumbo: Stories by Black Writers (Doubleday, Harlem Moon Press, 2002). Her work has also appeared in various literary journals, including Obsidian II: Black Literature in Review, Southern Exposure, The Briar Cliff Review, LIT, Calyx, African Voices and the Indiana Review.

She is a faculty member in Spalding University's low-residency MFA writing program and is currently serving as visiting professor and writer in residence for Morehead State University. Wilkinson was the 2002 recipient of the Chaffin Award for Appalachian Literature and is a member of a Lexington-based writing collective, The Affrilachian Poets.

About the book

An enchanting, haunting collection of stories by Crystal Wilkinson, a self-described Black, country girl and poet from rural Kentucky. The stories explore the joys and pain of the women of "Affrilachia", and will touch the reader profoundly.

Love Thy Neighbor

Love Thy Neighbor

(Author Quientola Eicher)

About the author

Author, Quientola Eicher is an industrious woman who recently retired from Thoracic Cardiovascular Institute as a specialist. She is an active member of a dynamic church.

She sings in the choir and serves on the audio ministry. She is also a bible scholar in the foundational bible study class. She enjoys writing poems and reading books. She lived in Lansing, Michigan for 15 years and recently moved to Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband.

About the book

Olivia is a woman that has lived alone for fifteen years after escaping from a disturbing past, and she has established a good life serving God faithfully. She has a good job and a nice home. On her way to work one day, she witnesses an accident and stops to help a stranger. This changes her orderly way of life completely.

The young woman she rescues, Shantell, has a young son and she is dying of leukemia. Shantell needs a bone marrow transplant, the only one that can help her is her father, but she is running out of time.

In Shantell's desperation, she disappears for a few weeks, leaving Olivia to care for her son, before she realizes she needs help. When she returns to claim her son, Olivia receives her reluctantly into her home. Together they learn to trust one another and live together like a mother and daughter.

In Shantell's quest to find her father, she unexpectedly lands a job at a Christian radio station working alongside a young man she suspects may be her half-brother. He has the same last name as her father. He informs her through her indirect inquisitiveness that his father is the bishop of Mt. Zion church.

Shantell established a friendship with him, but he finds out by accident that she may be related to him. He thinks she is trying to blackmail his father and doesn't want to have anything to do with her until she is almost sexually assaulted by another co-worker. He comes to her aid and they establish a bond between them.
Olivia is in search of a new church because of her dissatisfaction with her former pastor's decision to get a divorce. Shantell convinces Olivia to try Mt. Zion. They are both overwhelmed but quite pleased with this new church, and Olivia finds herself attracted to Bishop Perry, a widower.

Olivia's past catches up with her, forcing her to face lies and deception concerning a crime she did not commit. She is left wondering if she is worthy to be a bishop's wife.Shantell is confounded on how to let Bishop Perry know that she is his daughter and needs his help. She stalls in telling him, convinced that she would ruin his reputation, until she is on her death bed.

Olivia steps in to help her young friend, by asking the bishop to be a donor for Shantell. He agrees to do it, still unaware that Shantell is his daughter, but first he has to go out of town for an engagement to be a guest speaker on a well known talk show. The airplane that he was presumed to be on, crashes, but Olivia finds out he was not on the plane.

At the last minute, when all hope seems lost, Bishop Perry is able to make it in time to donate the bone marrow tissue to his daughter and it is a match.
Olivia is able to put her past behind her and look to the future as a new bride.

You, Me and He

You, Me and He

(Author Brooke Green)

About the author

Although she has always toyed with the idea of writing a novel, Brooke Green's first novel You, Me and He began after a discussion with a few co-workers. She posed the question, "What if a woman found her man in a compromising position with another man but, stays with him anyway?". After hearing so many relationship stories of women deciding to run for the hills' after discovering the man in their lives were on the down-low', Brooke wondered about the women who've decided to stay.

I know there are just as many women who stay in these relationships but, they don't' speak out about it, she says. Whether it be for love, just the comfort in knowing they have a man, financial reasons or maybe they just don't care. A lot of women do stay and, I want to explore the trials and tribulations in these relationships.

You, Me and He delves into the lives of two couples as they deal with the consequences of living a lie.

Brooke Green is a Manager at a large telecommunications company and the founder of Full Circle Publishing. She currently resides in Philadelphia with her two daughters, Nadira and Gabrielle, and is hard at work on her next two novels, one of which is the sequel to You, Me and He.

About the book

You've heard the stories of women throwing in the towel after learning their men are on the down low . You, Me, and He takes a look at what happens when the women choose to stay while dealing with issues of trust, honesty, disease and the betrayal of those closest to them.

Donna believes she has found her ideal man in Keith Reed. He's smart, handsome and, most importantly, financially stable. But, there is one catch, he's bisexual. Donna decides to stand by her man after making him promise to be faithful to her and only her. Fearful of starting a new relationship in the age of the down low man, Donna feels it is the smart thing to do. In her eyes, there is no guessing about Keith's sexuality, she knows exactly who and what he is.

Keith Reed is the kind of man most women dream of marrying. And, he has found the perfect woman in Donna who is willing to stay with him despite his sexuality. Keith's world is shaken when his past is set to be exposed to the world. To top it off, he must contend with Jarrod, his former college roommate, who is relentless in attaining his goal of having Keith to himself.

Brooke would love to get your feedback at

www.myspace.com/malikasomone
Fullcirclebooks1@aol.com
BrookeGreen76@aol.com.

House of Falling Women

(Author Rosemary E. Ekosso, The Netherlands)

About the author

Rosemary E. Ekosso is a Cameroonian translator and court interpreter. She lives and works in the Netherlands.




About the book

House of Falling Women is the story of a young woman with quixotic ideas about improving the lot of women who finds out that that the crusader's cloak is an uncomfortable one.

Martha Elive, armed with a university education and a substantial legacy from a Dutchwoman she meets while studying abroad on a scholarship, decides to create an institute for the empowerment of women, only to find that the contradictions to be resolved are more firmly anchored in her psyche than elsewhere. In addition to her unexorcised ghosts and the legacies of a chequered love life, she has to contend with recalcitrant public opinion and moral inertia, the opposition of old-guard reactionaries, and the incomprehension of her small-town parents.

House of Falling Women is a poignant, often hilarious story of the search by a group of women for a new place in society in a world where women are dissatisfied with the old values and bewildered by the new.

Sojourner's Dream

(Author Angeline Bandon-Bibum)

About the author

Angeline Bandon-Bibum is the author of Sojourner's Dream, a novel (ISBN: 0977758605). Angeline is a wife and mother of three children who lives in Montgomery County, Maryland.

She is also a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C. Sojourner's Dream is her first novel.


About the book

Sojourner's Dream is a romantic story of Sojourner Brown, a shy grad student, and Joseph Kalisa, a debonair DC lawyer. Sojourner's Dream was published by Bandon Press in 2006. Cover design was created by Deborah Hopping and cover illustration by Lashaun Beal and Interior design by Lisa Jeter.

More about Angeline Bandon-Bibum:

www.authorsden.com/msangelinebandonbibum

www.angelinebandonbibum.blogspot.com/

www.sojournersdreamanovel.blogspot.com/

www.sojournersdreamlamentationsofawarrior.blogspot.com/

Nationally Known Publishing Guru Karen E. Quinones Miller, Pens Pamphlet on Self-Publishing

Karen E. Quinones Miller, Pens Pamphlet on Self-Publishing

Philadelphia, PA - When Karen E. Quinones Miller self published her first novel, Satin Doll, she not only sold 28,000 copies, but the feat led to a publishing deal with Simon and Schuster for six figures. Miller, who has since gone on to become a best-selling author, makes it her regular practice to help numerous aspiring authors attain their goals. Now, in an effort to reach out even further, she has written a pamphlet on how to self-publish that is not only affordable, but easy to understand. The Self-Publishing Pamphlet sells for only six dollars and can be purchased at the website www.selfpublishingsite.com.

Topics included in the 27-page pamphlet include:
-how to set up your publishing company;
-how to obtain ISBNs and barcodes;
-how to do your own typesetting,
-what to look for in an editor and much much more.

"I've given quite a number of self-publishing/publishing seminars here in Philly -- and have always had to turn people away due to lack of room," says Miller, an Essence bestselling author who also wrote I'm Telling, Ida B., and Passin' - all published by major publishing houses such as Simon & Schuster, Warner Books and Grand Central Books.

"And when I made it known I don't plan on conducting any more seminars this year people asked me to please send them the written material I use for the seminars, and said they'd be willing to pay the seminar cost ($85) just for the material. I think that's way too much for struggling writers to pay for written material on how to self-publish. That's why I wrote this pamphlet."

Praise for the pamphlet has come from various other bestselling authors including Miasha, author of Secret Society, Diary of a Mistress, and Mommy's Angel.
"When Karen E. Quinones Miller speaks, the literary world listens. Not only is she the poster-child for self-publishing and obtaining a deal, she is the most generous, compassionate, sharing person I know. And it shows in this packet of valuable information," says Miasha, whose latest release is the hot selling, Sistah for Sale.

Daaimah S. Poole, another bestselling author whose books include Yo Yo Love, Got A Man, and All I Want is Everything, adds: "Karen has not only been a mentor to me, but to a host of published authors in all genres. Whenever anyone asks me about publishing or self-publishing a manuscript I've always referred them to Karen. Now with the writing of this pamphlet she can help thousands of other people successfully get their books out to the public."

Miller, who is also the CEO of Oshun Publishing which recently released the non-fiction blockbuster: Harlem Godfather: The Rap on My Husband, Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson, says she will soon be writing future pamphlets on guerilla marketing and how to get your manuscript published by large publishers.
"My goal is to take some of the mystery out of publishing ," says Miller. "It's about time we open up the publishing game in a way that gives everyone a chance at success in this highly competitive business."

For more information on The Self-Publishing Pamphlet, go to www.selfpublishingsite.com

and secure all the tools you need to write your own best-seller!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Karen E. Quinones Miller is the author of the Essence best selling novels Satin Doll, I'm Telling, Using What You Got, and Ida B., (nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Fiction), and Satin Nights. She is also the co-author of "Harlem Godfather: The Rap on My Husband, Ellsworth 'Bumpy' Johnson." Formerly a reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer, she self-published her first novel, Satin Doll, and sold 3,000 copies in just six weeks --and subsequently sold 28,000 copies in six months. Miller, who is included in the book Literary Divas: The Top 100+ Most Admired African-American Women in Literature, is often referred to as the "Aretha Franklin of the Publishing World," and has been a mentor to many new and upcoming authors. To find more about Miller visit: www.karenequinonesmiller.com

NOTE TO MEDIA - Karen E. Quinones Miller is available for interview. Contact makeda@jazzmynepr.com

The Enemy Between My Legs

(Author Stephanie L. Jones)

About the author

Stephanie L. Jones is a highly sought-after speaker for organizations, schools, and churches. After spending several years working for Fortune 500 companies and as a successful publicist for book authors, she opted out of the corporate world to become a sexual abuse advocate.

Having experienced sexual abuse for over seven years beginning at age five, she knows the effects that it can have on a victim's life. She is known for her honest approach in dealing with sexual abuse, a subject that few people will openly discuss. She has the ability to understand and connect with abuse victims, especially teenagers and young adults.

Stephanie, author of The Enemy Between My Legs, has a divine mandate on her life to help abuse victims break free the pain and bondage of their past.

About the book

One in three females is sexually abused between the ages of 5 and 16. However, the effects of sexual abuse extend far beyond the years in which it actually takes place. Drug and alcohol abuse, low self-esteem, sexual promiscuity, excessive spending habits, problems forming and maintaining relationships, intimacy problems, weight and health issues, and teenage pregnancy are just some of the results of sexual abuse.

The Enemy Between My Legs reveals the truth about the secret of sexual abuse by taking us into the mind of someone who was a sexual abuse victim. What happens once the victim transitions into teenage and adulthood? Stephanie L. Jones, a highly sought-after speaker for organizations, schools, and churches, experienced sexual abuse for over seven years beginning at age five.

She knows the effects that it can have on a victim's life. In The Enemy Between My Legs she aims to help others connect the pain of the past to their present situations, help parents and caregivers protect their children, and help victims find healing for their broken hearts.

More about Stephanie L. Jones
www.stephanieljones.com

Bare Necessities

Bare Necessities
Sensuous Tales of Passion

(Author Hazel Mills)


About the author

Author Hazel Mills knew that she wanted to be a writer from the moment she penned the first words of a poem titled "A Tree" when she was in the third grade. As a college student, Hazel majored in business but writing continued to be her first love. Hazel's short erotic fiction can be seen in Playgirl Magazine's Erotic Encounters (January 2007 issue) and in Best Lesbian Love Stories: New York City, edited by Simone Thorne (Alyson Books, November 2006).

Hazel also has an essay published in Jolie Dupre's series in The Blushing Ladies Journal. She is a contributing author to Mocha Chocolate: Taste A Piece of Ecstasy, edited by Shani Greene-Dowdell, coming March 2008. Her debut erotic anthology, Bare Necessities: Sensuous Tales of Passion, will be released April 2008 by Xpress Yourself Publishing.

About the book

Whether newly discovered or rekindled, there is no feeling in the world like pure passion coursing through our veins. It erupts at our core and allows us to be free and uninhibited.

Bare Necessities: Sensuous Tales of Passion is a collection of short erotic stories that explore passions that are buried deep in the subconscious as well as those that lie just beneath the surface and are easily exposed.

The characters of each sizzling story experience passions that explode and send them hurling into a fiery universe of sensuous pleasure.

Learn more about author, Hazel Mills at

http://www.hazelmillsstories.com/
and
www.myspace.com/hazelmillsstories

Selling the Fantasy

(Author Stacey L. Ford)

About the author

Stacey L. Ford became a novelist by chance. After numerous talks with her girlfriends about the lack of available, single, quality men, Stacey and her friends jokingly had conversations about their perceived options as single Black women between the ages of thirty-five and forty-five: lesbianism, celibacy or polyamory (multiple partner relationships).

"None of these were viable options for me and my girlfriends, but the idea of man-sharing sure did stimulate a hot topic of discussion,"she says. The result was a manuscript titled, Selling the Fantasy, Stacey created to start a buzz about another alternative lifestyle starting to surface in African American communities.

"Black people are testing out so many different lifestyles five or ten years ago would have been considered taboo, such as bisexuality, swinging and polyamory. The idea of two women sharing one man, unfortunately, is not a new concept, but with poly relationships at least women can make the conscious decision if they want to participate, rather than finding out about the other woman across town,"she says.

Selling the Fantasy allows readers to peer into the life of a typical, single, Black woman and the tough decisions she must make if she wants to have the man of her dreams. It also compels women to contemplate the question, "Could I live this lifestyle if done correctly?"Stacey describes the novel as a compelling mixture of humor, romance, erotica and betrayal.

Stacey is a native of Oakland, California. She received her bachelor's degree in sociology from UCLA and an MBA in marketing from California State University, East Bay. She is a member of the National Black MBA Association and currently lives in the Dallas-Ft.Worth area with her son. She is presently hard at work on her next novel.

About the book

WHAT WOULD YOU SACRIFICE TO HAVE THE MAN OF YOUR DREAMS?

Would you...
Isolate yourself from family and friends?
Abandon your child?
Engage in a polyamory (multiple partner) relationship with your man and another woman?

Lisa Johnson appears to have it all. She is smart, attractive, has a successful career and could have any man she wants. Life is good for her, right? Wrong! Lisa consistently chooses men who bring heartache and drama to a relationship because of their exceptional good looks and ability to deceive women. Lisa's personal life undergoes an unexpected change when she meets the man of her dreams, who turns her entire world upside down.

Kenneth Maxwell is a hot new comedian who is suave and debonair, but also a master of manipulation. As Kenneth's power, fortune and fame continue to flourish, so does his desire to persuade two women to enter into a poly relationship. Kenneth gets his wish by successfully enticing beautiful, executive chef, Cassandra Russell, to commit her entire existence to him and his lifestyle and he sells Lisa the fantasy of a life filled with luxury, wealth and romance if she chooses to make three "small"sacrifices.

Lisa, Kenneth and Cassandra begin their journey together by sharing intimate moments and unspeakable sexual adventures. The thrilling ride comes to a screeching halt when one of Lisa's friends executes a plan to demolish Kenneth's career and sabotage their romance.

Selling the Fantasy is an erotic and emotional roller coaster you will definitely want to ride and not get off.

More about Stacey L. Ford:
www.StaceyLFord.com

Deutschland Black & White

Deutschland Black & White

(Author Noah Sow, Germany)


About the author

Noah Sow, born and raised in Bavaria, has been working in radio since she turned eighteen. She became known mainly as a radio host in personality shows on WDR Einslive, HR3, Radio Fritz, and YouFm, as well as through numerous TV activities.

Noah Sow has been living in Hamburg since 1998. This multi-talented musician, voice artist, radio playwright, author, and producer has made a name for herself as a composer and singer. She is internationally active on rock music stages with her band Noah Sow & Das Heimlich Maneuver (www.myspace.com/noahso), with many of her songs dealing with political issues.

It was never a question for Noah Sow to look away and ignore grievances. In 2001 she initiated the founding of the association der braune mob e.V., the first antiracist German mediawatch organization (www.derbraunemob.de), whose goals she is actively committed to as chairperson.

Her Book Deutschland Black & White is based on her extensive experiences as an anti-racism activist

About the book

Non-Germans may be surprised to learn about the existence of numerous Black Germans (Schwarze Deutsche) who have always been here. Even the most cautious estimates say that there are far more than 1,000,000 Blacks currently living in Germany, most of whom are German citizens. This makes up more than one percent of the country's population.

Nevertheless, many Germans are unfamiliar with this fact and would never guess that their own country has a Black minority. This is due to the lingering phantasm of German nationality being defined by racial terms. Up until today, the majority of Germans likes to pretend that all Germans are (must be) white and whoever is not white simply cannot be German. This belief prevails to the extent that many even have the opinion that there can't be racism in Germany as there are no Black Germans. Both, of course, are wrong.

Many Black Germans and Blacks in Germany have already been killed by racist mobs or died while in police custody; they are harassed on a daily basis and face a panoply of direct and indirect racial discrimination.

The mainstream Germans have created a culture of wishful thinking in which the historical facts of the obvious presence of Black Germans for many centuries are being ignored or even subjected to attempts to wipe them out on an institutionalized level. The non-acceptance of this part of their own history penetrates what Germans learn in school about Germany's colonial activities (close to nothing) and their own ethnic composition (nothing), as well as the way in which Black persons are shown, treated and displayed in contemporary literature, children's literature, film, media and advertising: as inferior, other, 100% foreign, exotic, helpless, objectified, not belonging.

At the same time, Germany likes to present itself as a country that has learned from its past and is open to dealing with its xenophobic issues.

With my book, I want to show that Germany needs to do much more than a little scraping on the surface in order to become the advanced and democratic country it likes to present itself as. I was curious to see whether there really is a willingness within Germany's white majority population to deal with their racist issues even if this means saying goodbye to some racist traditions or if it is really all just talk, which would mean that my country wouldn't be ready for another level of insight, consciousness and an actual change, as well as a stop to the oppression of its Black minority population. I'm thrilled and excited to this day, as I haven't gotten the definite answer yet.

But in my opinion sanity, reason and humanity are going to win this time around.

More about Noah Sow:
http://www.noahsow.de/

Tappin On Thirty

(Candice Dow)

About the author

Candice is an author and native of Baltimore, MD. Her titles include, "Caught in the Mix", "Ain't No Sunshine", "A Hire Love" , and "Tappin On Thirty".

She is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Johns Hopkins University. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked as a Software Engineer and an adjunct college instructor.

She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Rho Xi Omega Chapter in Baltimore, MD. She loves analyzing love, life, and relationships and expose theanswers in works of fiction.

Candice Dow, Author, http://www.candicedow.com/ Caught in Mix, Ain't No Sunshine,& A Hire Love Available in Bookstores everywhere and Amazon.com (If you don't see it, have an associate order it) Tappin' On Thirty - coming Feb 08

About the book

From Candice Dow comes a sexy, soul searching novel about love lost, new beginnings, and the big 3 As a successful legal consultant, Devin Patterson's professional life is good. But his personal life is another story.

Devin let his true love slip away when his now ex-wife intentionally got pregnant. He loves his six-year-old daughter, but as the clock ticks on his thirtieth birthday, he can't help reminiscing about the past and he's not alone.

With her model looks and her law career, people wonder why Taylor Jabowski is still single as she's approaching her thirtieth birthday. But Taylor knows exactly why: Scooter, the high school sweetheart she broke up with when she was young and foolish.

She hasn't been in love since, and with her class reunion coming up, Taylor can't help fantasizing about winning him back.

As Devin opens his heart to the idea of a new relationship, and Taylor tries to re-connect with Scooter, their paths cross. They discover they have more in common than regrets from the past. Now that they're older and wiser, can they figure it out?

More about Candice Dow:
http://www.candicedow.com/

Actress Tamala Jones and Miasha, the Writing Diva Celebrate "Sistah for Sale"

Actress Tamala Jones and Miasha, the Writing Diva, recently celebrated the release of the author's latest hot fiction release, "Sistah for Sale" at a book signing party in Atlantic City, NJ! The recent Spitzer sex scandal has propelled interest in Miasha's timely tome "Sistah for Sale" from Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, Inc., as Miasha details the life of a young woman born into the sex trade industy.

"This is my fourth novel," cites Miasha, "but with this one, I did more research than writing. People don't realize that the sex trade industry, the trafficking of human beings, is a bigger illegal business than drugs even. It's a growing multi-billion dollar business. With "Sistah for Sale" it was my goal to personalize the drama of the women involved and give the reader a deeper insight into this underworld. I also wanted to provide a stream of hope to these women. They can change their lives."

Visit Miasha, the Writing Diva at her new interactive website, www.miasha.com