Intimate Conversation with Jacqueline E. Luckett
Searching for Tina Turner

After leaving the corporate world, Jacqueline Luckett took a creative writing class on a dare—from herself. During that time she began writing short stories and poetry and, since then, has never looked back. The Bay Area native loves living in Oakland, but travels frequently to nurture her passion for photography and cooking. Her first novel, Searching for Tina Turner, released in January 2010, was chosen by Essence Magazine as its January 2010 Book Selection. Her second novel, Passing Love, is scheduled for publication in October 2011.

» What are you most thankful for today?

I am blessed. This journey to writing and publication has been a dream come true. I’m thankful for my friends, old and new, who’ve offered their support with book parties, signings and the right words at the right minute. I’m so grateful that my mother, at age 88, is still with me and full of energy and good spirit—not to mention her constant supply of chocolate chip cookies and peanut brittle. I’m thankful for having rediscovered my passion.

» Tell us about your fondest holiday moment or event. Do you have Holiday rituals that absolutely, positively must be followed?

My sister and I took ballet lessons when we were young. Neither one of us liked the formal structure of ballet; I think we were more interested in Saturday morning cartoons than dance lessons. Although I can't quite remember how old we were at the time (under 12, for sure), I do recall one special Christmas recital.

We learned a very simple dance choreographed to the music of Johnny Mathis’ “Winter Wonderland”—“sleighbells rings, are you listening?” –an easy step, step, glide. We wore shimmering, short skirts that made us look like professional ice skaters and beige tights that made our skinny legs took big above our white ballet slippers. In the Bay Area, Berkeley, where I grew up, it only snows on the rarest of occasions, but for that recital we wore fuzzy earmuffs and matching hand muffs, white like the sumptuous ermine they were supposed to imitate.

We kept our costumes and for many Christmases afterwards we turned that dance into our ritual. Christmas Eve, we put Johnny Mathis’s Christmas album on the Hi-Fi and nearly wore out the groove on song number one. We danced to the tune over and over again, carefully executing our steps on the small stage that was our living room floor, as if that would urge Santa Claus to tumble down our chimney earlier, or make the clock spin faster to midnight and Christmas and all the joys of that morning. I don’t know how many Christmas Eves we spent dancing to “Winter Wonderland.” I only know we truly believed that without that song and dance, Christmas would never be the same.

» Do you have a favorite holiday menu, story or song?
Share with us.

Next to Thanksgiving, Christmas is my favorite time of the year to cook. I love those holidays because of the focus, among other things, on food—eating it, preparing it, talking about it; sampling, testing, putting dishes together. I experiment with cooking during the holidays more than any other time of the year. I have dozens of cookbooks. About two weeks beforehand, I pull several from the shelf, pile them on my table, and the search begins.

I look for unusual recipes for appetizers, salads, entrée dishes and desserts. For years, I baked all sorts of cookies at Christmas—nut balls covered with confectioner’s sugar, cranberry chocolate chip, and snickerdoodles. I taste while cooking, but I rarely test the recipes in advance—I suppose that since I make my selections from tried and true favorite cookbooks, there’s no need to. These are a couple of cookbooks from my collection that have great recipes: Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen, The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook (Lukins and Rosso), and LaBelle Cuisine (Patti LaBelle).

The preparations are almost a ritual for me. Typically, I create a menu with many more dishes than I intend to cook. I let the menu sit for a day or so and then come back to it and balance the meal with light and heavy dishes and veggies and sweets.

Many of my friends spend the holidays with family or take trips out of town and we don’t have the chance to spend holiday time together. For the last couple of years, I’ve prepared a meal the Sunday before Thanksgiving complete with dishes that bring back memories. Last year, I decided that there was enough time for turkey, so I cooked a pre-Thanksgiving dinner without that big bird: tossed salad of mixed greens, broccoli casserole, brined and roasted whole chicken, pork roast stuffed with peppers and onions, mac and cheese, a yam soufflé covered with mini-marshmallows, cornbread dressing with homemade cranberry chutney, and bread pudding for dessert. Yes, I overdid it, but the leftovers were fantastic! Happy eating!

» Tell us about your latest book. What are two main events taking place in the book?

Searching for Tina Turner is the story of Lena Harrison Spencer, a woman on the verge of change. Lena confronts the hard truths of what it means to have it all and still find oneself unfulfilled. She determines that what she needs is the strength to say no to all that is extraneous in her life, and Tina Turner becomes the icon from whose story she derives strength, even as everyone else tells her she’s crazy for giving up her cashmere cocoon.

Lena takes both an emotional and physical journey in the novel, and without giving away too much, readers who’ve always wanted to go to the South of France and Paris will enjoy the descriptions (and the action) in the last half of the story.

Review for Searching for Tina Turner by Jacqueline Luckett

“A fierce, beautiful tour de force . . . a heroine for the ages . . . Luckett is a writer to watch and admire.”
--ZZ Packer

» Have you ever considered what kind of legacy you want to leave future generations? What do you want to be remembered for?

This is a great, thought-provoking question and one that I’ll continue to ponder. Writing, finishing, and having my novel published have made their marks on my bucket list. I don’t suppose I’m too different from many writers who want to make a positive impact on the world.

My novel speaks to reinvention, inner strength and finding one’s passion. It’s my hope that my characters and stories provide inspiration and spark my readers to think about their own lives and ponder the possibilities for change at any age. Midlife characters are the focus of my novels; I look forward to dispelling the myths of being “over the hill.” I want “baby boomers” to have strong, sexy, and determined characters that they can relate to.

» How may our readers contact you online and pick up your latest work?

Searching for Tina Turner is available online, electronically, and at chain and independent bookstores everywhere. If you don’t see it, bookstores can order it for you. I’d love for readers to become Facebook fans, follow me on Twitter or email me.

Follow me on Twitter: @jackieluckett at  http://twitter.com/jackieluckett;  Website: http://www.jacquelineluckett.com/;   Finish Party:  http://www.finishparty.com;  FB Fanpage: www.facebook.com/pages/Jacqueline-Luckett-Searching-for-Tina-Turner/108871448654

Intimate Conversation with Miss KP

The Dirty Divorce Trilogy
 

Miss KP began writing in high school as an outlet to express her emotions as a teenager. She would write poetry and has even written unpublished songs. However, after feeling as if she had much more to say, she decided to purchase a laptop and began working on her first novel, which we now know as Dirty Divorce, Part 1.

Just months after a good friend introduced her to publisher, Azarel; Miss KP’s dreams came true. She became a published author with the Life Changing Books (L.C.B) family with a #1 hit behind her name. Along with being an author, Miss KP works in the fashion industry as a Merchandise Manager in prominent department store.

A native Washingtonian, Miss KP currently resides in Maryland with her eight year old daughter, and is awaiting the release of her second and most anticipated novel of 2010, The Dirty Divorce- Part 2. For more information on Miss KP or her books, visit her website at: http://www.misskp.com/

Ella: Introduce us to your book, Dirty Divorce 2 and the main characters.
Drugs turn out to be a way of life for Rich, a powerful, sexy Drug Lord hailing from Washington, D.C. His desire for fast money and the extravagant things that it brings puts his family in harms way. Soon, his ego forces him to leave his castle and empire to expand business on the West Coast. His decision to leave his love ones behind at the mercy of his enemies turns out to be catastrophic. One by one, each of Rich's children spiral out of control.

Pregnancy, rape, and abduction all hit the family structure one day after another. With Rich putting his focus on money, sex, and insignificant things in life his wife Lisa, throws some new drama into the relationship as well; a side-piece and divorce papers. This creates an even bigger wedge between Rich and Lisa. The hate that Rich and Lisa develop for each other causes the divorce to get down- right dirty. Can their love out way their hate to save their family or is it too late?  

Meet the Main Players in Dirty Divorce 2
Rich- Handsome and definitely a lady's man. Father and husband that is ruthless and some think he's heartless but he's real. He lacks respect for women and his infidelity causes major issues in his home. His only love is for his money and his daughter. He keeps his son and wife on the back burner which causes major problems.

Lisa- Rich's wife. A docile, fragile wife and mother that struggles with what's important in life-- the love of money or her happiness. She deals with Rich's infidelity for the finer things in life but realizes when it's too late the price of street life has a hefty price tag.

Juan- Rich and Lisa's son. Has extreme hate for his dad due to his lack of respect for Lisa but doesn't realize he's more like his father that he knows.

Denie- Rich and Lisa's daughter. Teen girl that loves her father no matter how much he neglects her. He can do no wrong until it effects her and their relationship is tested.

Carlos "Los"- Rich's Cousin. Handsome street Colombian that holds rank in the street. His father Uncle Renzo makes things happen on both coasts and is the reason for the major cash flow that Rich and his family benefits from. Carlos and Rich's loyalty is tested by the ultimate betrayal and causes the family to dismantle.

Marisol- Carlos' wife. Beautiful but ruthless. A true ride or die chick. Will do anything for her husband.
A close friend to Lisa.


Ella: Who are your favorites? Are your characters from the portrayal of real people?
I would have to say that Lisa would be my favorite character in Part 1 because of the transformation of her character. It was intriguing to have her go from being this gullible wife to this deranged woman that was lost and willing to do anything for revenge. The characters of the book are fictional characters but the situations are real.

Ella: What role do you give the mean spirited characters? Do you have such characters?
The mean spirited character in the book is Rich, but he is consistent. Sometimes we have to look inside to see what makes people tick and why are they the way that they are. When people treat others with lack of respect and there are no consequences, do we blame the victim for allowing it and not standing up for themselves.

Ella: What specific situation or revelation prompted you to write a book?
As a teenager I would write as an outlet because I experienced a lot at a young age. My father’s absence through my teen years contributed to a lot that I went through. One of good friends was going through some relationship issues and made a powerful statement, she said, “I feel as though I’m being punished for everything my father did wrong to women, why do my relationships keep failing?” From there I said I want to write a book with a storyline that speaks to the troubled black family.

Ella: Who do you want to reach with your book and what is the message within?
The Dirty Divorce I feel anyone can relate to. Everyone either knows someone who has been through a divorce or has been through one themselves, even if they are a product of divorce. Everyone in the family is affected by the break up, whether dirty or not. The abuse in the home becomes a way of life and you take the risk of your off springs either becoming a product of their environment or finding a way out. I want people to see that even though this book is fiction, it’s somebody in this world going through the same things and what are we going to do differently in our lives to make a change in our current behaviors.

The one thing I always say is, I don’t want anyone to lose the message. The cars, the money, and the big house might seem all good but we need to know the consequences that come with it. The streets are always watching and you have to live a life in fear of the day it could all come to an end; whether if it’s the Feds or the next man trying to get on top it eventually comes to an end. Infidelity comes with the territory as well.

Know that these are all the things you sign up for street life, but the main message is not only what I just mentioned, it’s the effect on the family and the children. It’s a vicious cycle because we are teaching our children that this is the only way, and as young girls we choose the hustler as our boyfriend, and as young men we choose street life as the way because this is all we know.

Ella: What are some of their specific issues or problems addressed in this book?
Divorce has been such an easy way out these days, the younger generation doesn't fight anymore for their relationships so this is definitely a topic everyone can relate to. Also the relationship between a mother and her son as well as a father and their daughter. How the decisions that we make as parents and how they affect our children.

Ella: Share with us your upcoming releases and online contact info.
The Dirty Divorce is a trilogy and Part 2 will be released on November 24th and for updates on release information or to contact me I can be reached on Twitter: www.twitter.com/misskpdc. 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/misskpdc   or visit my website at:  http://www.misskp.com/  


Purchase Dirty Divorce 1 and 2 written by Miss KP, HERE.
Publisher: Life Changing Books
ISBN-10: 193423074X
ISBN-13: 978-1934230749

Christmas with author Andrea Foy

Andrea Foy has over twenty years of customer service experience working for companies such as McDonald’s, Sears, Delta and USAir Airlines, American Express Financial Advisors the Federal Government. A graduate of Dayton’s Wright State University, she currently resides outside Dayton Ohio where she is attending grad school in Organizational Leadership and volunteers for her community. Visit the author's website: http://www.andreafoy.com/  

BPM:  What are you most thankful for today?

I am thankful for being a published author. It is one of the most challenging but rewarding things you can do in life. Being a self-published author puts you in complete control and it is nice.

BPM:  Tell us about your fondest holiday moment or event. Do you have Holiday rituals that absolutely, positively must be followed?

It is all about the food. I love eating my way through the holiday! I used to be a flight attendant and on what I thought would be my first Christmas away from home, I pulled an all nighter and got home by noon on Christmas day. That was considered the best present by my family.

BPM:   How do you celebrate the holidays? Have you planned anything special for this year?

This will be the first year without my father, who recently passed so it will be low key this year, remembering him.

BPM:   Do you have a favorite holiday menu, story or song? Share with us.

Menu – Turkey, sweet potatoes, homemade rolls, cranberry sauce. Story and song – The little drummer boy story and song.

BPM:   Tell us about your latest book, Hire Power: How to find, get, and keep a Job.

My book is a non-fiction book for the Mature YA, with tips on job hunting, customer service and working in general.

BPM:   Have you ever considered what kind of legacy you want to leave future generations?

I hope my book is used for future generations because they all need to learn.

BPM:   How may our readers contact you online and pick up your latest work?

http://www.andreafoy.com/  and Amazon.com. It is available as an e-book too, HERE.  Follow me on Facebook: www.facebook.com//HirePower  and check out my Tweets at: www.twitter.com/HirePower2010

 

Hire Power by Andrea Foy

Hire Power  is a how-to guide that steps you through the process of landing the job you want—yes;  want—to knowing when to leave for better opportunities. Geared toward the workplace neophyte, this book provides insight for the experienced employee too.

In Hire Power you will learn:

• How to complete an application

• Appropriate and inappropriate attire for an interview

• How to deal with coworkers, bosses and customers

• Basic business etiquette

• How job performance can lead to great appraisals and promotions

 

Hire Power by Andrea Foy

How to find, get, and keep a Job

E-Book - order now.

Amazon - order now.

ISBN-10: 0981743692

ISBN-13: 978-0981743691

  

Intimate Conversation with Niambi Brown Davis

Niambi Brown Davis has lived on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, in Washington, DC and Trinidad and Tobago. She is the editor of Travel and Enjoy, an online travel magazine that will make its debut in December 2010. From Dusk to Dawn, her first full-length novel, and Love's Redemption, a digital novella, were both published in 2008.  

In 2010 Sanctuary was released as an Apple iTunes application, and will be released in e-book format through Lady Leo Publishing. Sabor a Mi,  Niambi’s latest novella, was released in September 2010 by InnerVision Books.

BPM: What are you most thankful for today?
Without doubt, my fabulous family.  Second, would be gratitude for the lessons I finally learned: even in total darkness, keep looking for the light and it will find you.

BPM: Tell us about your fondest holiday moment or event. Do you have Holiday/Christmas rituals that absolutely, positively must be followed?
I have so many, but I’ll reign in my urge to share them all (lol). As a child the arrival of the catalog from Miles Kimball of Oshkosh meant Christmas was on the way. From that catalog my parents ordered our personalized Christmas cards (a snowy scene painted in white on midnight blue and inscribed “From the Three of Us” over our names). And then there was the yearly trip to Gimbels in Philadelphia to sit on Santa’s knee and later shopping for the one pre-Christmas gift I was allowed (usually a book, but when I got older it was a beautiful black watch plaid skirt).

In later years my mother would invite the little girls in our extended family over to bake Christmas cookies. She and I had our own ritual – we would leave one item on the list for the excitement of a last-minute Christmas Eve shopping sprint. And now each year my daughter and I buy a new pair of Christmas Eve pajamas. Lest I forget, we always put the Kwanzaa symbols up early so they don’t get left behind in the excitement that is Christmas. (I guess I didn’t reign in as much as I thought…)

BPM: How do you celebrate the holidays? While everyone else is asleep, I wait up until midnight, usually with a glass of eggnog one more gift to wrap. The next morning, we get up, open our gifts and get ready for a big family meal at one of my relative’s houses.

BPM:  Do you have a favorite holiday menu, story or song? Share with us.
One year a family friend and his wife gave my parents and I a Christmas card that came with a holiday punch recipe. We still make it every year.

I grew up when black radio was found only on the AM frequency and went off when the sun went down.  The next best alternative was Baltimore’s  WCAO,  where I first heard Brenda Lee’s  “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree”  and Bobby Helms  “Jingle Bell Rock.”  They remind me of my childhood Christmas, and are some of my favorites to this day.  It wouldn’t be Christmas for me without Donny Hathaway’s  “This Christmas”,  Carla Thomas’  “Gee Whiz It’s Christmas”  or any soulful rendition of O Holy Night.”

BPM: Tell us about your latest book. What are two main events taking place in the book?
Sabor a Mi  is the story of Melody Walker and Raimundo (Ray) Santos, two people who love Latin dance, but hate each other on sight, especially when Ray cracks on her culture and her size. When they’re paired together for a competition, it’s make or break in more ways than one.

I started Sabor a Mi right after a ballroom dancing class, but it eventually grew into more than just my love of salsa and Latin music.  It ended up being a story about the relentless pursuit of a dream, the unstoppable power of true love, real men, strong women, family first and second chances.

BPM: How may our readers contact you online and pick up your latest work?
Thanks so much for including me in the Holiday Book Tour. I can be reached by email at niambi@niambibrowndavis.com,  or  nbrowndavis@aol.com    Sabor a Mi is available for download at http://www.innervisionbooks.com/,    or  for the Kindle at  http://www.amazon.com/.  

My web address is http://www.niambibrowndavis.com/.  I look forward to hearing from readers and friends - Happy Holidays!

Intimate Conversation with Kai

Kai  is a published and nationally recognized poet and writer. Her poem, Pre-Destiny was featured in the April 2008 issue of Essence Magazine and she was a Featured Poet in A Place Of Our Own (APOOO) national tribute in April 2008 and RAWSISTAZ Author Showcase, April 2007. She is a contributing poet in Step Up to the Mic: A Poetry Explosion, by Poetic Press (Xpress Yourself Publishing). A winner of the No Candles Infinity Contest, hosted by Osbey Books, Kai is credited for writing emotionally raw and thought provoking works.

Her short story featured in If It Ain't One Thing..., by Diva Books, Inc., received praise for its originality and realism. Similarly, her tribute to mothers, entitled Soften My Soul, featured in APOOO's Mother's Day Tribute, has resulted in an outpouring of praise and personal testimonies.

Additionally, Kai's poem My Baby Girl, was featured in the Fall 2008 issue of The Write Vibe, and her poem The Other Women is featured at Tribute to Black Women. Kai also serves as a Guest Reviewer for RAWSISTAWZ Reviewers. An alumni of Hampton University, SUNY Brockport and Georgetown University Law Center, she is a licensed attorney and proud parent.

BPM:  What are you most thankful for today?

I am always thankful for my children - they are a gift from God that I couldn't have foreseen.  My eldest son taught me pure love. As a child, he was so open and trusting and I remember wanting to protect his innocence from the world.  When my daughter was born, I was actually amazed at the sight of her.  It was a feeling of awe that I will never forget-for the first time I felt like I glimpsed just a bit of God's ability and it left me dumbfounded.  Every day my children make me laugh, even if I am hiding my smile while trying to be a disciplinarian. And I know they have no idea how very grateful I am that they exist. I dedicate everything that I am, or will ever be, to them.

BPM:  Do you have a favorite holiday menu, story or song? Share with us.

Homemade lasagna is a requirement every Christmas, along with the normal holiday meal. The tradition started when my mother in law, Carolyn Moore, would cook large South Carolina style soul food meals every holiday - I would make lasagna to have something at my house, even though we would eat at her house on Christmas day. After she passed away, I assumed full cooking duties (although my cooking will never compare to hers) but I kept making the homemade lasagna from her recipe, for nostalgia and as a quiet tribute to her.  That started in 1996. Lasagna has been apart of our Christmas holiday meal ever since.

BPM:  Have you ever considered what kind of legacy you want to leave future generations? 
What do you want to be remembered for?

My legacy is one of unconditional love.  That is what I strive for - to live life transparent and love without requirement.  I have made so many mistakes, trusted the wrong persons, opened myself up to humiliation-but when it was all said and done I forgave myself, brushed myself off and kept moving forward. I have to-my mistakes may be the template for the next person to avoid similar pain. So I speak on it; I don't hide it. It is the journey of this life that counts, the destination is so very secondary. And if my mistakes make my journey richer, then I accept and welcome them.  If my mistakes allow for a person to confide in me, to release the pain that they are holding because they know I won't judge them, then the experience wasn't for naught. That is my legacy. To love regardless and to accept people for who they are, regardless of their mistakes.

BPM:  Tell us about your latest book. What are two main events taking place in the book? What are the main subjects discussed?

In Daughter of the Game, Monique Waters is in the unique position of being the daughter of the major drug kingpin in the city without anyone knowing her identity.  She was raised by her schoolteacher mother, tucked away in middle class life. But her tangled relationship with her father and siblings leaves her wanting, and she searches for love in Armand Smith- a street hustler on the rise. In the midst of an argument, Armand brings Monique fully into his world for the first time, unfortunately, it is the night that he is attacked by his boss's enemy. Their goal is to kill everyone, including Monique. Although she survives, Armand did not save her. While he seeks revenge on his enemies, Monique searches for him-instead of caring for herself- and further jeopardizes her own life and the safety of her family.

In one climatic scene, Monique and Armand are pulled over by the police.  Armand is ready to die, going out with guns blazing is the way to forever etch his name in street legend. But Monique has a life to live for.  She is going to college, has a mother to think about, relationships to consider.  She uses her education and appeal to save them from the police--a move that enrages Armand.  He feels both emasculated and challenged--in his eyes, the move reveals that Monique could, under the right circumstances, turn traitor.  It's a decision that he doesn't forgive and his reaction to it causes the destruction of their love.

In another scene, Armand realizes that he is still being hunted by his enemies, even though he is on neutral territory!  The violation rips across his mind and he contemplates life and the unfairness of it all, the randomness of destiny that would make him a drug dealer instead of a lawyer's child, or something so much easier. That, coupled with the loss of a life long friend, changes everything.  The game goes out of the window, so does proper protocol.  He decides that for every life he lost, ten will be taken. He hides and overtakes his pursuer, killing one in the process and kidnapping the other for information. 

While he tortures his captive, Armand finds out something that he never expected - his enemies have Monique. It's a fact that he can't wrap his mind around and the helplessness of not being able to protect his love--his woman--sends him into overdrive. It's time to go savage-all bets are off.

This book is about family--those who love, live and support those who live "the game." Dealers and hustlers aren't all blatant monsters with no code, no ties, no love, no loyalty. Circumstances create personas behind which people live and hide to survive. And there are networks of people around them who are also affected, also harmed, also tormented, also loved. Daughter of the Game examines the story of those who are tied in by love and life, whether they want to be or not.

BPM:  How may our readers contact you online and pick up your latest work?

My website is http://www.authorkai.com/ and my email is discoverkai@yahoo.com. Please send me an email- I will definitely respond.  Daughter of the Game is a trilogy, the second release - The Secret Keeper - will be available in early spring 2011.  A sneak peak at the prologue is currently available on my website at http://www.authorkai.com/.

My next novel, The Loudest Silence, will be available this winter. It is the story of the destruction of a marriage - when there are no more words left.  I have had numerous men approach me about this story-amazed to have read something that captures that silent frustration they felt. A sneak peek at the prologue for The Loudest Silence is also available on my website at  http://www.authorkai.com/.

Intro for The Loudest Silence by Kai

The Loudest Silence - Where every cruel, silent action is met with a definite, louder reaction...

"The tables have turned," Lani thought, watching her husband Terrance beat his hands against the hood of her car. Lani locked the doors. She flinched as Terrence slammed his golf club against her windshield. Lani punched her horn in anger. Terrance had some nerve. He had left her; had walked out on their life without looking back. Terrence had started this battle when he ran to his "best friend" Kenya, after another argument, like the punk Lani believed him to be.

Now, Terrence had her trapped in her car, watching him act like a maniac as he tried to figure out where she had been, who she had been with. Terrence didn't even know the half of it and he deserved it. He deserved every minute of agony. This was payback for the cold silence Terrence had subjected Lani to during her times of need. The time had come for Terrence to realize that for every cruel, silent action he took, Lani would respond with a definite, louder reaction.

Daughter of the Game by Kai

ISBN-10: 0984388109

ISBN-13: 978-0984388103

Author website:  http://www.daughterofthegame.net/

Daughter of the Game by Kai

In Daughter of the Game, the game devours life and life devours love. It's obvious that Armand is a hustler on the rise. As long as he keeps that life separate from Monique, she is willing to be his everything. Needing Armand's love, she hides her true identity. Armand has no clue that Monique's father is the ruler of all vice, so deep in the game that most hustlers work for and answer to him without ever knowing it. In a moment of weakness, Armand submerges Monique into his underworld, exposing her to his secrets and risking her life to his enemy. When that enemy turns out to be her father, Monique finds herself in a cruel tango between family loyalty and all consuming love. Can true love outlast the game? Or must love be sacrificed for both of them to survive?

Daughter of the Game Book Review:

Monique Waters is ensnared in the middle of a deadly drug war. Making the situation more precarious is the fact that the warring factions are her father and her boyfriend. For over a year Monique was successful at keeping both parts of her life totally separate. Her boyfriend Armand only knew Monique as the college student who's being raised by her school teacher mother. While Monique's father Pete is convinced that Monique will be the only one of his children that will fully escape his street dealings. Monique's mother severed her relationship with Pete many years ago to ensure that as well and the decision seemed to be a wise one until Monique falls for Armand.

When Armand's benefactor Titan crosses Pete, Pete decides to retaliate by knocking off Titan's top protégé who just happens to be Armand. Pete's assault places Monique directly in harm's way and sets off a chain of events that shifts the book into overdrive. The entire novel encompasses a 72 hour period that will be seared into the minds of readers. Author Kai does an extraordinary job demonstrating how urban fiction can be done correctly.

The premise of Daughter of the Game is in no way new but what made it stand out against other stories with similar plots is the realism and character development exhibited. Monique wasn't a spoiled princess dating a drug dealer as a way to rebel against her dad. Pete wasn't an over the top drug lord flaunting his wealth with purchases that he wouldn't be able to justify to the IRS. With Daughter of the Game Kai effectively showcased that an urban book doesn't have to be filled with stereotypical characters to be believable. Authentic heartfelt characters that readers can sympathize with will give the novel all the street credibility it needs to be convincing.

This review, which was unsolicited but greatly appreciated, was posted by a reader on amazon.com

- By Hotchklate "Coast2CoastReaders" (Bronx, N.Y.)

Intimate Conversation with Vanessa Miller

Vanessa Miller is a best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. She started writing as a child, spending countless hours either reading or writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels. Vanessa’s creative endeavors took on new meaning in1994 when she became a Christian. Since then, her writing has been centered on themes of redemption, often focusing on characters facing multi-dimensional struggles.

Vanessa’s novels have received rave reviews, with several appearing on Essence Magazine’s Bestseller’s List. Miller’s work has receiving numerous awards, including “Best Christian Fiction Mahogany Award” and the “Red Rose Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction.”  Miller graduated from Capital University with a degree in Organizational Communication. She is an ordained “exhorter” in her church, explaining, “God has called me to exhort readers and to help them rediscover their place with the Lord.”

Read an Excerpt from A Love for Tomorrow.

BPM: Vanessa, what makes you powerful as a person and a writer? Who are your mentors?
The thing that makes me powerful as a person and a writer is my faith in God. I feel as if I have found this pot of gold that everyone is searching for, and I just want to share it with the world. I really don’t have any mentors at the moment. But I study authors, attended conferences and read and study this industry.

BPM: Tell us about your passion for writing. Why do you write? What drives you? What impact do you want your book to make on the readers?
I have been writing since I was a kid. I have always known that I would one day be a writer. However, as a child and even while in my twenties, I didn’t know how to make my dream of writing come true. It was after I dedicated my life to the Lord that I began to research this business. Because I then knew that I really had something to say. So, the reason I write is to tell the story about midnight sorrows and morning glory… and the glory comes from knowing Jesus. My characters don’t always start off with this knowledge of Jesus, because I write redemption stories. The impact I’d like my books to have on my readers would simple be that my books help them to rediscover their place with God.

BPM: Finish this sentence- My writing offers the following legacy to future readers...
My writing offers the legacy of hope, healing and faith to my readers. I write stories about people with issues… issues that can be healed through trust in Jesus.

BPM: Introduce us to your latest Christian Romance novel,  A Love for Tomorrow.
Christian talk show host Serenity Williams may be at the top of her game professionally, but when her fiancé calls off their wedding, she learns the true price of fame. He can’t deal with her popularity, and when he walks out, she knows it will be a long time before she lets another pride-filled pastor into her heart. Then she gets assigned an interview with the charismatic Pastor Phillip McKnight. Delighted that she now has the opportunity to expose the arrogance of ego-driven pastors to the world, she isn’t prepared for the real man behind the pulpit. Recently divorced, Phillip is broken from his experiences, and soon his surprising humility causes Serenity not to want to ruin him, but instead to un-break his heart....

A Love for Tomorrow deals with trust issues. It is also a book that explores the benefits of forgiving and rediscovering faith in God. Along the way I add in a love story that is sure to touch the reader’s heart.

BPM: What specific situation or revelation prompted you to write your book?
I wanted to write a series on women in ministry to highlight their accomplishments and show that they are very much human and have feeling and love interests. The reason I am so interested in this topic is because the bishop of my church is a woman and I have met other women in ministry that struggle with the fact that many people still don’t believe that women should preach.

BPM: Take us inside A Love for Tomorrow. What are two major events taking place?
The first major event happens at the beginning of the book. Serenity’s finance’ breaks her heart by calling off the wedding simply because her talk show has made her more popular than he. She decides at that point that preachers are off limits and lumps them all in the same boat with her ex. But then she meet Pastor Phillip McKnight… and he isn’t what she expected…  The next major event occurs when has to deal with her trust issues in order to move on with live and love.

BPM: Who are your favorite characters? Are your characters from the portrayal of real people?
Serenity was my favorite character in this book and the entire series thus far, because I really identified with her. Serenity Williams has been hurt by church people and one particular ego-driven pastor. She vows that she will never let another ego-driven pastor into her heart. But when she meets Pastor Phillip McKnight… she comes in contact with the very man who will help her rediscover her trust in humanity and faith in God.

Some times in life you can be hurt so much that you just refuse to be hurt again… and you build walls. This book shows the reader how to tear down those walls… with the help of God and one really good man.

BPM: Who do you want to reach with your book and the message within?
Anyone who has ever experienced heartbreak and then put up a wall to defend against it ever happening again. I want those people to know that with God in their heart, it is okay to trust and to love again.

BPM: How will reading your book shape the readers lives?
My hope is that reading A Love for Tomorrow will provide readers with answers as to how they can forgive and learn to trust again.  A CBA Retailers Reviewer recently said that… Trust, Forgiveness and faith were at the core of my message in A Love for Tomorrow. I would have to agree with her.

BPM: What are some of the other specific issues or problems addressed in this book?
I also deal with the issue of  "church hurt" in this book. Serenity has grown up in church… and she has seen Christian act not so Christianly at times, and therefore, although she wants to serve God, she wants nothing to do with His people.

BPM: What was the most powerful chapter in the book?
Some of my readers have told me that Chapter 23, when Serenity comes to terms with her trust issues and Chapter 24, the chase scene, when Phillip gets his woman are the most powerful scenes in the book.

BPM: What do you think makes your book different from others on the same subject?
This particular series is Christian Romance. So, I think what makes my romances different from others is simply what a CBA Reviewer had to say about A Love for Tomorrow… it’s good romance that ministers.

BPM: Share with us your latest news, awards or upcoming book releases.
A Love for Tomorrow – #1 on the BCNN/BCBC Bestseller List for September
Long Time Coming – Winner of the ACFW Book of the Month for December 2010

Other book releases:
Long Time Coming – November 2010
A Promise of Forever Love (sequel to A Love for Tomorrow) – April 2011

BPM: How can our readers reach you online?
Website: http://www.vanessamiller.com/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/vanessamiller01
Facebook: www.facebook.com/vanessamiller01

Christmas with author Renee Wiggins

Renee Wiggins has mentored, trained, and changed lives in the health and wellness industry for more than twenty years. A strong believer and encouragerin living an authentic, healthy lifestyle, Renee specializes in designing customized lifestyle programs that are tailored to the client's needs, goals, and habits.

Renee Wiggins is a registered dietitian, and certified massage therapist. She is the author of several books, "Can I Exercise Sitting Down?" and Stress Down and Lift UP. My fourth book, will be release in  March 2011, it is a collection of stories to help uplift and encourage people to embrace their struggles and to know that the  storm is only temporary.

What are you thankful for Today?
I am thankful for being alive. I am  in  constant pain with heel spurs and, some days, I hardly can walk, but I am grateful. I am thankful for the friends I have and for the  caring, love, and closeness among my family members. I'm also thankful for the freedom I have because of people who gave their lives to ensure it.  I thank GOD everyday for their sacrifice.

Tell us about your fondest holiday moment or event?
When I was 7 years old, I received an Annie Oakley cowgirl outfit as a Christmas gift. You know, the boots, the skirt, vest, shirt and hat along with two cap guns. I thought I was on top of the world with that outfit and that remains one of my fondest memories ever.

Do you have a favorite holiday menu, story, or song?
 My favorite holiday menu includes candied yams, cranberry sauce and macaroni and cheese. I love the way my mother used to fix these items and, to this day, I have to have them every Thanksgiving.

How do you celebrate the holidays?
I celebrate holidays with my mother.  She's getting older, so now I do the cooking.  I make our special holiday meal for the two of us and we both enjoy it.

Tell us about your latest book, Transformations: Give UP The Struggle.  Transformations: Give UP The Struggle is a collection of affirmations that motivate the reader to do what's necessary to heal their brokenness and to move forward.

How my our readers contact you online and pick up your latest work?
Your readers can contact me at renee@resultsbyrenee.com.

The book is available on Amazon.com or http://www.resultsbyrenee.com/ or Follow me on www.twitter.com/giveupthestrugg or http://www.transformationsgiveupthestruggle.blogspot.com/



Transformations: Give Up The Struggle by Renee Wiggins
ISBN-10: 098256130X
ISBN-13: 978-0982561300
Author website: http://www.resultsbyrenee.com/

Intimate Conversation with Literary Legend Gwynne Forster

Gwynne Forster, bestselling and award-winning author of When the Sun Goes Down, Blues from Down Deep, If You Walked in My Shoes, and A Different Kind of Blues, conjures a riveting story of fractured ties, secrets, and forgiveness in this powerful family drama in When the Sun Goes Down, the sequel to: If You Walked In My Shoes.

Gwynne Forster is a national best selling author of forty-five works of fiction, including her latest of nine mainstream novels, WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN. Gwynne is author of thirty-six romance novels and novellas, of which the latest novels are DESTINATION LOVE and YES, I DO. She has won numerous awards for fiction writing, including the Romantic Times 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award, the Romance In Color Author of the Year award, the Gold Pen Award and has been inducted in the Affaire de Coeur Hall of Fame.

Gwynne loves to sing, read and listen to music, especially jazz, classical music, opera and blues. She also loves to sing and dance, and enjoys entertaining at small dinner parties. She lives in New York with her husband, who is her true soul mate.


Listen to a lively interview with Gwynne Forster and BAN Radio host Ella Curry


BPM: Mrs. Gwynne, we are celebrating the holidays! What was your most memorable holiday from the past?
GF: My most memorable Christmas holiday was the first Christmas Eve that I spent with the man who is now my husband. I cooked a turkey, the first I'd ever cooked and, to my astonishment, it was a perfect bird. Many things happened that evening that we still joke about. We didn't know each other too well then, and we "tiptoed" around each other, each wanting to assure the other a happy Christmas and neither of us knowing how. We had a wonderful evening, singing, eating, listening to music, telling each other tall tales of our lives and, of course, exchanging gifts. I shall never forget it.


BPM: How do you celebrate the holidays? What are the traditions for your family?
GF: We celebrate Christmas on Christmas eve, always with a roast goose dinner and mounds of gifts around the Christmas tree. We began the Christmas Eve tradition when my step son--then a teenager--got his first girlfriend. Of course, he wanted to have Christmas dinner with her and her family. So we invited her for Christmas Eve, and he went to her family on Christmas day. We liked the custom. We open the gifts after dinner on Christmas Eve. One beauty of that is that I enjoy Christmas day with no work to do.


BPM: What are you most thankful for today? What does all your books have in common?
GF: I am most thankful for Jesus Christ in my life and for the health and well being of my family and myself.

GF: My books have different themes, but everyone of them demonstrates the importance of loyalty and common decency and the rewards of reaching for a higher goal. Website: www.gwynneforster.com


BPM: Mrs. Gwynne please tell us about your latest release, When the Sun Goes Down.
GF: When the Sun Goes Down deals with the strengths and fragileness of relations among family members. When self-made millionaire and widower Leon Farrell dies, he leaves behind a legacy of family dysfunction—and a missing will. The possible loss of a fortune only increases the existing tension between his three grown children.

While handsome slacker Edgar kicks back in anticipation of his windfall, middle child Gunther struggles to save his software business, and fiercely independent Shirley unsuccessfully tries to stay out of the fray. But things soon take an explosive turn. And as the siblings find themselves battling each other to protect their own interests, they’ll face choices that could bring them together at last—or tear them apart for good.

Caught in the middle of her brothers’ ill-will, and doing her best to keep the peace, Shirley is further unsettled when she falls for Carson Montgomery, the smart, sexy private investigator Edgar hires to tract down the will. And when Gunther suddenly falls ill, Edgar’s attempt to manipulate him causes a conflict of interest that will shock them all!

BPM: Are your characters a portrayal of real people?
GF: Not at all. Something about a person may give me an idea, but I invent my characters.


BPM: Who did you write When the Sun Goes Down for? Is there a message in your book that you want readers to grasp?
GF: I wrote it for my readership. I thought that the women and men who have read my novels over the years would enjoy a frank discussion of some of the problems common among people of African descent. I’m not sure you’d call it a message, because I make it a policy not to preach to the reader. My first agent told me that it is a writer’s duty not only to entertain, but to inform. I’ve taken that advice seriously, and in every book that I write, whether mainstream fiction of a romance, I include some worthwhile information as a part of the story.



BPM: If you could change one thing you from your road to publication, what would you have done differently?
GF: I wouldn't have written a romance as my first book. I write mainstream fiction, and some of my books have won awards, but they are always judged as romances, because reviewers associate me with romance. And when they complain about something, it's usually what distinguished mainstream women's fiction from a romance.


BPM: Do you write full time? Describe your writing schedule for your readers.
GF: I write full time. I get up around seven-thirty and usually write from nine to about four Mondays through Fridays. Important errands may interfere with the schedule, but that’s basically it. I write after dinner for about two hours, unless my husband and I are going out or have guests. I often write on Saturdays after I’ve finished my shopping and errands. I don’t write on Sundays. I work in my office, and I don’t listen to the radio unless there’s a program of Mozart music.

BPM: What do your do when you’re not writing?
GF: In the summer, I’m an avid gardener. I love music—opera and classical music, classical jazz, blues, some Sinatra/Nat Cole type popular songs and a couple of old fashioned country singers. I enjoy entertaining at small dinner parties and consider myself a rather good cook. And, of course, I read.

BPM: What does your family think of your writing?
GF: My family consists of my husband and stepson. Both are very proud of my success as a writer and read my books. Although my husband is an academician and not a computer expert, he makes my fliers, brochures, and bookmarks and does an elegant job of it.


BPM: What two pieces of advice would you give to aspiring writers?
GF: Don't be disappointed by rejections. When you get one, clean up the manuscript and send it to the next editor on your list. The appraisal of fiction is, in some important aspects, highly subjective.

GF: Learn English grammar, and cultivate an extensive vocabulary so as to express yourself precisely as you intend. Write each day and, if possible at the same time. Try not to get a habit of procrastinating, and don’t rewrite until, say, you’ve at least written a chapter. It’s best to rewrite after you finish a first draft. Nothing worthwhile comes easy. Join a writing group such as the local

RWA group and attend writing conferences whenever possible. Remember: if you write a page every day, at the end of a year you can have a book.


BPM: Thank you Mrs. Gwynne for joining us today! Readers you can find out more about Gwynne Forster and her books at: http://www.gwynneforster.com/



When the Sun Goes Down by Gwynne Forster
Book Review: 5-Stars by Sharel E. Gordon-Love

Dysfunction can be part of a family even when one looks from the outside in and all appears to be well. In Gwynne Forster's When the Sun Goes Down, we find this to be so with the three Farrell siblings after the death of their father, Leon.

Leon Farrell was an odd character, who seemed to lose touch with real life and the children that most fathers would hold dear to his heart, especially after the loss of his beloved wife. However, he retreated within himself and played a cruel joke on his family, that could have them at odds with one another and ruin their relationships for good.

The eldest sibling, Edgar, was determined to get what was coming to him as a means to an end and continue to be the rebel that he is and live life on his terms. In the meantime, his brother, Gunther, and his sister, Shirley, tried to live their lives in spite of Edgar and the way they were treated by their father when he was alive. No doubt, their upbringing had a lot to do with who they grew to be, albeit, all three different in their own way.

When it was all said and done, secrets were revealed and hidden things brought to the light as this family strived to keep their families together and receive the things that they believed they were entitled to outside of their father and his eccentric ways. At the end of the day, it is about family and the things that we do to remain one.

What I loved about When the Sun Goes Down is how author Forster took her time to tell the story; there was no need to rush the storyline. I recommend this book to everyone who loves stories about family love and romance. This book was provided to me courtesy of the publisher for review purposes.
--Review by Sharel E. Gordon-Love APOOO BookClub


When the Sun Goes Down
ISBN-10: 0758246994
ISBN-13: 978-0758246998

"When the sun goes down on my life, you'll all come apart like ripped balloons." -- widower Leon Farrell

When stingy self-made millionaire and widower Leon Farrell dies, he leaves behind a legacy of family dysfunction—and a missing will. It's soon clear that his three grown children, Edgar, Gunther, and Shirley, don't handle loss well—the possible loss of a fortune, that is. And when Edgar hires a private investigator to track down the will, it's just the beginning of a search that will lead the siblings to re-visit their childhoods, uncover buried secrets, and ultimately learn for themselves what it means to be a family. For as tensions escalate between the brothers—with their peace-keeping sister caught in the middle—an unexpected conflict of interest is brewing that will shock them all—and either bring them closer together or tear them apart for good...    Peek inside the book and read excerpt chapters!


Purchase your copy today. Give as a great holiday gift book!
http://www.amazon.com/When-Goes-Down-Gwynne-Forster/dp/0758246994


ALSO AVAILABLE NOW!
Once in a Lifetime by: Gwynne Forster
ISBN-13: 9780373831944

With a young daughter to support, recently divorced Alexis Stevenson jumps at the chance to become household manager for wealthy businessman Telford Harrington and his two brothers. Though she knows it won't be easy turning their bachelor-pad mansion into a home, she is determined to handle any obstacles, while maintaining a separate life for herself and her daughter. But Alexis isn't at all ready for the red-hot chemistry crackling between her and Telford—or the fact that she's suddenly caught in a maze of unexpected secrets and deep mistrust. But if she and Telford find their way through it—together—can they both embrace the love they so deeply desire?

Intimate Conversation author Kitty Sewell

BPM:  Kitty please tell us a little about yourself.I was born in Sweden but have lived in Wales, Canada, Spain and the Canary islands. The Canadian Arctic, where I lived for two years, was the setting for my first novel. ICE TRAP became a bestseller and sold in 20 countries around the world. I speak four languages but write in English. Before I came to fiction writing, I practiced as a psychotherapist and sculptor. Now I live in Spain and write full-time. 

BPM:  What makes you powerful as a person and a writer? I think my power as a person and as a writer comes mainly through my maturity. I don’t mean necessarily maturity through years, but through experiences and life changes. I feel I’ve lived many lives, having struggled hard but also been extremely fortunate. Many extraordinary things have happened to my family. Through my psychotherapy work I’ve had the privilege of emotional intimacy with people from all walks of life, and heard many astonishing stories. I’ve always asked too many questions and wanted to hear what lies beneath the answers. I’ve lived in many countries, traveled extensively and seen unusual things. 

I think I can convey this accumulation of life experiences into my writing, yet I endeavor to retain a sense of humility. Life is a mysterious and complex affair with no set answers, and my uncertainty about everything informs my characters, in the way they grapple for insight and understanding. 

Writing is a skill too, a craft that must be learned and honed, so the power of a writer comes through a lot of hard work, discipline and dedication, but never at the expense of seeking to live life to the full.

BPM:  Who are your mentors? I feel that there is no end to how much you can learn so I’m always looking for mentors. For me there are mentors for writing and mentors for living, but often they have both functions. My writing mentors have been a number of writers and teachers. Liz Jensen, the novelist, has been invaluable to me. Her writing is flawless. She has read all my scribbling and shows no mercy. This is the problem with an ego; unless you can take rigorous critique, mentors will not be able to do very much for you. Gritting my teeth I set aside my pride and invite criticism. How else will I know what readers want? Some writers maintain that they write primarily for themselves. Well, good luck to them! 

A few other brilliant novelists have read my work and taught me lessons. I’m lucky enough to list Celia Brayfield, Stevie Davies, Deborah Moggach and Lindsay Clark among these. Then there are novelists who don’t know they are my mentors, and they are too numerous to list. Suffice it to say that to write well, you need to read widely, and all the time.

Karsten Diettrich, editor-in-chief (now retired) for the global Bertelsmann Group, took me under his wing when he made ICE TRAP the International Book of the Month with book clubs world-wide. He talked to me at length about Bloodprint (the title was his inspiration) and reviewed it several times, offering strong criticism and advice. I was still new to fiction-writing and very open to the guidance from someone with a whole life-time of experience. We speak often and he reads all my work.

BPM:  Where do you find your inspiration?My main inspiration is without doubt some of the experiences of my own outrageous family. In fact, it will be fodder for plots and characters for years to come. For example, in ICE TRAP I was able to disgorge bucket-loads of frustration, angst and bewilderment, because some of the bizarre things that happened to my characters, actually happened to me and my husband. I was truly empowered by writing about them, especially as ICE TRAP became a bestseller, and I turned adversity into a fantastic career.

In BLOODPRINT  I drew on the sadness and guilt I felt after the death of my sister. My sister’s difficult and tormented life was, in part, reflected in the character of Rachel.

I’m very inspired by nature and this comes across strongly in my writing. Trees have special meaning in all five of my novels. All the stories have exotic locations. BLOODPRINT is partly set in the tropical lushness of Key West and partly on the imposing Georgian streets of Bath, England. In ICE TRAP, the icy Arctic setting was almost a character in itself, and in CLOUD FEVER my hero battles his demons in the deserts of the Tibetan plateau. The novel I’m writing now is set in Gibraltar, a huge solitary rock, and an astonishing place of secret stories, underground tunnels and unusual people.

BPM:  Introduce us to your book Bloodprint. BLOODPRINT is a psychological suspense novel. The story centers around three women from different worlds whose paths are inexorably linked. Madeleine is an American psychotherapist who, after the death of her husband in a Florida hurricane, decides to move to the city of Bath in England where her parents live. Her father is a famous English painter, divorced from her Cuban mother, Rosaria, who is a Santera (a practitioner of a Cuban religion which has sorcery at its heart). Rosaria is a patient in a psychiatric hospital, and her delusions and predictions play havoc with Madeleine’s own sanity. Madeleine, in her quest to heal her life, is torn between her conventional father’s world-view and her mother’s ancient beliefs.

Rachel, a single mother with a tortured past comes to Madeleine for therapy, hoping to rid herself of the man who is her former pimp and the father of her son. Madeleine endures Rachel’s scornful attitude towards her as part of the psychotherapeutic process, but, increasingly wary of Rachel’s intentions and reasons for coming, she begins to imagine an impossible scenario. 

The increasingly complex relationship between Madeleine and Rachel soon begins to take a sinister turn and finally unleashes a terrifying series of events which neither woman could have predicted and neither can control. In their different ways, each woman seeks redemption for the crime that binds them. 

BLOODPRINT  by Kitty SewellPurchase books today!

BPM:  What was the most powerful chapter in the book?I’ll try and answer this question without spoilers. The first half of the novel maps the building of a relationship between the psychotherapist Madeleine, and her client Rachel. As time goes by, Madeleine becomes more and more suspicious about Rachel’s identity.

Concurrently to this process the reader gets glimpses of a back-story that explains how Madeleine could come to harbor these suspicions. In the climatic chapter, Rachel commits an unspeakable crime. It is done through sheer desperation, but also through a long build-up of rage. After the deed has been done, Rachel is desperately afraid, confused and alone. She doesn’t know what to do, where to turn, so she goes to the only person she can think of, her therapist.

But during the powerful confrontation which ensues between the two women, Rachel also divulges her true reasons for wanting therapy with Madeleine. She claims there is a debt to pay, and Madeleine has to deliver. From being a respectable professional, Madeleine finds herself embroiled in a grotesque cover-up, and with blood on her hands her life has changed for ever. 

BPM:  How will reading your book shape the readers lives? I think novels are written primarily to entertain, and it is verging on arrogant to assume that one’s stories can have any major impact on readers’ lives. Having said this, I have had scores of emails from readers, both questioning the premise of BLOODPRINT and telling me how they have been affected by it. I realize, almost in retrospect that BLOODPRINT, despite being a suspense/thriller type of novel, is quite a powerful story about the relationships between women. The issues of three generations of women come out in protest, pain, guilt, lust and fury, whilst this emotional battle plays itself out against increasingly disturbed and destructive behavior. Issues such as single parenthood, adoption, mental illness, human trafficking and prostitution are central to the novel, and if nothing else, I think readers might learn things they knew little about.

BPM:  How can our readers reach you online? Easy! You can go into my website http://www.kittysewell.com/  and access my contact details. I really enjoy receiving mail from readers and try as far as possible to answer them.

Intimate Conversation with Attica Locke

 In the tradition of Dennis Lehane and Greg Iles comes a powerful new voice in American fiction: Attica Locke delivers a brilliant debut thriller readers will not soon forget…With intelligent writing that captures the reader from the first scene through an exhilarating climax, Black Water Rising marks the arrival of an electrifying new talent. 

Attica Locke is a novelist and a screenwriter who has written scripts for Paramount, Warner Bros, Disney, Twentieth Century Fox, HBO Films and more. A graduate of Northwestern University, she was a fellow at the Sundance Institute’s Feature Filmmaker’s Lab.  Black Water Rising, her first novel, was nominated for a 2010 Edgar Award and a 2010 NAACP Image Award. She is currently at work on her second book.

BPM:  What makes you powerful as a person and a writer? Courage. I wake up every day not sure where the work will take me, scared that I won't have anything to say. And yet I still show up for it every day. Which is the same way I approach life. I'm often scared of the unknown, of what I can't see about my future, but I'm willing to show up to life every day. I live and write by faith.


BPM:  Who are your mentors? Where do you find your inspiration?You know the person I think of a lot when I'm writing? Lightnin' Hopkins, the Texas blues musician. His music is clean, simple and deeply moving. I want my writing to be like his blues - tough and melodic and full of raw beauty.


BPM:  Introduce us to your book, Black Water Rising.
Black Water Rising  is a murder mystery, following the character, Jay Porter, a low rent criminal defense attorney who was heavily involved in the civil rights movement in the late '60s and early '70s and now finds himself trying to transition from the political activism of his youth into the Reagan '80s - a time when the whole country and black people in particular had shifted our focus from political progress to economic progress. And along the way he has to come to terms with the demons of his past.

Jay Porter is hardly the lawyer he set out to be. His most promising client is a low-rent call girl, and he runs his fledgling law practice out a dingy strip mall. But he’s long since made peace with his path to the American Dream, carefully tucking away his darkest sins: the guns, the FBI file, the trial that nearly destroyed him.

Houston, Texas, 1981. It’s here that Jay believes he can make a fresh start. That is, until the night he impulsively saves a drowning woman’s life – and opens a Pandora’s Box. Her secrets put Jay in danger, ensnaring him in a murder investigation that could cost him his practice, his family, and even his life. But before he can get to the bottom of a tangled mystery that reaches into the upper echelons of Houston’s corporate powerbrokers, Jay must confront the demons of his past.


BPM:  Who were your favorites? Are your characters from the portrayal of real people?Well, Jay is certainly my favorite character in the book. He's not any one person in particular, though some facts of his life are similar to the details of my father's life. But he's more representative of my parents' generation - a group of people who, in their late teens and twenties, devoted their lives to political activism and then somehow had to find their way out of that when the movement ended.


BPM:  Finish this sentence- My writing offers the following legacy to future readers...
...a deep compassion and love for the choices and mistakes and small victories that make us human.


Black Water Rising by Attica Locke
Purchase books today!
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Water-Rising-Attica-Locke/dp/0061735868



Book Reviews for Black Water Rising by Attica Locke

"Black Water Rising is a near-perfect balance of trenchant social commentary, rich characterizations and an action-oriented plot..."   – Los Angeles Times


“Locke, a screenwriter with both film and TV credits (including a forthcoming HBO miniseries about the civil rights movement) steers a gritty drama to a satisfying end… Locke remains an author to watch.” 
– Publishers Weekly


“Locke expertly etches a portrait of her anxiety-ridden protagonist, and she animates the complex plot with the assurance of a practiced screenwriter...”  – Kirkus Reviews

Intimate Conversation with author Connie May Fowler

 New York Times bestselling writer Connie May Fowler is an essayist, screenwriter, and novelist. She is the author of five novels, most recently The Problem with Murmur Lee, and a memoir, When Katie Wakes. In 1996, she published Before Women Had Wings, which became a paperback bestseller and was made into a successful Oprah Winfrey Presents movie. She founded the Connie May Fowler Women With Wings Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to aiding women and children in need. Connie lives in Florida.

BPM:  What specific revelation prompted you to write your new book, How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly?I was reading up on pre-Civil war Florida history and discovered that when Florida was a Spanish territory, women could be property owners and slavery was outlawed. But Spain and the United States signed an agreement that would change all of that. The Florida Purchase Treaty of 1819 guaranteed that the United States would lay claim to Florida in 1821. With a stroke of a pen and strike of a clock, suddenly all women and blacks would have their rights stripped away. That haunted me and I walked around with that kernel in my head for a few years before I sat down to write the novel, which takes place in 2006 but is populated with ghosts. 

BPM:  Take us inside the book. What are two major events taking place?The book tracks a day in the life of Clarissa Burden, a woman who wakes on the Summer Solstice with the knowledge that her life must change because she is wracked with spousal death scenarios and writer’s block. Concurrent with her story is that of Olga Villada. Villada and her family are ghosts, their souls unable to move on from the place where they were brutally murdered. Their stories converge, resulting in a startling and life-changing chain of events.

BPM:  What are some of the specific issues, needs or problems addressed in this book?Women’s issues, race, personal empowerment, marital relations, Florida history.

BPM:  Who do you want to reach with your book, How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly, and the message within?I think this book will have a broad appeal. The book, at its core, is about freedom—individual and universal—and it’s wrapped up in a story that is both comedic and dramatic. I think readers of many ages and races will identify with the struggles of Clarissa Burden and Olga Villada.

BPM:  How will reading your book shape the readers lives?One, I hope it will make readers laugh even amid a few tears. But if there is one message I want readers to gain, it’s that how easy it is for the course of history—the course of one person’s individual day—to go suddenly very, very wrong. There are bad people in this world—sometimes bad people have all the trappings of kindness—and they are capable of terrible things. So we have to be vigilant for ourselves and for one another. Casual prejudices and ordinary meanness can, in the blink of an eye, become lethal. So we have to learn to be pro-actively kind and relentless protective of our rights.

BPM:  What was the most powerful chapter in, How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly?I think that once Clarissa decides—in a fit of rage—to kill her husband, this book takes a major turn and all the chapters that follow are highly entertaining, shocking, and ultimately satisfying.

BPM:  Share with us your latest news or upcoming book releases.I recently wrote a story for Slate’s online women’s site DoubleX about how the Haitian earthquake has severely impacted their women’s movement. How Clarissa Burden Learns to Fly is now available nation wide.

BPM:  How can our readers reach you online?

My website is http://www.conniemayfowler.com/.  I blog at http://blog.conniemayfowler.com/ Readers can also follow me on Twitter and friend me on Facebook, where I’m very active.  There is also a Facebook fan page for How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly.  In March, in honor of Clarissa and those pesky spousal death scenarios that haunt her, I am launching the Clarissa Burden Postcard Project in which I will be asking readers to anonymously send me one secret they cannot tell their spouse or partner.  The secrets can be silly or serious, and will be posted on my website.

How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly

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