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More FUBU books, and down to the wire
I’ve put up excerpts from The Player and The 13th Step.
The 13th Step would be categorized as women’s fiction, though there is an erotic relationship in the book. It’s also part suspense and features an older heroine (she’s forty-five). Click either photo for a blurb and an excerpt.
More to come . . .
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A Hard Day’s Write
So . . . I finally linked the GIF I’d created for RUSH to a free excerpt page. Instead of putting up the same GIF on this post, I’m linking it to the new photos of Aaliyah and Aiden that I’ve edited:
My breasts are like new buds on a tree, yet men continue to stare, wondering aloud what delights I hide from them under my hijab. I have two arms and two legs like other girls, but sometimes my classmates taunt us, saying we have horns and tails and no one stops them, not even my teachers. Students join in the laughter, making me think that high school will be hard, even harder than the refugee camp. There I knew what I faced each day. I knew when my stomach spoke, only food would quiet it. But here, there is always something new to learn. And each day I must choose between what is haraam – forbidden, unlawful – and halaal.
– Aaliyah, from the ebook RUSH
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Dare to Go There
Over at Dear Author, Jane is taking requests from readers (and authors) on What’s Not Being Published that You Want to Read
There are a number a really good suggestions, and for any author who wonders where the idea for their next great novel might come from (not just in the romance genre) this wish list may be just the thing. I had fun matching up what I’m either currently working on or have already released with many of the requests.
I got pretty close with RUSH. But perhaps other novels like QUEENSREALM, Gaijin, and Valerius Rex might be of interest for those who requested more Scifi and historical romance with diverse characters.
Oops! I can’t forget JUKEBOX Volume One, since its set during the racial upheaval of the 60s, and features a male lead who goes from being a Rockabilly singer to a Blue Eyed Soul Man. Eli Burr pairs with the daughter of rights activist, and they become the first interracial male/female duo in Pop music. While Eli has to hide his sexual orientation once he becomes a teen idol, the female lead ends up getting death threats and has the pressure of representing her race in a positive light, because that was VERY important back then.
Dare to go There:
I’ve put up a couple of brief excerpts tonight, where the stories start with uncomfortable scenes. I don’t want to say much more than that, but the excerpts are from the ebook novellas The Player and Love and Baseball.
Both ebooks are contemporary romances. Here’s how Love and Baseball starts:
They called it a Ghetto Blast, and the frat house hosts were wearing afro wigs, holding beer and giving each other fake gang signals. Some were even posing for pictures, calling out to one another and those entering the house with “fo shizzle, my nizzle.”
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RUSH
RUSH is the love story of a motorcycle gang member who falls for a Somali Bantu refugee.
Before I forget, an excerpt of The Stone Hero is now up. The Stone Hero is the sequel to The Stone Boy, and it tells the story of what happens five years later to the main couple Nicole and Derek.
More promos:
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The Vanity Fair Cover Y’all
Click the image to get the full sized spread:
Should anyone question why this is news, please read this article:
Girls on Film: Women of Color, Move to the Right
By Monika Bartyzel Feb 02, 2012
Vanity Fair isn’t known for getting its annual Hollywood Issue right. Each year we are graced with a thick, Tinseltown-studded release of widely recognized talent and new faces the magazine swears will hit it big. But many consider recognition from Vanity Fair a curse. A good number of these fresh actors never make it beyond the work that got them cover recognition in the first place – actors like Skeet Ulrich, Fairuza Balk, Gretchen Mol, Rufus Sewell, and two-time cover girl Selma Blair. But these cover-starring choices aren’t just about hot names with potentially successful careers; it’s also a matter of hotness and whiteness.
Link:
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The Queen of Comedy, a tale of Black Hollywood
I wanted to do something special for African American history month, so I think I’ll release The Queen of Comedy. While there is romance in the book, there’s also a lot of history. It’s an epic, generational tale that spans the 1920s until the present day.
I’ve posted a five chapter excerpt of The Queen of Comedy and I’m going to have a free download this week on Amazon with fifteen chapters (this book is long). It’s more for those who enjoy fictional history, especially the history of African Americans who were stars and were wealthy during a time period that had barriers, both visible and invisible. In addition, there’s the rivalry between family members when one becomes a bigger star than the other.
It’s an exploration of family dynamics, and how black women were viewed during that era, especially those who were highly independent.
Brilliant comic. Flawed woman. One legendary career.
Most people recognize the face, if not the name. That apple cheeked, rich brown face with the inviting smile that adorns baking products worldwide. Older movie goers fondly recall her role as the friendly, wise cracking maid in over one hundred films. But to her family and spurned lovers, the tongue of Honi Hawkins was brutally uncompromising and anything but funny, as she strived to become THE QUEEN OF COMEDY. ©
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A month of LOVE
Besides the debut of The Men of Hilton Hall serial, the novellas You Give Good Love and RUSH will be released early this month (I’m working hard on making it this Wednesday, Feb 5th).
There’s also the side bar blog post of The Tools of Seduction, where I list the scenes from some of my books that have the leads coming together in various romantic ways.
First though, here’s a brief excerpt from You Give Good Love, where the Russian/African American heroine Marina Roth gets her first glimpse of Eric Decker:
Excerpt from You Give Good Love:
Okay, okay. My daughter says nobody cares about their meeting. She wanted me to post something a bit more erotic:
“I’d worship every part of you,” his said, while his thumb circled her nipple with a maddening, airy touch. Worst of all, he stopped just when she could feel herself clinch. “But I can respect that we just met, and you don’t know me-”
Damn it. She wanted him to stuff his mouth with her breasts. She wanted his face buried in her crotch. “Oh will you just shut up.” She fisted his collar, pulling his face to hers. Now this was a man who knew how to kiss. Her hands moved to span his chest so she could touch every muscle, from his six pack abs to those hard as rock pectorals. She could swear he groaned once his lips left hers. Sugar, we’re going down. ‘Cause his perfect orb of a head was descending right where it could do the most good. And the most damage.
Here’s the “meeting” excerpt:
With their bout moving fast and furious, she managed to nick him in the cheek with a counterpunch. In response he gave her a wicked smile. At least he was smart enough not be a braggart. There was no macho posing, no beckoning with his fingers for her to bring it. That kind of posturing was only done in the movies. In a real fight, the cooler head and skill set usually triumphed. But the operative word was “usually” because they were both at a disadvantage with the amount of people boxing them in.
Busy dancing out of the way as he attacked, she couldn’t help wondering what the hell they fighting for. On a hunch, Marina gave him the universal sign for stop. With her arm outstretched she held up her palm. Her other hand snaked around to her backside and the waistband of her pants, where she pulled out a 9mm. With both of her arms raised above her head she gave him an choice. And a way out. Contemplating her offer, his satiny black as night brows lowered, almost blocking out large upturned eyes that were just as dark. Then he backed just far enough out of reach to give her reason to hope.