Sunday, February 14, 2016

Best Book Couples -- Happy Valentine's Day 2016

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!!

Time to spread the love!! In honor of it being Valentine's Day ... here is a list (in no particular order) of book couples that I thoroughly enjoyed reading about this past year (from February 2015 - January 2016):

♥ means that I gave the couple's novel a 5 star rating
-- Read more about the novel (and a teaser or two) that each couple is in by clicking their title links --
ALSO -- Be sure to check out the Giveaway at the bottom of this post!! [Giveaway will run from February 14 - 17, 2016]


-- Click here to check out my best couple list for 2015. --

CONGRATS TO SUNNY, MICHAEL, & Lynda Simmons, Author!! See our Congratulations Post here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2016/02/2016-ultimate-best-book-couple.html

Posted by From Me to You - Video, Photography, & Book Reviews on Friday, February 19, 2016


Giveaway!! : -- Now closed. Thank you to those who participated!! --


How to Enter * :
  • Comment/vote up to 3 times either on our blog post and/or on the FB post above with the name of a couple (if you like more than one list them too) that you like FROM OUR 2016 BEST BOOK COUPLES LIST
  • When commenting on our blog post BE SURE to LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDY so I can contact you

* Click the "see more" on the above FB Post to find out more details about this giveaway.
Posted by Jess - From Jess to You Services @ 2:30:00 AM 65 comments
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Saturday, February 13, 2016

Blog Tour - Temperature’s Rising Blog Tour | Spreading the Word & ARC Giveaway

Looking for the perfect romance read for Valentine’s Day? Below, we’ve got excerpts from six of today’s best contemporary authors. And watch out as the heat level goes from sweet to sultry to downright sinful. Read on and get ready for your temperature to rise!


SWEET & SASSY :

If you want a sweet read for the holiday, then look no further than "Royal Chase" [The Royals of Monterra Series, Book 2] by Sariah Wilson. When PR agent Lemon Beauchamp gets her client Prince Dante of Monterra booked on a reality show, she never expects to find love. But when flirting turns to something more, they share their first kiss...

“What is that scent?” he asked.

“Lemon sugar,” I said, my heart beating too quickly.

“Sweet and tart, like you,” he said before he planted a soft kiss at the amazing spot where my neck met my shoulder, and the earth shifted on its axis.

I decided it had been far too long since I’d last kissed somebody if this was how I was going to react. I also thought for a moment that I should stop him, but the only thing I said was, “My lip gloss is lemon-flavored, too.”

Which was such a blatant invitation, and from the fire in his eyes and the seductive smile on his face, he knew it.

“I do appreciate the commitment to your name.” He set down his drink and used his free hand to run his fingers up and down my arm, which gave me chills and hot flashes at the same time.

“Well, not everyone gets to be named after a fruit. You have to have fun with it.”

He pressed another kiss to my throat, and I closed my eyes as a tingling warmth spread slowly through my body.

>> Learn more HERE <<


A DELECTABLE ROMANCE :

For a savory reading treat, "Recipe For Kisses" by Michelle Major will hit the spot. Ben “the Beast” Haddox is a bad-boy chef returning to his hometown to open a new restaurant...the only problem is the sizzling Chloe Daniels. Refusing to give up her storefront--or to give into Ben’s charm--the two are at a standoff that simmers with attraction.

“I want to kiss you,” he whispered, and his soft voice and the wicked intentions it carried made her ache for more. “But only if it’s what you want, too.”

She swayed closer, caught in the intensity of his eyes. After her reaction to him reaching for her in the store and that first night when she’d maced him, he must understand that she wasn’t a good bet. “I don’t think I know how to be with someone like you. I like things ordered, soft and gentle.”

“I can be gentle.”

She almost laughed at that. “Right.”

“Give me a chance to show you, Chloe.” He ran his hand along her arm, higher to her shoulder then to her neck. She knew he was giving her a chance to become accustomed to his touch and found herself melting because of the thoughtfulness behind the gesture. “Tell me you want this.”

As his rough fingers caressed her jaw, she leaned forward with her heart beating double time and whispered, “Yes.”

>> Learn more HERE <<


OPPOSITES ATTRACT--AND ATTRACT--AND ATTRACT! :

Kick up the heat with Jamie Beck's "Worth The Trouble." Sophisticated cover model Cat St. James could not be more different from rough-around-the-edges carpenter Hank Mitchell. But that doesn’t stop the irresistible pull these two feel for each other.

Her uncertain smile twisted him up inside as she reached one hand up and fingered the ends of his hair. “Kiss me goodnight.”

All the blood drained from his head and raced to his crotch. The relentless throbbing between his legs urged him to comply despite his better judgment. Just a kiss.

As if watching himself in a dream, he saw his fingers caress her cheek. She raised her chin and parted her lips, and he pressed his mouth against hers. He gave over to the moment, to taste her once more, to slip his tongue inside her mouth and tangle with hers. The faint taste of champagne and honey overwhelmed his senses as he grazed her lower lip with his teeth.

Time slowed. Every part of his body came alive. She bulldozed her fingers through his hair while moaning, engulfing him in desire.

“Like I remember,” she whispered against his skin. He’d been teetering on the verge of making a gigantic mistake, until her words summoned bitter reminders of the last time he fell for her games. Abruptly, he grabbed her wrists and pushed back.

“Hank!” She fell back into her pillow. “Stay.”

>> Learn more HERE <<


SPOTLIGHT ON THE ACTION :

The bright lights of New York City have nothing on the dazzling attraction between set designer Simone Oliver and director Zach Hammond in Abigail Strom's "Nothing Like Love." This sexy British hero with a penchant for quoting Shakespeare and a romantic heart will have you as hot and bothered as the cynic heroine.

He spun them around so Simone’s back was against the wall. He put his hands under her arms and lifted her up, and when her legs went around his waist, he leaned in close.

His erection was cradled against her center now, and they were face-to-face. His heart was pounding hard enough to shake him and he couldn’t seem to find his breath.

But the only thing he wanted to breathe in was Simone.

When he brought his mouth to hers it was like tasting sweetness and fire at the same time. Her arms were around him, her legs were around him, and her scent engulfed him in an erotic wave.

His lips urged hers apart and his tongue slid inside.

The hot silk of her mouth was like a drug. Her tongue found his and they stroked and tangled, a thousand strands of need and desire binding them together.

His body throbbed against hers. If his lust drove them right through the brick wall and left the two of them lying in the rubble, he still wouldn’t be able to tear his mouth away.

>> Learn more HERE <<


CHAMPAGNE WISHES AND BILLIONAIRE DREAMS :

If out-of-control desire is your reading #goal, then J.S. Scott is going to be your new BFF. The author has won readers over with her H-O-T Sinclair brothers, but the stakes are raised with oldest sibling Evan. He is arrogant, Alpha, and amazing, and schoolteacher Miranda Tyler finds herself saying yes...to everything he asks in "The Billionaire’s Touch."

“Kiss me,” Evan demanded as he moved his hands down her back and cupped her jean-clad ass with both of his large, strong hands. His fingers gripped the flesh and pulled her molten core into his hard form. “You asked me not to kiss you, so you have to kiss me.”

Randi’s willpower broke as she looked up and saw the longing in Evan’s eyes. It was an echo of exactly what she was feeling, and she could no more resist him than she could stop breathing. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she speared her hands into his coarse hair and yanked his mouth down to hers. She needed his touch more than she wanted to resist him, and as his lips collided with hers, Randi completely forgot why she was even trying to fight the urge to devour him.

He sprang into action the moment she kissed him, taking control as he demanded her complete surrender. Tasting. Teasing. Commanding. Evan’s tongue swept into her mouth, wiping away every doubt she had as he conquered her mouth with his own, leaving her breathless and mindless as he finally surfaced, his teeth catching her bottom lip and nipping at the flesh as though he wanted to mark it.

His lips were suddenly everywhere, and Randi’s hand left his hair and wrapped around his neck as she felt herself being lifted off her feet. She landed on something soft— she assumed it was the couch—but she wasn’t about to turn her head away from his mouth to look. She was too obsessed with the feel of his body against hers to give a crap what she’d landed on.

For some unknown reason, she felt safe letting Evan take control of her body while it burned for his possession. She knew he was feeling the same insane desires that she was experiencing right now.

>> Learn more HERE <<


TRUE LUST LEADS TO TRUE LOVE :

Forget about a love triangle, let’s talk love “square”! Author Melissa Brown’s newest romance "If You Can’t Take The Heat" has three sexy men after the same woman. And while casting director Whitney Bartolina is usually decisive, the choice between THREE men proves to be too hot to handle. Read on to find out how this take-no-prisoners heroine deals with a hunky cowboy from Montana.

Still holding on to his collar, she threw her head back in frustration. “You’re trying to torture me, aren’t you?”

Suddenly serious, Wes smoothed her hair down and rested his hands on her shoulders. “Not at all.”

“Then what is it?” Didn’t he want her as badly as she wanted him?

“Maybe I like keeping you in suspense.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I noticed.”

“And it gives us something to look forward to”—he trapped his lower lip beneath his teeth—“next month in Los Angeles.”

Whitney’s stomach did a gigantic flip-flop. “You’re gonna do it?”

Wes nodded slowly. “I have to see you again. It’s not a choice. It has to happen.”

He pressed his lips to the exposed skin of her neck, sucking gently as his fingers weaved through her hair.

Pure. Torture.

“My hotel isn’t far away. Pleee-eease reconsider.”

Wes said nothing but continued to lick, kiss, and suck at her sensitive skin. She wanted nothing more than to pull him into his car and straddle him right that second, but maybe he was on to something in delaying their gratification. The anticipation of seeing him again, of waiting until the next time they could be intimate, was intoxicating in and of itself.

>> Learn more HERE <<


Giveaways!! :

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Posted by Jess - From Jess to You Services @ 2:30:00 AM 0 comments
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Second Sentence Saturday: A Valentine for the Veterinarian


SECOND SENTENCE SATURDAY is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Jess of From Me to You ... Video, Photography, & Book Reviews. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab the novel/novella your currently reading or previously read
  • Open to the first page of Chapter 1 or its Prologue
  • Share the SECOND sentence from that page
  • Share the novel/novella's title & its author, so that other participants can add that novel to their TBR Lists if they want


MY Second Sentence Saturday :

"A Valentine for the Veterinarian" [Paradise Animal Clinic Series, Book 2] by Katie Meyer

"Grace, you just saved my life. How can I ever repay you?"
The woman behind the counter rolled her eyes.


Having a little Valentine's Day fun with this V-day novel I plan on reading once I'm finished my current read. ♥

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT to share either the link to your own SECOND SENTENCE SATURDAY post or share the sentence in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thank You!
Posted by Jess - From Jess to You Services @ 2:00:00 AM 0 comments
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Friday, February 12, 2016

Blog Tour - The Unluckiest Demographic in Love by Twyla Turner | Guest Post, Spreading the Word, & Kindle Fire HD/Gift Card Giveaway


What Is It? :
    The When Black Women Fall promo features romances in the contemporary, historical, paranormal, science fiction and fantasy, and erotica genres. The two requirements for inclusion are that the heroine must be of African/African-American descent, and she must fall in love: same race, interracial, LGBT, aliens, cyborg—doesn’t matter to us, as long as it’s a black woman falling in love! For the week leading up to Valentine’s Day during Black History month, Heartspell Media is spreading the word about “When Black Women Fall” — a week-long promo featuring romances with African-American heroines.

When is it? :
    February 8-14, 2016. The week leading up to Valentine’s Day during Black History month.

Click Here to download the FREE sampler booklet with excerpts of all the books. (5MB)


The Unluckiest Demographic in Love by Twyla Turner

The educated/nerdy/classy/fashionable/chic/Chubby Black chick has to be one of the most overlooked demographics of women in the country, in regards to L-O-V-E. Speaking from personal experience and seeing the world with my own eyes, we get the short end of the stick more often than not.

Most of us aren’t interested in someone that is quote unquote “hood”, but every time I look up, I got some dude with a full gold grill on his ten-speed shouting out, “Hey Girl?! Hey! Can I get yo number?” More than likely, they see a woman that can take care of them, domestically and financially. A "mothering" type woman that can probably throw down in the kitchen.

Or we get the hick or wannabe “hood” white guys that like thick black girls. Unfortunately, we’re still too classy for that life. I want to be taken to the museum, not the Monster Truck show. I’ve dated one, trust me I know. Nothing like going to a NASCAR event and watch a pickup truck filled with white dudes, flying a Confederate flag. But hey, I was there for the free Goo Goo Dolls concert.

And let’s not forget the old perverted men of ALL races. Yep, we get the horny old lechers that still want someone young but no longer care what people think of the candy on their arm like their young counterparts do. Too bad I’m not into old balls, either.

We’re not necessarily picky people. But can we at least get someone with all of their teeth, not showing their drawers, and isn’t carrying their AARP card? Many of the black men that are similar to us, are only looking outside their race to date. And we all know that the majority of white guys out there are looking for someone slender. And even if they say they like a woman with meat on their bones, they’re talking big boobs and booty with skinny everything else. And that doesn’t even include their fear of dating someone black. Heaven forbid!

To the well-rounded men, we’re placed solidly in the “friend’s zone”. Most of them love and absolutely adore us. They think we’re hilarious. They ask us to help them dress to get the “hot chick”. They come to us for dating advice. Some of them even have sex with us (which ends up grudgingly being the best they’ve ever had), but still can’t see walking with us on their arm in the light of day.

But what these men aren’t understanding is that our demographic is an untapped goldmine of sweet, intelligent, loving, fun and dare I say…sexy, group of women. Many of us just as satisfying, if not more so, than any other woman. Open those pretty eyes, guys! We’re here and we’re amazing!!!

Which is the main reason why I decided to brand my books as Novels with Curves. In the past, I couldn't find a romance novel with a character that looked anything like me, so I took matters into my own hands. Why can't the curvy, Black girl get the hot guy? So that's what I mainly write... Adorably plump and sexy black heroines that snag the hot hero. My latest series Chasing Day, Daylen Daniels, the shy cellist meets Chase McCoy, the popular quarterback. They become unlikely best friends and soon find they have an undeniable attraction that leads to a tumultuous romance that spans 30 years.

All my novels are for the underdog. To give her a voice. If we can't find ourselves on TV or on the big screen, surely we can at least find characters like us in the most intimate of entertainment...books.

To find more characters like Daylen from Twyla Turner’s "Chasing Day," visit the When Black Women Fall promo tour at whenblackwomenfall.com!


About the Author :

Twyla Turner was born in Joliet, Illinois and was almost immediately enamored with all things entertainment and yearned for something "more". She wrote her first story in the 3rd grade and fell in love with creating a whole world from her mind. But it was a long winding road to self-publishing her first novel Star-Struck. An interest in science and animals, to wanting to be the next Oprah, majoring in radio/television with a minor in creative writing, to a year in Japan, four years in California and then to Arizona where the need to write finally hit her like a brick wall. And once she started, the ideas flooded her brain like she never dreamed possible. Her love of romance and travel, as well as her struggle with body image and the male species combined into wanting to write romance for 'real' women Her website: http://twylaturner11.wix.com/novelswithcurves

Click Here to find out about / MEET the Books in the When Black Women Fall Promo


Giveaways!! :

Celebrate this special promotional event! One lucky winner will receive the entire prize pack including:

  • A $50 Carol’s Daughter gift certificate … to get your beauty on
  • A Kindle Fire HD … to get your read on
  • Ebooks of groundbreaking romance novels featuring Black women by: Beverly Jenkins, Sandra Kitt, L.A. Banks and Zane
  • A $30 Amazon gift card … so you can keep getting your read on

And EVERYBODY Who Enters Will Get a FREE digital copy of our exclusive When Black Women Fall excerpt book, featuring story samples from our participating authors.

Click Here to ENTER the Giveaway
Posted by Jess - From Jess to You Services @ 1:41:00 PM 4 comments
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Blog Tour - Meet Thalya by Laverne Thompson | Guest Post, Spreading the Word, & Kindle Fire HD/Gift Card Giveaway


What Is It? :
    The When Black Women Fall promo features romances in the contemporary, historical, paranormal, science fiction and fantasy, and erotica genres. The two requirements for inclusion are that the heroine must be of African/African-American descent, and she must fall in love: same race, interracial, LGBT, aliens, cyborg—doesn’t matter to us, as long as it’s a black woman falling in love! For the week leading up to Valentine’s Day during Black History month, Heartspell Media is spreading the word about “When Black Women Fall” — a week-long promo featuring romances with African-American heroines.

When is it? :
    February 8-14, 2016. The week leading up to Valentine’s Day during Black History month.

Click Here to download the FREE sampler booklet with excerpts of all the books. (5MB)


Meet Thalya by Laverne Thompson

Meet Thalya the heroine.

My name is Thalya.
I was born at the birthplace of time. I have no clear memory of my beginning only that I was and I am. I am a soulless one. My kind have no soul thus feel no emotion. Not hate not love nor even heat or cold. But we do have a driving need to feel.

I seek above all else this compulsion to fill that void deep inside where a soul should reside with emotion. For when I do, for a brief moment, I can feel what another does. I travel the earth searching for depression, my emotion of choice. With but a kiss I drain depression from unsuspecting humans. But I do not kill them or harm them in any way. There is no need.

However, some soulless choose to feed off other types of energies, such as fear, even death and in other less benign ways. They kill those they feed from. I am not one such. But there are humans who are aware of our existence and they hunt us…all of my kind. Not differentiating from those who kill and those who don’t. And they know how to destroy us.

So while I sate my blinding hunger it is never quite satisfied…until Samuel. The leader of those who hunt my kind. For the first time in my consciousness I feel when I am with him, my own emotions not just stolen from him. So I cannot stay away. Even when it means his death or my own.

To read Thalya’s and the other stories visit the When Black Women Fall site at whenblackwomenfall.com.


About the Author :

LaVerne Thompson is an award winning, bestselling, multi-published author, an avid reader and a writer of contemporary, fantasy, and sci/fi romances. She also writes romantic suspense and new adult under the pen name Ursula Sinclair, her alter ego, who likes her relationships a little more complicated.

Her stories are highly sensual with erotic elements but she has a few that are considered erotic. Most of her books also have a touch of violence and a few more than that. She enjoys good action scenes in movies and has incorporated some of those elements in quite a few of her books. She is also a certified chocoholic. Her website: http://www.lavernethompson.com/

Click Here to find out about / MEET the Books in the When Black Women Fall Promo


Giveaways!! :

Celebrate this special promotional event! One lucky winner will receive the entire prize pack including:

  • A $50 Carol’s Daughter gift certificate … to get your beauty on
  • A Kindle Fire HD … to get your read on
  • Ebooks of groundbreaking romance novels featuring Black women by: Beverly Jenkins, Sandra Kitt, L.A. Banks and Zane
  • A $30 Amazon gift card … so you can keep getting your read on

And EVERYBODY Who Enters Will Get a FREE digital copy of our exclusive When Black Women Fall excerpt book, featuring story samples from our participating authors.

Click Here to ENTER the Giveaway
Posted by Jess - From Jess to You Services @ 11:50:00 AM 2 comments
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Thursday, February 11, 2016

Blog Tour - Entangled is turning 5 and we are celebrating! | Spreading the Word & Gift Card Giveaway


Entangled Publishing is turning 5 and love is in the air!

Entangled Publishing is turning 5 and we are so excited that we are offering all the books on our latest bestselling imprint, Lovestruck, at a celebratory price of just $.99 each! If you love romantic comedies you won't want to miss any of these laugh out loud and smexy reads. Check out some of the sales HERE!

AND that's not all. From 2/1 to 2/21 we are giving away 5 Lovestruck prize packs including 5 different Sephora Minimergency kits, an Amazon gift card and other surprise gift cards. So be sure to visit the Lovestruck Facebook page to find out about the fun events and giveaways we will be having in the coming weeks. You will also get sneak peeks inside our different releases so you can pick out your must reads.

We will also be having a Facebook party on TONIGHT (Thursday, February 11th) from 8­:00 pm - 10:00 pm ET where several of our Lovestruck authors will be chatting with readers and offering prizes as well. So join us on the Entangled Publishing Facebook page.

Haven't read a Lovestruck yet? Take a peek inside...

"Unexpectedly His"
[Smart Cupid Series, Book 2] by Maggie Kelley

Author's Book Description :
    A match made in Manhattan…

    By-the-book Marianne McBride wants to prove she’s more than a computer geek in a pair of horn-rimmed glasses. But how did she end up hiding in a cake, waiting to sing “Happy Birthday” to Nick Wright, a sexy and arrogant serial-dater? Not exactly part of her plan. Especially when she finds herself kissing the birthday boy, and then running like hell…

    Nick falls for no woman. No strings, no commitments, and no relationships. Not even with the sweetly curvaceous bombshell from his birthday. But then he’s hit by a bombshell of his own. He needs to find the perfect faux fiancée, or kiss his key to the executive washroom goodbye. Fortunately, his matchmaker sister has the perfect girl in mind.

    Now Nick and Marianne have to pretend they’re in love for six weeks. No dating. No sex. And definitely no acting on the wickedly-hot chemistry that could ruin everything…

This book is available to order on :

Amazon (US - e-Book)

** Be sure to add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads! **


Book Excerpt :

Oh yeah, they were going on a ride tonight, a long, sexy ride that would make her cry out in desperate pleasure.

She crooked a finger at him, and he had to fight the urge not to run across the room.

Nick walked toward her in an even stride that left no room for objection. He took her face in his hands and kissed her. Slowly. Deeply. Then he fell to his knees at her feet. She stepped out of her dress and he moved to slip off her sexy, open-­toed shoes, but her whispered words stopped him midmotion.

“Leave them on.”

Sweet mother of God.

“Marianne,” he said in a husky voice, “I plan to show you how sexy you are, prove how much you turn me on, and when I’m finished, you are going to cry out my name in absolute need. Can you promise me that? Because I want to hear you say my name when you come. Promise me.”


Giveaways!! :

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT :: Lovestruck Prize Pack #1 & Lovestruck Prize Pack #2
Posted by Jess - From Jess to You Services @ 4:53:00 PM 3 comments
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Blog Tour - The Unwashed Cover by L. Penelope | Guest Post, Spreading the Word, & Kindle Fire HD/Gift Card Giveaway


What Is It? :
    The When Black Women Fall promo features romances in the contemporary, historical, paranormal, science fiction and fantasy, and erotica genres. The two requirements for inclusion are that the heroine must be of African/African-American descent, and she must fall in love: same race, interracial, LGBT, aliens, cyborg—doesn’t matter to us, as long as it’s a black woman falling in love! For the week leading up to Valentine’s Day during Black History month, Heartspell Media is spreading the word about “When Black Women Fall” — a week-long promo featuring romances with African-American heroines.

When is it? :
    February 8-14, 2016. The week leading up to Valentine’s Day during Black History month.

Click Here to download the FREE sampler booklet with excerpts of all the books. (5MB)


The Unwashed Cover by L. Penelope

I recently read this story about how bestselling middle-grade author Rick Riordan (of Percy Jackson fame) had no recourse when several of his international publishers whitewashed the covers of his books and portrayed a black character as white. He complained but even for an author of his stature and sales, the correction took far too long.

A day or two later an author in a Facebook group lamented that her cover was whitewashed by her small press. This is in no ways new and it never stops being infuriating.

I turned on the TV yesterday and caught a clip of some movie where Blaire Underwood was being beaten by the police for literally no reason. The movie was set in the 1950s. My husband and I just looked at one another — no words needed to be said. It seems we’re still fighting the same battles over and over.

I’ve been told that I was very “courageous” for putting black faces on the covers of my books. This made me indescribably sad. Will white readers feel like my books aren’t “for them” because they don’t feature people who look like them on the covers? Have I ever felt like a book wasn’t for me because of the lack of diversity on the cover? That I wouldn’t be able to relate or enjoy it? Of course not. And my philosophy is to start as you mean to go forward. As an artist (and a control freak) I want to create and through my work begin reshaping the world in the way I want it to be.

I made decisions regarding my covers that many believe will impact sales for a variety of reasons, but mostly because I just like seeing black people on my covers. And having my covers represent the characters in my books. To quote a Twitter poster “the melanin is winning.” And since I self publish, I can do whatever I want. I don’t have to shout into the void and not be heard like Riordan or Ursula LeGuin or the many other authors whose books have been whitewashed over the years and continue to be so.

One day representing my reality the way I live and perceive it will stop being “courageous” and just be normal. Until then, I’ll put whoever I want on my covers and be grateful I have the freedom to do so.

To turn the cover and read a great love story, check out L. Penelope’s "Angelborn" on the When Black Women Fall promo tour at whenblackwomenfall.com.


About the Author :

Leslye Penelope believes love is magic and likes her romance with a healthy dose of imagination. She writes new adult, fantasy and paranormal romance with multicultural characters.

Equally left and right-brained, she thinks puzzling out a programming problem is fun and has a quote from The Matrix tattooed on her arm. She lives in Maryland with her husband, one eighty-pound lap dog, and a semi-feral cat. Her website: http://www.lpenelope.com

Click Here to find out about / MEET the Books in the When Black Women Fall Promo


Giveaways!! :

Celebrate this special promotional event! One lucky winner will receive the entire prize pack including:

  • A $50 Carol’s Daughter gift certificate … to get your beauty on
  • A Kindle Fire HD … to get your read on
  • Ebooks of groundbreaking romance novels featuring Black women by: Beverly Jenkins, Sandra Kitt, L.A. Banks and Zane
  • A $30 Amazon gift card … so you can keep getting your read on

And EVERYBODY Who Enters Will Get a FREE digital copy of our exclusive When Black Women Fall excerpt book, featuring story samples from our participating authors.

Click Here to ENTER the Giveaway
Posted by Jess - From Jess to You Services @ 7:16:00 AM 0 comments
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Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Blog Tour - The Education of a Black Heroine by Piper Huguley | Guest Post, Spreading the Word, & Kindle Fire HD/Gift Card Giveaway


What Is It? :
    The When Black Women Fall promo features romances in the contemporary, historical, paranormal, science fiction and fantasy, and erotica genres. The two requirements for inclusion are that the heroine must be of African/African-American descent, and she must fall in love: same race, interracial, LGBT, aliens, cyborg—doesn’t matter to us, as long as it’s a black woman falling in love! For the week leading up to Valentine’s Day during Black History month, Heartspell Media is spreading the word about “When Black Women Fall” — a week-long promo featuring romances with African-American heroines.

When is it? :
    February 8-14, 2016. The week leading up to Valentine’s Day during Black History month.

Click Here to download the FREE sampler booklet with excerpts of all the books. (5MB)


The Education of a Black Heroine by Piper Huguley

When "The Preacher’s Promise" was first put forward to the public in the quarterfinal phase of the final Amazon Breakthrough Contest, some people began to question the history of my story in their reviews. They had never known of the possibility of an educated Black woman who traveled on her own to the southern states to teach. But I knew that this ignorance developed out of the lies that history tells us. We hear a lot about the brave white Christians who went to the southern states right after the Civil War, but we hear nothing of the Black people who went to help. This is one of the reasons why I wrote "The Preacher’s Promise," so that the historical lie of omission could be exposed. My heroine, Amanda Stewart, was based on the real-life exploits of two Black women, Mary Patterson and Mary Peake.

Mary Jane Patterson is the first black woman who is credited with having earned a B.A. degree from Oberlin College, one of a handful of schools before the Civil War who were willing to give Black people a chance at higher education. She graduated from Oberlin in 1862. A historian of Oberlin College, Robert Fletcher, says that she taught school in Philadelphia, and later became a principal of a preparatory high school for Black students in Washington.

My heroine, Amanda, arrives in Milford, Georgia after the Civil War, just after her graduation in 1866 from Oberlin. Some real-life African American teachers were willing to take their lives and liberty into their own hands to teach the still enslaved populations how to read and write before the war ended. One of these brave people was Mary Peake.

Born of a free mother and an Englishman, Peake started a school in her own home state of Virginia on the grounds of what is now Hampton University. She started the school in 1861 after her own home had been burned by Confederate forces. Finding herself displaced, she taught the enslaved people who had gathered at Fort Monroe. She had taught out of her home for years and now brought those skills to this new endeavor with purpose. The population of the school went from six to fifty within a matter of days. Remarkably, Peake was also working as a married woman, having married Thomas Peake, one of the formerly enslaved.

Unfortunately, the next year, Peake caught tuberculosis and died. Her endeavor may not have lasted long, but Peake’s school planted the seed of an idea that spread and motivated many others to leave the comfort of their lives and homes to help the enslaved. So the provenance for an Amanda Stewart is certainly there. And the American Missionary Society, who built up several schools for the enslaved in the South, documented many more men and women of color who came south to each the recently enslaved. Novels are written about the uncommon and the exceptional. We may not know these Marys by name, but they were certainly exceptional. Their accomplishments should be remembered, and my Amanda Stewart is my way of commemorating these women who paved the way for many.

To experience Amanda's story yourself, pick your copy of "The Preacher's Promise" today! You can find this and other romance novels featuring black heroines on the When Black Women Fall promo tour at whenblackwomenfall.com.


About the Author :

Piper G Huguley is the author of the "Home to Milford College" series. The series traces the love stories at a small "Teachers and Preachers" college in Georgia over time, beginning with the love story of the founders. Book one in the series, The Preacher's Promise, was a semi-finalist in Harlequin's So You Think You Can Write contest,and a quarter-finalist in the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. The Representative's Revolt will be published in the Spring of 2015.

Huguley is also the author of "Migrations of the Heart," a five-book series of inspirational historical romances set in the early 20th century featuring African American characters. Book one in the series, A Virtuous Ruby won the Golden Rose contest in Historical Romance in 2013 and is a Golden Heart finalist in 2014. Book four in the series, A Champion's Heart, was a Golden Heart finalist in 2013. A Virtuous Ruby will be published by Samhain in July 2015.

She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and son. Her website: http://www.piperhuguley.com/

Click Here to find out about / MEET the Books in the When Black Women Fall Promo


Giveaways!! :

Celebrate this special promotional event! One lucky winner will receive the entire prize pack including:

  • A $50 Carol’s Daughter gift certificate … to get your beauty on
  • A Kindle Fire HD … to get your read on
  • Ebooks of groundbreaking romance novels featuring Black women by: Beverly Jenkins, Sandra Kitt, L.A. Banks and Zane
  • A $30 Amazon gift card … so you can keep getting your read on

And EVERYBODY Who Enters Will Get a FREE digital copy of our exclusive When Black Women Fall excerpt book, featuring story samples from our participating authors.

Click Here to ENTER the Giveaway
Posted by Jess - From Jess to You Services @ 5:00:00 AM 0 comments
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Blog Tour - Black Women Finding & Falling in Love - Historically Speaking by Lena Hart | Guest Post, Spreading the Word, & Kindle Fire HD/Gift Card Giveaway


What Is It? :
    The When Black Women Fall promo features romances in the contemporary, historical, paranormal, science fiction and fantasy, and erotica genres. The two requirements for inclusion are that the heroine must be of African/African-American descent, and she must fall in love: same race, interracial, LGBT, aliens, cyborg—doesn’t matter to us, as long as it’s a black woman falling in love! For the week leading up to Valentine’s Day during Black History month, Heartspell Media is spreading the word about “When Black Women Fall” — a week-long promo featuring romances with African-American heroines.

When is it? :
    February 8-14, 2016. The week leading up to Valentine’s Day during Black History month.

Click Here to download the FREE sampler booklet with excerpts of all the books. (5MB)


Black Women Finding & Falling in Love - Historically Speaking by Lena Hart

It’s not a great marvel that black women have always managed to find and fall in love, despite a moment in history that would prove otherwise—or the statistics today that would have us believe only a handful of us ever will.

I started my career writing contemporary romance. In fact, my first completed romance story was "BECAUSE YOU LOVE ME," a modern romance set in Chicago about broken promises and second chances. But as a romance reader, I first fell in love with the genre through historical romances—though it wasn’t until late into my reader-life that I discovered the best-selling, award-winning pioneer of African American historical romance, Ms. Beverly Jenkins.

Growing up, I knew it was no secret that black men and women fell in love all the time. I had seen it in enough contemporary romances and movies to know this. But there was something unique about seeing that kind of love written in a historical setting. For black women, our history was usually whittled down to pain, violence, and heartache. But finally, I was exposed to a history where we were so much more than the pains of our past.

So, full of inspiration and an innate love for history, I set out to write my first historical romance. In June 2014, I released "A SWEET SURRENDER," in the anthology "For Love & Liberty," about an Afro-Native American healer who falls in love with a wounded British soldier during the Revolutionary War. The anthology also featured "BE NOT AFRAID" by Alyssa Cole about an African woman who joins the British army in order to gain her freedom from slavery, yet finds both love and freedom along the way.

In June 2015, I again collaborated with Alyssa and two other very talented authors to celebrate 150 years of emancipation and freedom. In "The Brightest Day," we commemorate Juneteenth—a time that celebrates the emancipation of all slaves in America—and the wonderful Ms. Beverly Jenkins provides a foreword explaining the inception and importance of the 150-year-old holiday.

For the anthology, we each wrote a story over four different eras of American history (post-slavery) that featured a strong black woman. In my novella, "Amazing Grace," my heroine Gracie is torn between fulfilling her promise or following her heart; in "Drifting to You" by Kianna Alexander, Rosie finds love and healing in the arms of her sexy suitor; in "A Sweet Way to Freedom" by Piper Huguley, Missy teaches her former lover—and the father of her unborn child—just what it means to love and be loved; and in "Let It Shine" by Alyssa Cole, Sofie sets out to make a difference and find love and redemption along the way.

In each story, we wanted to celebrate the fact that despite the pain and suffering of our past, black women have a history rich with love, light, and hope. Long before slavery—and even after it—black women were finding and falling in love wherever and whenever it came. That is something that should be shared, experienced, and celebrated always. As a writer, I’m so honored I get to do that alongside so many talented authors. ♥

To see more of Lena’s work along with other diverse romances check out the When Black Women Fall promo tour at whenblackwomenfall.com.


About the Author :

Lena Hart is the author of sensual romances with alpha heroes and smart, sexy heroines. She published her first book in 2012 and have been publishing happily ever afters since. A Florida-native, Lena currently lives in New York City with her spoiled calico cat, Duchess. When Lena's not writing, she's reading, researching, or conferring with her muse. Her website: http://www.lenahartsite.com/

Five fun, random facts about Lena:
1. Floridian who can't swim
2. Speaks Haitian-Creole (adequately)
3. Spent the first 8 years of her life afraid of toasters
4. Nickname in college was "Moments" for having too many "blonde" moments
5. Blushes and giggles over every love scene she writes

Click Here to find out about / MEET the Books in the When Black Women Fall Promo


Giveaways!! :

Celebrate this special promotional event! One lucky winner will receive the entire prize pack including:

  • A $50 Carol’s Daughter gift certificate … to get your beauty on
  • A Kindle Fire HD … to get your read on
  • Ebooks of groundbreaking romance novels featuring Black women by: Beverly Jenkins, Sandra Kitt, L.A. Banks and Zane
  • A $30 Amazon gift card … so you can keep getting your read on

And EVERYBODY Who Enters Will Get a FREE digital copy of our exclusive When Black Women Fall excerpt book, featuring story samples from our participating authors.

Click Here to ENTER the Giveaway
Posted by Jess - From Jess to You Services @ 2:00:00 AM 0 comments
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Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Blog Tour - Maybe...Love: Love in Translation by Kim Golden | Guest Post, Spreading the Word, & Kindle Fire HD/Gift Card Giveaway


What Is It? :
    The When Black Women Fall promo features romances in the contemporary, historical, paranormal, science fiction and fantasy, and erotica genres. The two requirements for inclusion are that the heroine must be of African/African-American descent, and she must fall in love: same race, interracial, LGBT, aliens, cyborg—doesn’t matter to us, as long as it’s a black woman falling in love! For the week leading up to Valentine’s Day during Black History month, Heartspell Media is spreading the word about “When Black Women Fall” — a week-long promo featuring romances with African-American heroines.

When is it? :
    February 8-14, 2016. The week leading up to Valentine’s Day during Black History month.

Click Here to download the FREE sampler booklet with excerpts of all the books. (5MB)


Maybe...Love: Love in Translation by Kim Golden

When I first wrote about Laney in "Maybe Baby," I had no idea that she would demand more stories. I never intended for "Maybe Baby" to become a series. I only knew I wanted to tell the story of a black woman from the States who--like me--happened to live in Scandinavia and who happened to fall in love. But, unlike me, Laney wasn't in love with the man she was with. Laney wanted something more. She thought she wanted a baby. What she really wanted was to find the person who was meant to complete her. And this journey is the story I tell in Maybe Baby. How she meets and falls in love with Mads, who is also searching and feeling just as lost as Laney.

Over the course of three books ("Maybe Baby," "Maybe Tonight" and "Maybe Forever"), I've charted their love story. Not everyone appreciates it. Some people are put off by the infidelity angle and it prevents them from seeing what is the heart of the story: two people searching for and finding love, just maybe not in the best of ways. Infidelity ends up figuring into a lot of my writing. Not because I condone it. It's more that I am interested in what makes people cheat. And how they deal with the consequences of it.

Once I'd finished tweaking "Maybe Baby," I received advice that it would be easier to sell if Laney were white or if I changed the setting from Scandinavia to somewhere more palatable for American tastes like Paris or London or even New York. But that wasn't what I wanted. And really, when I began writing "Maybe Baby," I wrote it more for me than anyone else. I didn't want to read another story set in New York or London or Paris. I wanted to write about looking for love in Scandinavia--especially since I live here and know Stockholm, Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark much better than I do Paris or New York. Someone even suggested I change Laney to a white woman because--"you'll sell more books that way." But I didn't want to tell a random white woman's story. And Laney came to me as a black woman, not a white woman. I wanted to tell her story—the story of a black woman living in Europe and trying to find that someone who would make her feel like she'd come home.

So...I won't change the sort of characters I write about just to please people who don't want to read about black women falling in love. And I won't change the settings just because some people have no clue where Scandinavia is or think that the only thing capable of being set there is a murder mystery. I found love in Scandinavia...I found my guy who made me feel like I'd come home. And I think there are more love stories to come that have a connection with my Nordic home...a few more stories about Laney, her feisty cousin Eddy...maybe even Laney's daughters once they're old enough. And I think I'll keep writing about black women in love.

At the end of the day...it's what we all want—love.

If you’d like to read love stories outside of your comfort zones, check out the selection of books, including "Maybe Baby," on the When Black Women Fall promo tour at whenblackwomenfall.com!


About the Author :

Kim Golden was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1995, she left the US and moved to Sweden for love with a capital L. When she isn't writing fiction, she writes copy about perfume for a Swedish cosmetics firm.

She writes stories for people who know that love comes in every color. Her website: http://www.kim-golden.com

Click Here to find out about / MEET the Books in the When Black Women Fall Promo


Giveaways!! :

Celebrate this special promotional event! One lucky winner will receive the entire prize pack including:

  • A $50 Carol’s Daughter gift certificate … to get your beauty on
  • A Kindle Fire HD … to get your read on
  • Ebooks of groundbreaking romance novels featuring Black women by: Beverly Jenkins, Sandra Kitt, L.A. Banks and Zane
  • A $30 Amazon gift card … so you can keep getting your read on

And EVERYBODY Who Enters Will Get a FREE digital copy of our exclusive When Black Women Fall excerpt book, featuring story samples from our participating authors.

Click Here to ENTER the Giveaway
Posted by Jess - From Jess to You Services @ 5:00:00 AM 1 comments
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