2012 AAMBC Literary Awards Nominees

AAMBC Author of the Year
WINKK
Gregg Burton
Monique D. Mensah
Cheryl Faye
Christian Cashelle
Tiffany Ashley

Indie Book Store of the Year
The Literary Joint
Urban Knowledge
Horizon Books
Deja vu Book Lounge
Cartel Books

Breakout Author of the Year
David Weaver
ChaBella Don
Ondrea Davis
Chris Renee
Kai Storm

Magazine of the Year
Juicy
VIBE
Essence
Black Literature Magazine
Urbania

Book Club of the Year
OOSA
Divas Divine
AALBC
Sistahs on the Reading Edge
ARC

Indie Publisher of the Year
Life Changing Books
Wahida Clack Presents
Cartel Publications
G Street Chronicles

Street Lit Writer of the Year
Ashley Antoinette
K’Wan
JaQuavis Coleman
Erick S. Gray
Treasure E. Blue

Reviewer of the Year
Rawsistaz
Joey Pinkney
Cheryl Francis
ARC
Urban Reviews

Poet of the Year
Julia Press Simmons
Archuleta Chisolm
GPA
Imani Wisdom

Male Author of the Year
Eyone Williams
June Miller
RM Johnson
JaQuavis Coleman
Booker T. Mattison

Romance Author of the Year
Donna Hill
Francis Ray
Lutishia Lovely
Cheris Hodges
Brenda Joyce

Female Author of the Year
T. Styles
Traci Brown
Traci Bee
Envy Red
Wahida Clark

Christian Fiction Author of the Year

Victoria Christopher Murray
Vanessa Miller
Kimberla Lawson Roby
Vanessa Davis Griggs


Readers Choice Award
Jessica Miller-Epps
Joyce Oscar
Shewanda Pugh
Shampriest Bevel
DH Brooks

My Mind’s Eye By Kire Senoj

I use words to express the passion and pain of love; the struggles of race; the self-conflicts between sexual orientation and religious freedom; and the ever consistent delirium of genocide within the African American community.

In order to bridge the gap between people of diverse backgrounds, my words have been penned to provoke thought, provide insight, inspire change, and prove that struggles have no respect of person.



Excerpt: Sik MuthaFuka

It’s sick’nin… Reading a newspaper or turning on the news

afterwards feeling the Miles Davis kind of blues. Everyday

someone is killing their child or molesting a baby. Babies havin babies, Mother’s throwing their babies away; such an awful price 2 pay when WE lay. Damn! Why are things turning out 2B this way? GOD R U Lis’nin 2 the wordz I say? A fellow lyricist wrote “I believe the children are our future, teach them well”…but all we’re doing is sending them 2 a mental hell, holding their mindz, heartz, body and soul hostage in a locked Unpadded cell.

How can a parent kill their child? Sik MuthaFuka! telling the judge it was a build up of stress because your husband left and you feel your life’s a mess? Uuh Uuh Uuh…U Sik MuthaFuka I guess. U killed your child because your husband went bucwild, Gave his time, money and lovin’ 2 anotha chick

You’re a sik demented little witch. I hope hell has a seat waiting while you’re sitting in jail contemplating on what U should do Sik MuthaFuka I’ve had enuff ov U and the so called king of R&B who has a fetish for urine and teenage girls, U know the 1 who says he has the best of both worlds. Sik MuthaFuka got a wife and children ov your own, No longer can U command respect when U step 2 the microphone. Singing your song I believe I can fly Sik MuthaFuka Y U Lie? U don’t see nuthin wrong with a lil bump n’ grind? It is when it fucks with the mind of a girl under developed and underage because U had her lay center stage While U took the time to degrade her body and yourself, Risking your own and her health. Everyone’s bringing the noize because you’re famous and U sing, but didn’t father so-n-so do the Xact same thing? Now the Cardinal wants trust restored into the catholic priests, My GOD when will this madness cease? For centuries, decades, and years little boys have gone home crying so many tears; afraid 2 tell and ashamed 2 say that a sik muthafuka touched them the wrong way. Saying:”U must never tell, or your soul will surely go to hell”. Help me understand; is this apart of GOD’s divine plan? 4 my life? Is filled with much pain and strife. All this has caused major confusion; I don’t know if my life is real or an illusion. 2 much shit 4 a young mans’ mind, 2 much shit 4 a mental rewind. Going back 2 the day when momma asked, R U gay? Where did I go wrong? I didn’t raise U that way! Get the fuck out, and find some other place 2 stay!

(ahahhahahaha)I have 2 laugh 2 keep from crying because inside momma I am surely dying. My mind nor my heart can conceive that it was a sik muthafuka U chose 2 believe instead of ….me…

The 1 U nursed, nourished and carried for 9 months, but later pushed me aside 4 some alcohol, a dick, and some blunts. Your boyfriend took sumthin from me I can never get back, but I was the 1 U choose 2 attack? He stole my purity, my innocence, and my childhood

I was only 10 so I never understood how 1 could or why 1 would do that 2 a child, momma your man is nothing more than a pedophile!

This poem is dedicated to the sik muthafuka’s who have killed or wounded their children sittin in jail awaiting their final sentence 2 Hell. This is a shout out 2 that R&B singer, songwriter and producer who used his lyrics, his voice and his status 2 seduce a slew of little girls robbing them of their virginity and stealing their precious pearls. This goes out 2 every minister; mother’s boyfriend, teacher, and priest living or deceased that have used a little boy for their favorite past time sexual toy. Children are supposed to be handled with care they’re not put here to have so many burdens 2 bare. Children are a gift from GOD above they are to be kissed and embraced only with LOVE; because LOVE is what GOD is all about!

Born and raised in Cincinnati, OH; Kire Senoj discovered his gift for writing while attending Wilberforce University. His writing talent has afforded him the opportunity to present on various platforms throughout the nation and has garnered mass appeal.

His direct and in your face writing about uncomfortable situations such as homophobia, racial prejudice, HIV/AIDS, religion, and the absence of positive role models for youth has been applauded by all that have had the privelage of hearing his writings.

Kire has a desire to share his message with the world and bring light to some very dark situations. He believes that his voice has been created to aid in bringing about change by any means necessary and will not stop until he has witnessed a transformation in the attitude and thought of those he targets. He is passionate about his work and the impact that it can have on a person’s psyche and will continue to ignite flames of change from every microphone he utilizes.

In order to bridge the gap between people of diverse backgrounds, my words have been penned to provoke thought, provide insight, inspire change, and prove that struggles have no respect of person.

Getting to know Kire:

1. How long have you been writing?

“I’ve been writing since childhood; writing song lyrics and short stories, but I never took writing seriously until 2002 when I was entered into a spoken word class project without my permission by a close friend. Reciting my words, seeing the reaction from the audience and the comments made afterwards pushed me to into for real.



2. What inspires you to write?

“I’m inspired by GOD, family, LOVE, music, people, places and all things beautiful. Also, by what I see every day outside my window or on the news and what I and others around me go through.”

3. Who are some of your writing influences?

“Nikki Giovanni, Langston Hughes, Dianne Warren, Lalah Hathaway, Deana Dean, T.D.Jakes, E. Lynn Harris, Ledisi, Carl Webber, Rahsaan Patterson Jean Toomer and so many others; I love writers who write straight from the heart.”



4. Is My Mind’s Eye vol.1 autobiographically written?

“Not entirely. The short stories are purely fiction, but only a few of the poems are about me or involve me.”

5. With the poems about or involving you, was it easy to be so open about yourself and the things you’ve been through?

“Well, yes and no. It surely made me think and rethink about revealing myself, my insecurities, failures and some of my weaknesses to the world, but thinking about the reactions and comments I receive after reciting some of my poetry made it an easier task. If I can help anyone with my words then it’s all worth it.

6. What is your goal or objective with this book?

“My goal and objective is to inspire, motivate, encourage, and provoke thought”

7. What future projects do you have in store and are you working on anything else at the moment?

“Currently I am working on an as of yet untitled novel. The last short story of My Mind’s Eye vol.1 titled One More Chance is the prequel to this upcoming novel. I’m looking to release it the last quarter of 2012 or the first quarter of 2013.

Find the Author:

www.facebook.com/kire.senoj

www.twitter.com/kire_senoj

kire_sennoj@yahoo.com

lifepainlove@gmail.com



Find the Book:

www.amazon.com

www.barnesandnobles.com

www.lifepainandlove.blogspot.com

“IF THE DRUGS DON'T GET YOU THE LIFESTYLE WILL” By Roxanne C. Fredd

If The Drugs Don’t Get U The Lifestyle Will”
Mane /characters of this story: Tweet and Booker T.
Tweet tells the story of the five men that went off to prison one at a time before her husband Booker T. She inters her first entry into a diary of how trust, honesty, and loyalty fade as the man grow distant. She talks of her obsessively driven, hell bent revenge, to kill a man she named the “Marked Man.” O-yes, she will kill him, she has to kill him, although the question remains how she will kill him and get away clean…

(Excerpt)
Journal entry 1
Hello to you, my new, best, and dearest friend in this world Mr. Journal! My name is Tweet, and I need you to listen to all my thoughts, words, and secrets. Please keep within these pages everything I’m about to share for the next thirty days. It would be so nice if I had a person to talk to as most people do, sharing their inner most secrets. However, where I come from, if two people know your shit, it’s no longer a secret. I must have someone to talk to, which is why I need you Mr. Journal. Hear me clearly when I say, I’m planning to kill a man!
This dog, received the highest respect as head of six, bad men, here in Columbus Ohio. Even though, I have never held back, my own views on the man that are, “he isn’t shit.” My confirmation came with three of the six men sucked into Federal Prison, while the other two went to the State Prison. They all went down one by one all but the marked man. Tell me this, Mr. Journal, “how in the fuck is this bastard still on the streets gettin money”? I have thought about this long and hard, he has to be a dirty informant, snitching to the police to save his own ass, and that is why I’m all alone today. I know there is a thing called luck, but there isn’t that much fucking luck in the world.
Hell, if luck is going around for people like that, I need to get me some. Thus, I won’t end up in jail, after I cut off the marked man’s head. Mr. Journal, our job is to trail him, and note his every move; this dog’s pattern is what will get him killed. I have moved into a house three doors down from his crib. Yeah, that’s right; as I sit on my porch drinking my coffee everyday I can see the flow of people coming and going through his door. I just don’t understand how the Feds saw everybody in the crew selling dope and not this dude. I know the shit he’s up to would take him to prison, for sure if I just complain to the law, although I feel that prison is too good for his ass, da man just need to be dead! Shit, real men--don’t talk to the Feds, and I am a real man’s woman, about my stuff. There will be an open window, of opportunity for him to pay me for being all alone. I can still hear the Judge declare, NINE YEARS. That is how long I will be with out my boo, my husband, Booker T. and my son Turtle—he got three years thanks to this marked man. I want to kill—em, O-yeah I got to kill—em, he can enjoy his free ride now, but when I play that slow song! “Pay Day”! He gonna pay me in full.

Get to know the Author:

Where did I get my inspiration to write this book? First, I would have to bring up the fact that so many people are dead due to the miss use of drugs today. I must shout out to the families of Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and Gerald Leveret, God is with you in your time of pain.
The world has lost some of the most talented people due to the miss use of RX drugs. Even if it did come from a Doctor, we must take meds as prescribed.
I have 13 years without the uses of drugs and alcohol and my husband Booker T holds 10 years. Our clean time allowed our mind to open wild enough to combine an urban style novel with a recovery-based theme. We did join hands at the prison visiting room to pray and asked God to work through us to save a life with the words of our book. From there my husband and I created this fictional novel, “If the Drugs Don’t Get U the Lifestyle will.”
What sets your book apart from other books in the same genre? This book is not like no other because it will have you question yourself and others around you. This book is about suspense, murder, love, and laughter and at the same time, it will have the reader question them selves. One could say it is a self-help book it wakens everyone’s concern for the life. What is you end and where will you be or what you will have in life.
As an author, the keys to success that lead to my book getting out to the public? After five years in the field, I still apply a no down time I’m ever where emailing calling book signing.. My goal to have riches lives strong inside of me. I do feel I have the fame part with my name in the rich and fames conversation now I must find a way to sale a million copies of one or two hell all my books see I got to think big to get there one day and make the most sold in one day list.
As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take you to start and finish your book? A disorder called Dyslexia is the burden upon me. My affliction is with-in the English\Grammar learning. Therefore, I cannot trust my first writing or reading of a word. While my book Gas Card Reloaded is the joint copies of two detective stories, it took me three years to write them, with the third book coming. I do lose a lot of time in moving to publishing the second half not having the money for an editor to go over the work. Yes money is an issue so I’m forced to ask for help from friends and teachers at my college, to proofread and that puts me at their time span and when they can get to it I get to move on to the publishing part and I am self published.
What's next for you? A book I have been working on for 5 years. “In My Mothers Shadow” based on a true story of my grand mother who was a killer, to my mother who was a near killer to me who is a stone killer. I have placed a quick look at the first page of the fires chapter. Ida-May Smith, a sweet brown skin little girl, was born JULY 20, 1930.The place, the small town of Alabama North of the Mississippi river. Living there with Ida-May was her mother, Mrs. Gertrude Smith, part-time live-in father Jo Smith, younger brother Bob and a baby sisters Sissy. Often through out the week, Ida-May over heard her parents’ shouting over things she did not understand. Something about a woman that lived on the West side of town being friends with her dad. Often there fights had gone super out of hand allowing Gertrude Smith a full shaped brown skin woman, to be slapped down to the floor by thin but very tall Jo Smith. Twice in Ida Mays’ young life, she had seen her father wallop mother across the face while she and little Bob cried out of fear.
It is a late Saturday night and Ida-May was the age of 14 lying in bed being shook awake by her mother Mrs. Smith who was saying,
“Get up Ida May, get dressed! Hurry up, move quickly we got to go!”
Mrs. Smith had previously packed two small bags with what she felt necessary for the kids and her self. With everyone dressed warm, and comfortable, out the door they all went. Ida-May held her little brother’s hand and carried a small tan suitcase in her other hand. Mother held one suitcase in hand, while holding baby Sissy in her arms. She continued to move fast and Ida-May did the same nearly dragging her little brother. Together they travailed though a large black field with the early morning mist making everyone’s shoes wet. As Ida May’s mother continued hiking though the cow pastier she began to mentally re- experience what had happed to her earlier that night.
A FIGHT, Ida Mays’s mother and father had had a bad fight! The mother killed the father with a stake knife. Flashes of that intense moment traveled through her mind as she keeps in step, she still felt his hand around her neck chocking the wind out of her. His holding her down, bent backward over a table allowed her a chance to reach for that steak knife. Mrs. Gertrude Smiths hand griped the handle of the suitcase tighter as she thanked God for that knife she had driven deep into her husband’s chest. She continued walking at a fast pace while whispering to her self,
“He will never beat on Gertrud Smith again!”

 
WHO IS AUTHOR ROXANNE FREDD?
Am not sure if the world knew this or not, but Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin, the Wright Brothers, and Roxanne Fredd were born blessed with the same ability: the ability to think outside of the box.

What has she done? Roxanne Fredd combined an urban style novel along with a recovery-based theme to create her fictional novel,
“IF THE DRUGS DON'T GET YOU THE LIFESTYLE WILL.”

This urban story will grab readers' attention with the intensity of the street life! They will also receive seeds of recovery as they learn how to get away from the perils of drug abuse and the violence that prevalent on the streets.
It was an honor to become Book “Of The Month” at ITR. If you would like a copy, try you local Book Store or Amazon.com
Author Roxanne C. Fredd
Paperback copies & Kindle
Available@
www.Amazon.com
http://recoveryurbanwritingmixed.blogspot.com
www.createspace.com/Preview/1084196
www.shewrites.com/profile/roxannefredd
www.recoverymonth.gov/Voices-for.../Stories/.../Roxanne-Fredd.asp
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVxcK1W9F58
www.blogtalkradio.com/jargraphicdesign/2010/04/14/roxanne-freddCached
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjStw8etZ84
www.facebook.com/pages/Roxanne-C-Fredd/175911532483349?v
www.blog.intherooms.com/newsletter/2012/02

Grand Hustle, Volume VI of the FemistrySeries

Synopsis: JessicaN. Watkins takes us on a passion-filled ride as she returns with the sixthvolume of the infamous Femistry series, GrandHustle- I shall not want. In this raunchy romantic soap opera–style tale ofpromiscuity and corruption, Jessica continues the saga of the leading ladies ofFemistry with the usual humor, drama, and romance- Yet with an ending that willleave you breathless.



The only thing on nineteen-year-old Star Anderson’s mind istaking care of her son by any means necessary. However, by means of breakingher back at a minimum wage nine-to-five is not an option. Therefore, shefollows in the footsteps of her good friend, Roxie, down a path of scams,escorting, and set ups. Though this path seems to be paved with fast and easymoney, tragedy strikes when plans become hurried and messy. Star’s big sister,Tricey, attempts to clean up Star’s mess while fighting with her new and lovingbeau. He suddenly wants her to skip town with him with no explanation. Thoughshe is deeply concerned about her boyfriend wanting to abruptly leave, Triceyis so focused on rescuing Star that being a love sick puppy and following himout of state is not an option.



However, Lyric doesn’t mind being love sick. She and herboyfriend, James, are knee-deep in love and in the “lifestyle”. As members ofBlack Swinger’s Club, James and Lyric’s relationship is full of excitement,raunchiness, and spontaneity. Yet, once James settles into the lifestyle andpresents Lyric with an ultimatum, she is forced to decide how knee-deep in loveand the lifestyle she is willing to be.



While Lyric contemplates allowing her heart to make herdecision instead of her mind, Tricey’s anger and bitterness drives her tosecretly stalk her boyfriend, leading to a revelation of hidden deception andthe biggest shock of the Femistry series.



Excerpt: http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/3143256/grand-hustle-chapter-1?da=y



Biography: JessicaN. Watkins was born April 1st in Chicago, Illinois. She obtained a Bachelors ofArts with Focus in Psychology from DePaul University and Masters of AppliedProfessional Studies with focus in Business Administration from the likeinstitution. Working in Hospital Administration for the majority of her career,Watkins has also been an author of fiction literature since the young age ofnine. Eventually, she used writing as an outlet during her freshmen year ofhigh school as a single parent: “In the third grade I entered a short storycontest with a fiction tale of an apple tree that refused to grow despite theefforts of the darling main character. My writing evolved from apple trees tomy seventh and eighth grade classmates paying me to read novels I wrote aboutkids our age living the lives our parents wouldn’t dare let us”. At the age oftwenty-eight, Watkins’ chronicles have matured into steamy, humorous, andrealistic tales of women’s fiction. She hopes that the Femistry series willsuccessfully emulate ideal femininity while tackling stereotypes, familiarheartache, and relatable distress in a humorous and sophisticated fashion.



Jessica N. Watkins is available for talks, workshops, orbook signings. Email her for more information at jessica@femistrypress.net.

Additional information can be found at www.femistrypress.com.

Get to Know the Author:

When did you start writing and why?

I have been writing since I was in the third grade. I actually wrote the first volume of the Femistry series, Jane Doe, when I was a freshman in high school. It just wasn’t published until 2011. I wrote Jane Doe because I was a freshman in high school, fourteen years old, and had just given birth to my son. I felt like no adult understood what I was going through. I felt like they all thought that I was “fast” or being “hot” when I decided to have sex. Yet, I knew that I, along with many other girls around my age, had suffered through certain experiences that lead us to find ourselves in peculiar situations. Jane Doe was my way of telling my personal story, along with the stories of other girls my age that had gone through some of the exact same things. I continued using writing as an outlet during high school and college with the third and fourth volumes of the Femistry series, Thou Shall Not Keep Me Wondering and Just. As an adult, I decided to publish the series and continue writing because I realized that I had actually developed an interesting and entertaining story line and a relatable lineup of characters.

What does the word “femistry” mean and how does it apply to your series?

I define “femistry” as the chemistry within a woman’s body that allows us to feel, react, and act differently than a man. Femistry is the nature of being a feminine being and all that being feminine entails; the good, the bad, and the ugly. The concept of femistry relates to the series as a whole because the intricate details of being a woman shape the stories of the main characters; heartbreak, love, and experiences that only a woman would suffer.

Who are the main characters of the Femistry series?

Lyric Anderson, Latrice Caldwell, and Victoria Brown are the main characters of the Femistry series. They live in Chicago, Illinois and have been friends since elementary school. The series starts out with the various situations that they experience in high school; peer pressure, sex, abuse, single-parent homes, etc. The rest of the series illustrates how what they endured as children affect how they mature and develop into women. However, this development into womanhood is very entertaining and drama filled!

Describe your books and your writing style?

I like to write fiction that involves relatable plots and realistic characters. The women of the Femistry series immolate the realistic ideal of women in today’s culture. Therefore, they are representatives of every woman we know, live the lives of the women that we encounter, and suffer the heartbreak, betrayal, and confusion of every woman that may read this series. In my novels, I leave out no particular personality, sexuality, or situation and I represent as many women that the world has to offer while being entertaining, humorous, and erotic. I never give readers the typical “Hollywood” ending. These novels are an enjoyable read for those that desire realism over irrelevant fiction.

I try to provide readers with novels full of exceptional and relatable literature that illustrates the realistic journey of becoming and being a woman while entertaining, enlightening, and touching the hearts of my readers.

What are the latest happenings in the Femistry series?

Whew! The latest happenings in the Femistry series are a trip! The latest novel is the sixth volume of the series entitled Grand Hustle- I shall not want. In this novel, I gave one of my characters a rest from her drama and brought Latrice’s little sister, Star, to the forefront. As a single parent with an independent mentality instilled in her by her mother, Star finds herself making money in a nonconventional way. This means to an end leads her down a road of scams and fraud. Her big sister, Latrice, attempts to help Star get out of this trouble while dealing with her own drama. Her relationship with her current beau has gone from sugar to s**t and she can’t fathom why. Lyric, however, is knee-deep in love. Our colorful Lyric has now realized that she is a full-fledged swinger and has introduced her boyfriend, James, to the lifestyle. However, now that James has been introduced to swinging, he thinks that he is the mayor of Swinger City with the blueprints on his wall, so Lyric is struggling with James’ realization of his own sexuality and how she fits into it.

Sexuality plays a major role in Grand Hustle and many of the other volumes of the Femistry series. Why is that?

I wanted to include all kinds of women in my books, so homosexual woman were not an exception. I have a host of readers; gay, straight, bisexual, swingers, etc., so I wanted to include that aspect of life in my characters. When Lyric started to experience with bisexuality back in volume three, I wanted to expand on that throughout the rest of the series. Besides, unconventional sex always makes for great erotic reading. * evil grin *

What's next for you?

I am currently working on volume seven of the Femistry series, Love Drug. Look for it in May or June of 2012.





Join Jessica and Femistry Press on Facebook at www.facebook.com/femistry


Find the Author:

http://www.jessica-watkins.com
http://www.facebook.com/femistry

http://www.twitter.com/authorjwatkins



Buy Book: http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Hustle-shall-not-want/dp/1466261730/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_12

Abnormal Lives: A Novel By Rae

Simone and Stefan are cousins, who are more like brother and sister, having been raised by their now deceased maternal grandmother. Both of their mothers abandoned them at various ages, leaving them to fend for themselves. Years after their grandmother’s death, the two of them are still residing in her home; sliding under the government’s radar by keeping up the property taxes and hoping that no one will ever notice that she is deceased. In order to make ends meet, they are both prostitutes. Stefan is openly gay and in love with a man named Eugene who is really using him for his money. Simone is living life on the edge and picking up random men who are willing to foot the bill for her special skills. Stefan tries to get Simone to straighten up and fly right, suggesting that they both seek employment at a local bank. While Stefan sees their new positions as a chance for redemption, Simone only views the bank as a way to pick up wealthy men to sleep with for money. After attending a festival in New Orleans, Stefan decides to rip off some drugs from a man he hooked up with; pulling Simone into something that she certainly had not bargained for. Will the two cousins abandon their reckless lifestyle or will their lifestyle lead them both to a tragic end?

Chapter 1

It was ten o’clock on a Friday night. Simone sat inside of the fitness center, entertaining her client, Mason. Mason was the director of the center and usually planned their meetings there after-hours. Simone sat on the edge of the hot tub wearing a pink G-string and Mason stood inside the encircling pool with Simone’s thighs resting on his shoulders.

“My wife saw the present you gave me a few weeks back,” Mason announced proudly, as he walked his fingers up Simone’s thighs.

Simone sighed. It’s not like it’s the first time and it won’t be the last, she thought. “Well, what did she think of it?” Simone tried not to disclose how humored she was by her remark.

“Let’s just say she didn’t like it as much as I did.”

The present Mason referred to was the hickey Simone had placed on the shaft of his penis. That was her trademark. Men from all over the Tri-City area contacted her to see could and would the pretty, petite, wavy-haired, fair-skinned doll baby pucker up her plump pink lips to perform the act that all of their friends and colleagues bragged about.

Once she proved that she could and would, if they were willing to pay her fee for the priceless experience, they became loyal customers that contacted her on a regular basis to have the “O”-shaped bruise on their genitals that they held with the same regards that bikers and gangsters held their tattoos, retouched before it faded away. It had only been three weeks since she had last provided Mason with her services and there he was, standing in front of her waiting to be retouched, among other things.

Simone liked dealing with Mason. She understood what to expect from him. He never showed up drunk or flying off of the handle as a result of hallucinogens. That was behavior she’d tolerated from the petty, low-class criminals she’d started out servicing. They would beat, belittle, and refuse to pay women in her profession after they’d romped around with them on old, pissy mattresses. Simone had paid her dues to earn the status she now held in her profession and refused to deal with that nonsense. That was one of the reasons why most of her clients were upper middle-class whites; the few that were black held the same social status. The other reason for that was they were willing to pay more money. Money that the lower-class troublemakers couldn’t afford to let leave their pockets.

Mason also referred a lot of his friends to Simone, which was good for business. Simone also liked the fact that Mason wasn’t long-winded. She could get it down as fast as she could get it up and when it was over, it was over. Mason didn’t try to stall to keep her around while he tried to have another erection. Her terms of service were, once her client ejaculated while she performed the service he’d requested, her job was done. Some of her clients had her perform one act, some paid for two or three, but after they ejaculated as the result of each service, or lost their erection, whichever came first, she was off the clock. Mason stuck to those terms. Being that Mason wasn’t what she considered to be endowed, after she finished with him, she would still be in adequate condition to service another client before calling it a night.

What Simone didn’t like about Mason was how he never seemed to be able to put an end to his idle chitchat. Her time was more valuable to her than her services were to him. The more time she had, the more money she had the opportunity to make. She didn’t want to be rude. After all, he was a longtime customer. So she sat there in a rut while he rambled on about the weather.

It was times like those that made her wish Stefan had come along. He had a way of nipping things in the bud. Although Mason was a huge fan of anal sex, he wasn’t one of her bisexual clients. She often heard him bash gays that attended the fitness center. He would go out his way to express how sickened he was by them.

Simone thought Mason might have been nervous. They had been together numerous times but, for some reason, he always seemed scared to touch her.

Simone’s legs shivered as a result of Mason’s jitteriness. She looked down at him and sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Mason asked.

“Nothing.” Simone removed her legs from Mason’s shoulders. “Come up here with me.”

Mason lifted himself up on the wall of the hot tub and sat beside Simone. Simone stood up, grabbed Mason’s hands, and pulled him closer to her. She knelt down in front of him and blushed at the sight of semen seeping from his partially erect organ. “You mean to tell me you’ve been in the pool hiding this from me all this time.”

“I wasn’t sure if you were ready for it.”

“Oh, is that right?” Simone drooled on his shaft and gently stroked it with her hand.

Mason stood up and began to slide his dick back and forth in her mouth. “That’s right; get it nice and wet.”

That’s a first, Simone thought. Usually, Mason would lay there lifeless, not uttering a single word while she did all of the work.

Simone slid her hands up Mason’s thighs and onto his hips. She thrust him forward, taking him entirely in her mouth. She could feel Mason’s dick pulsate as she secured it in her mouth and gathered saliva to create a massaging motion.

Mason pressed his lips together and looked up at the ceiling. He hoped Simone wouldn’t notice the ugly faces he was making while she pleased him.

Simone slid her index finger inside Mason’s rectum. His knees became weak and he plopped down on the wall of the hot tub. Simone followed his motion, never releasing her grip. Mason tugged on Simone’s weave and moaned at the top of his lungs as he reached his climax. He squirmed, unable to tolerate the overwhelming sensation he was being subjected to.

Simone stroked his organ with her hand to quicken his release. She almost laughed when Mason stood on the tip of his toes like a ballerina and cried out with pleasure.

“Whoo,” Mason cried out in between a series of pants. He looked back up at the ceiling and ran his fingers through Simone’s hair. “You’ve got my head spinning. If you can do all that with your mouth, I can’t wait to see what the pussy is like.”

Simone was puzzled. For as long as she had serviced Mason, he had never asked for pussy. Ass was his thing. Mason loved the way she slid her hips down on his dick until he fully occupied her anus and rode him like a jockey. He would want it tonight when I’m on my period; just my luck, Simone thought.

She sucked on Mason’s lip as she reached between her legs and freed her tampon into the hot tub. She straddled Mason and pushed herself down on his tool. It wouldn’t be long before he reached his climax. Simone could hear Mason’s breaths quicken as she pressed herself down on his dick harder and harder, lingering for a few seconds so he could feel the softness of her walls. In less than two minutes, Mason clutched Simone in his arms and called on the Lord.

Stefan lay in the bed with his man, Eugene. He threw his arm over Eugene’s chest and kissed him.

“Could you move over?” Eugene asked.

Stefan was fed up with Eugene’s attitude. Eugene had changed since he’d landed a job. When Eugene first came home from prison, things were wonderful. They would make love all night and sleep late into the day. Eugene would beg Stefan to let him take the condom off so he could feel his flesh. But now he didn’t even want Stefan to hold him. It was blatantly apparent that their relationship was only a ploy to help Eugene get on his feet. Now that Eugene had found a job and saved some money, he didn’t need Stefan anymore and he was ready to free himself from their relationship.

Stefan wondered if Eugene modeled the clothes he bought for him for some female when he wasn’t around. Stefan was sure Eugene was having sex with a woman in the apartment he paid the rent for. The thought of Eugene trying to impress some random chick with the things he had purchased for him made Stefan sick to his stomach.

Eugene liked females. Stefan saw the way he looked at them. Not only did he admire their beauty, he wanted to be entangled in it, he wanted a piece for himself. He’d noticed Eugene checking out the curves on his cousin, Simone, when he’d introduced them. He never brought them around one another again. He could not trust Eugene and he realized that Simone was weak.

Stefan attempted to kiss Eugene again.

Eugene pulled the covers over his head. “Come on with that. I’m tired,” he grumbled.

Life is too short for shit like this, Stefan thought. If Eugene was willing to throw away the security that Stefan provided him with over a female, then he could go right ahead. He was sure Eugene would run into some shabby whore that would fool him into believing that she was a lady. She’d be a little girl who had no clue where she was going; only what she wanted from him. She’d convince him that she was high-class when she was extremely high-maintenance. Eugene would exhaust his little savings trying to keep up with her and, when his money was gone, she would be also.

Stefan got out of bed and put on his clothes.

“Where you going?” Eugene asked.

“Home.”

“You’re not gonna fix me nothing to eat before you leave?”

“No.”

“Come on with that; a nigga’s hungry.”

“You’ve got two hands; fix it yourself,” Stefan said as he opened the bedroom door and made his way down the stairs.

“Don’t forget the rent is due next week!” Eugene yelled.

“And don’t forget you’ve got a job now and you can pay it,” Stefan said as he slammed the front door.

© 2011 Rae

As a child Rae ran across a copy of James Baldwin’s novel Giovanni’s room. It was James Baldwin’s stirring and provocative writing style that fueled her with the passion to write. Rae spent the hours she wasn’t at school or doing household chores writing short stories and poetry.

At age twelve Rae abandoned her pen and pad and became engrossed in the drama of her hood. By age sixteen Rae was a single mother and dropped out of school to raise her newborn child.

Rae spent her twenties hopping from one job to the next, disgusted with the lack of ethics and integrity in her work environments. After resigning from her umpteenth job, receiving the news of her fiancé’s death, and awaiting a criminal trial, after not being in trouble with the law since she was a juvenile, Rae laid back in her bed replaying the events of her life over in her mind.

Feeling like she had no one to turn to, Rae turned back to her pen and pad. She decided no matter what she would accomplish her goal of being an author. But this time her writing wouldn’t include rescues and fairytale endings. She would write about the drama of urban life and incorporate scenarios regarding social and domestic issues that plague urban communities. Soon after Abnormal Lives was born.

Get to Know the Author:

1. When did you start writing, and did you always envision being an author? I start writing when I was eight years old and I’ll tell you, more than a decade has past and I still enjoy how a story can excite, shock, and expand the minds of readers. I knew I would be an author ever since the day I finished reading Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin. I laid across the bed thinking about how emotive the novel was and that’s when the thought of being an author entered my mind. From that day forward I knew I would be an author I just didn’t know during what phase of my life it would occur.



2. Where do you get your ideas? Life, that’s where I get my ideas from, things happen in our families, personal lives, and communities every day that we are uncomfortable discussing and those are the topics I like to focus on in my writing.



Are there any particular authors that have influenced your writing? I would have to say James Baldwin and Iceberg Slim. James Baldwin’s stirring and provocative writing style instilled me with the passion to write and Iceberg Slim’s raw unadulterated voice gave me the valor to express myself freely as a writer.



4. If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change? As far as my novel goes it was originally written in the first person viewpoint after I finished writing it I read through it and realized the story would read better in third person. I wish I would have realized that from the start but if nothing else it was a learning experience. The only thing I regret doing when I was searching for a publisher is not submitting my work simultaneously instead of sending a copy of my manuscript to a publisher and waiting six months or more for them to say yay or nay before I submitted my work to another publisher. When you don’t submit your work simultaneously it gets to be a bit daunting.



5. What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why? I enjoyed writing the scene in chapter twelve when Paris exposed Michael by airing his dirty laundry in front of the police. Michael was a lying conniving dog and I couldn’t wait to write the scene where Paris called him out.



6. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? I learned that writing a novel takes dedication, not only to your work but to your readers also. When writing a novel you want to produce an enjoyable product without jeopardizing your voice. If you’re constantly going back over your work changing things because you’re worried it will rub someone the wrong way your voice will fail to shine through. When you’re writing be yourself readers will appreciate you for it.



7. Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers? I’m new to this so the only advice I feel confident giving is, don’t let self-criticism or the criticism of others prevent you from pursuing your dream.

Find the Author:

Web links: http://www.facebook.com/DomainRae

http://www.facebook.com/AuthoressRae

http://twitter.com/Itsjust_Rae

Email: itsjustrae@ymail.com

Link to buy at Barnes and Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/abnormal-lives-rae/1102568444

No Love Lost By JW Smith

J. W. Smith is an aspiring writer, readily becoming the hottest new author to hit the streets.

As a child, Smith grew up in one of the jagged neighborhoods of Los Angeles, California. Currently, prospering to become a successful author is not stopping at one best seller, yet is set to excel into numerous best-selling novels. With a past history of incarceration and only a high-school diploma, training by way of an educational institution, was not the only way to achieve the knowledge and skills of becoming a writer. The spirit of God provided the faith and the strength to conquer all odds. The perseverance and dedication within himself allowed him to find guidance in what booklovers anticipate.

J. W. Smith comes from a large family and he is a Father of three, two girls and a boy. When he is not indulging in writing, he enjoys spending a relaxing evening with his leading lady while catching up on the politics of society. His oldest daughter, who was involved in a tragic accident at the age of 16, became paralyzed. This initiated him to fight harder in becoming a successful provider, entrepreneur and encouragement to her.

Learn More at http://jwsmithnovelist.com/


Get to Know JW:

I begin my writing career by reading a host of urban novel titles and realizing that my story too, was one that needed to be heard.


2. I learned quite a few things throughout the duration of this manuscript. One of the most important pieces of information revealed to me, was that a great novel holds 80-85% dialog.



3. With my debut novel "No Love Lost", I hope and pray that every word that's written, will effect someone, in someway, to draw near to my gift of storytelling.



4. The story is based on realistic events that I encountered growing up in the confinements of Los Angeles gang laws. This story was set in "real life" stone, prior to me even having knowledge, that I would become a novelist.



5. Just being able to watch your work materialize from a thought/reality to a story that the world will learn to love and appreciate, is a great achievement to me as a writer.



6. I enjoy dialog and there's nothing about expressing myself through the pen that is less desirable to me. Writing a great story that people enjoy reading, is a Divine gift from God.



7. I would definitely say to be more discipline in my work ethics, as well a being able to accept constructive criticism better.



8.The new authors of the publishing industry should make sure they read through their materials thoroughly, before introducing it to the world. (Just personal opinion) Please don't use the traditional publishing houses, that only have their best interest in mind, find a publisher that works closer and more personable to you, as the writer



9. I wish, that all authors in the publishing industry would pull together in acknowledgment, that there is plenty of room at the top.



10. This book is based of true events of my life. I spent quite a few years incarcerated in federal prison and that this is where the first words of this awesome manuscript was written, on a prison tablet.





11. I read, bowl, fish and just enjoy so much, that so many, tend to take for granted. (life's freedom)



12. I utilize several different entities of social net-workings including face-book, twitter, good reads and a few others media outlets, to connect to the real readers of classic urban novels.



13. I am always on the Internet promoting and associating myself with other writers and readers.



14.The first author I ever met was Terri McMillan.



15. I know for sure that God didn't place me on this path of novel writing, just by chance.



16. The next hot title released under Delphine publication..Is the sensual story of a woman that everyone finds Irresistible..."Irresistible Woman..Coming June 2012."



17. I can be reached at jwsmith_author@yahoo.com, jwsmithnovelist.com or Delphine Publications page!



DELPHINE PUBLICATIONS AUTHOR J.W.SMITH

Be sure to visit my website at www.jwsmithnovelist.com


"No Love Lost" - In Stores JAN, 16TH2012

PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE ON DELPHINE PUB.

Lil Jay is a young man growing up in the urban lifestyle of "gang life" in the late 1980's. The streets of Los Angeles, California, took control over his mind at a young age, yet he still manages to prevail from the uncertainty of life that only his hood could offer. With a drug addicted father and a mother ready to thrash anyone who crosses her path, a troubled home left him with very minimal options for his future. As a result, Lil Jay only had the streets to call home. Crossing paths with sex and women, death and murderers, drug dealers and addicts, somewhere along the way he finds his true path in the sister of his mentor, Charlette, who intrigues his inner thoughts. Finding himself with a long-term prison sentence, Jay never anticipated what would be waiting for him on the outside. Perseverance took control of his mind and bestowed upon him a different light, allowing him to flourish into a new man

Kisses Don't Lie By Tamika Newhouse

Theres Dean her first love and then theres Keith Mr. Right Now. Kyla struggles with her desires and her past when she makes a rare trip back home to Fort Worth. After leaving ten years ago Kyla comes to terms with the one who got away; Dean and their short lived romance comes into full swing. That is until it goes terribly wrong and she is left with wondering if she should work it out with Keith instead. A simple kiss led to many secrets being revealed; and it makes Kyla wish she could take it all back. Michael is ready to commit to Brittany and for once he feels he has the right woman by his side. That is until a passionate night turns into an unwanted child. Fighting to keep her heart from being broken; Brittany vows to never be just another notch in a mans belt. Although Michael promises to be there and seals it with a kiss, Brittany still struggles with if she should carry their child. When love isnt enough will each one of them make the right decision? Can they finally trust the one they want the most? After all its better to be slapped by the truth then kissed with a lie. They say kisses dont lie, right?

Get to Know Tamika:
How did you start out your writing career?
At the age of 21 I launched my own publishing company, Delphine Publications by publishing my own book The Ultimate NO NO. I went on from that book and landed a major book deal without an agent all the while publishing other authors and continuing to write independently.

What did you learn while writing this book?
When writing my current book, Kisses Don’t Lie, I discovered the balance between my craft and the business. I learned to maintain both and write daily to ensure I can have a project out on time.

What did you hope to accomplish with this book?
I hope to have a cross over audience and build a brand that’s outside of the book world. I want to gain readers who wouldn’t normally pick up a romance novel. I want to open up many doors for other writers to come up behind me and be even more successful.

What came first with this story, the characters or the plot? Why?
The plot came first. I knew that I wanted my characters to develop from a young age to only fall apart as time passed by. We all have that first love but we grow up and then we forget about that love as if it never happened.

What has surprised you most about becoming a published author?
That I would have a love/hate for this book world. It can be tiresome but I don’t see myself doing anything else. I see that there are clicks, and bully’s and gossipers and try to overlook the negativity. But when I get a message from a reader stating they loved my work it makes all the heartache worth it.

What aspect of writing do you love the best, and which do you hate the most?
I love writing drama and I love writing about being in love. Although love isn’t perfect so when I write about the heartaches my characters go through it’s all coming from a real place. No love is perfect so I will never have a perfect love story.

What are three things you wish you’d known before you reached where you are now?
Where to travel, who to socialize with, and how to develop a book/media tour

Can you give us one do and one don’t for those aspiring to be a writer?
Do not get involved in clicks with authors who promote and socialize to each other, expand your brand and your reach. Lastly to be consistent in this industry, if you quit you will never make it.

What one thing about writing do you wish other non-writers would understand?
At events I am often approached by readers or supporters that they wish to write a book, but one thing about writing is that this is a God given talent. Not just any one can write and develop a story.

Tell us something few know about you?
I am anti-social by nature. I love to be at home and be alone. But since coming into this industry I had to develop a personality and become personable.

When you're not writing, what do you like to do in your spare time?
I like to just watch tv and lay around the house. Nothing major the downtime I get is worth every minute.

What do you do to interact with your readers?
I am active on my social networks on twitter @TamikaNewhouse and Facebook at facebook.com/tamikanewhouse I am also available by email at aambookclub@gmail.com

Our theme for this issue is Resources On The Net. What resources on the net have been helpful in your writing?
I follow a lot in the entertainment world and ENT. Publicist. Following them helps me develop new ways on exposing myself to a broader audience.

Who was the first author you ever met?
That is a tuffy I believe it was several independent writers at an event I was also attending. But my biggest and most proud moment was meeting Eric Jerome Dickey, his books I fell in love with growing up.

Oprah always asks, What do you know for sure?
I know that I am obsessive and that I want to succeed. I know that I would die trying before I give up.

Can you give us a sneak peek of your next book?
I take you into the lives of Kyla and Brittany Howard as they struggle with an old flame and a new found love. Each sister is faced with hard decisions that can either break their hearts or finally give them happiness. One deals with letting go of her first love and the other deals with an unwanted child. Some of their hardest decisions are made on a whelm. Drama and more will cover the pages of Kisses Don’t Lie.

How can readers get in contact with you? (mail, email, website)
I am active on my social networks on twitter @TamikaNewhouse and Facebook at facebook.com/tamikanewhouse I am also available by email at aambookclub@gmail.com

Tamika Newhouse is a self-published bestselling author who founded Delphine Publications, at the age of 21; Tamika appeared on various bestseller lists and won Self Published Author of the Year at the 2009 African American Literary Awards only 9 months after her debut novel. In 2010 she was inducted into Who's who in Black San Antonio and she landed a major publishing deal without an agent and still continues to write independent projects. In 2011 her company Delphine Publications won an African American Literary Award for Best Anthology as well as Tamika won for the second time Self Published Author of the Year. She was also nominated by the National Women in Business Association for the 2011 Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.


Along with Delphine Publications, Tamika is the founder and President of African Americans on the Move Book Club (AAMBC) - an online book club and radio show catering to avid readers across the nation. She is also CEO of Obsessive Soul Media. With future projects in the works from short films, stage plays and much more, Tamika is a young woman on a mission.

Tamika presently tours the country speaking about overcoming her teen pregnancy to fulfill her dream, as well as teaching aspiring writers the publishing ropes. A former radio host, she hosted her own internet radio show (AAMBC) for over three years and continues to expand her brand. She is currently living in San Antonio with her son and daughter and is currently working on her fifth novel He's My Favorite Mistake.

For Bookings: Nikki@NikkiWalkerPR.net

Love in a Carry-On Bag By Sadeqa Johnson

Erica Shaw spends her week babysitting the country’s bestselling authors for one of the top publishing companies in New York City. But on Friday nights she escapes to D.C., where her sexy-lipped musician boyfriend, Warren Prince, works and performs. Their connection is fierce, and the couple promises to never miss a weekend together. But when real life walks in—an overbearing father, an alcoholic mother, office politics, and a lucrative job contract—the couple starts unraveling at the seam. Tempers flare, violence breaks, while new lovers eagerly wait in the wings—to claim both of them.

Drenched in the perils of passion and the sweet-sounds of jazz, Johnson dives deep into the world of ambition and the stumbling blocks of family. Clever, fast-paced and sexy, Love in a Carry-On Bag is a modern day love story that marks the healing power of forgiveness and begs the question, how much baggage is really too heavy to carry.

Sadeqa Johnson is a formublic relations manager. After several years of working in the publishing industry with well-known authors such as JK Rowling, Bebe Moore Campbell, Amy Tan and Bishop TD Jakes, Johnson is now the co-founder of 12th Street Press, a boutique publishing company specializing in unique voices. An inner peace advocate, Sadeqa Johnson is a meditation teacher and motivational blogger. Love in a Carry-on Bag is her first novel, it will be released March 6, 2012.

Getting to know Author Sadeqa Johnson
1. What inspired you to write a long distance love story?
My husband, Glenn, and I started off in a long distance relationship. He was from D.C., living in Philadelphia. I was from Philadelphia, living in New York City. The highs and lows of only being together seventy-two hours per week was heart wrenching, but also hot, sexy and intoxicating. Every second together counted, so fights couldn’t linger. We had to kiss and make up quickly. The intensity of that experience drove me to write the story of Erica and Warren.

2. There is a strong element of jazz in the story. How did Warren come to be a trumpet player?
My father exposed me to jazz music very early in life. When I would listen to songs with him, he’d ask me to identify the different instruments that I heard playing. I dated a trumpet player while in college and like Erica, I would spend all night at jazz clubs while he lost himself in the music. I’m very attracted to musicians because of their passion for creating beauty. I think they are brilliant, and it was a joy to give Warren the burden of carrying around a gift for music, when all his family wanted him to do was have a good corporate job. I think people will really relate to his contradictions. Warren’s love and passion for his art was satisfying for me to create, because it expressed my own passion for writing.

3. As a first time author, what was your writing process?
Love in a Carry-on Bag took me over ten years to finish. I started writing it when I was a publicity manager at G.P Putnam’s Sons. Every day I closed my office door at four o’clock and wrote for the last hour of the work day. On my commute home, I edited the pages. I got married and left my corporate job to write and raise my children, but still nursed a burning desire to tell this story. I wrote during naptimes, between feedings, in the midst of sleep deprivation and ear infections. My husband calls me the most dedicated woman he knows because I stayed the course, even with the daily pressures of caring for a young family. But I truly believe that the first novel is where you learn to write, so it was important for me to be patient with the process and give my life and the story time to unfold. My characters follow me everywhere. I wake up thinking about them like I do my children. They tell me their secrets while I dream, and the answers to difficult plot issues always come while I’m driving. On a good week I write Monday –Friday for 3-4 hours a day, but on weekends I journal a bit and let me mind wander without structure. I read constantly, books, magazines, blogs, anything to get the juices flowing.

4. You are a self-published author. What made you pursue self-publishing as opposed to signing with a literary agent and/or a major publishing house?
I am the co-founder of 12th Street Press, a publishing company designed to bring to readers those unique literary voices that are getting lost in the shuffle by the big publishing houses. I started my company out of sheer necessity. I had a very prominent agent in New York City who was unable to secure a deal for me. Having a background in publishing and still being unable to be published was devastating. It made me feel like my work wasn’t good enough even though I had worked tirelessly on it. My husband and father are both entrepreneurs and neither could figure out why I didn’t want to go out on my own. So one day my husband asked me, “what is it that you want from a publishing house?” I told him that I wanted an editor to bring my novel up to professional standard. He looked at me and said, “So let’s hire an editor.”
I then had to get out of my own way. I had a limited belief of myself, thinking I was just a writer. But once I recognized that the plan for me was much bigger than what I believed, it became clear that I was destined to be a publisher AND a writer. Once that clicked in my own head and I said yes, 12th Street press started tumbling, twirling and picking up speed.

5. You practice and teach meditation. Tell me how it has helped you as a writer and impacted your life?
I began meditating about five or six years ago after my second child was born. Bleary eyed and overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for two young children while trying to write was crippling for me. Finding meditation was like watering a parched, potted plant. Instantly I felt my life change. The more I sat in meditation and quieted my mind, the clearer I became on my purpose in life. My heart’s mission is to inspire. I write a weekly motivational blog, give talks and workshops on meditation and have been leading a group meditation class for over three years. Meditation has offered me a deeper focus when I’m writing. It helps to clear my head so that I am open and attuned with the characters. Before practicing meditation I use to force the characters into position, now I do my best to listen and be the conduit.

6. Which writers have inspired you?
I’ve been inspired by so many writers over my life. Maya Angelou was the first author I fell head over heels in love with. Zora Neale Hurston touched me so deeply that I named my first daughter Zora. Bebe Moore Campbell was my first writing mentor. Terry McMillian and Judy Blume were the first writers to inspire me to read their novels more than once. Right now I’m inspired by Carleen Brice, Tayari Jones, Lorene Carey, Dolen Valdez-Perkins, Lolita Files, Ernesta Carter, and Paulo Coelho.

7. What advice would you give to writers who are just starting out?
Don’t quit. Writing takes time and dedication and it is very important to be true to the craft. Take writing classes, form a writing group and read as much as you can. Give yourself time and permission to grow, and be patient with yourself. Believe in your creativity above all. Allow the magic to flow.





Weblinks:
www.sadeqajohnson.com
Twitter: sadeqasays
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SadeqaJohnson


Book trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxbix9MaZvg Intro interview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2Q18qyXUO8&feature=related Music that inspired Love

All Mye Queen’s Men, Chronicles of Love By Brenda Stokes Lee

Brenda Stokes Lee is a writer and a storyteller who refuses to let a trivial little thing like the truth come between her and a good story. Creative, funny and full of tall tales of love, mystery, action, fantasy and intrigue this author is determined to make you laugh, cry and feel alive. Her motto is a simple one: Live, Love, Laugh, Learn to Let Go, and Leave the Rest to God.
Born in North Carolina, but raised outside of Washington DC, this writer is a Morgan State University graduate who currently resides in the DC Metropolitan suburbs.


After throwing caution and good common sense to the wind, Pre Med Student Mye Beloved Queen boldly elects to transfer colleges her senior year in an attempt to avoid boy trouble and baby mama drama. Her long standing relationship with her football super star, high school sweetheart ended badly when he is named in a paternity suit. Distraught, brokenhearted and extremely pissed she embarks on a journey to a place called far- far away from him. Little did she realize that trouble has a way of catching up with you. Torn between the new and the old, the incredible and the delicious Queen tries to sort out her feelings for two phenomenal men while another lurks in the shadows adoring her from afar waiting for his chance to love her.
And thus begins the epic tale of All Mye Queen’s Men, Chronicles of Love. This is a six book series that chronicles the life of Internal Medicine Doctor Mye Queen as she attempts to navigate a sea of delicious, smoldering hot chocolate, in search of a man who can satisfy her appetite. Captivating, addictive, funny, and oh so sexy, the saga of Mye Queen and the men that vie for her love is a crazy look at love, sex, infidelity and seriously silly grown folks’ mess. A virtual joyride of emotions awaits anyone who dares to take a peek into the life of Doctor Mye Beloved Queen and the men who dare to love her.

An Excerpt from All Mye Queen’s Men, A Love of Her Own, the first installment of the All Mye Queen’s Men, Chronicles of Love Series.
Somehow, Queen had managed to survive the night without breaking her promise to Jade, although it wasn't an easy feat. Her hormones were all over the place and she hadn't experienced the warmth of the male genitalia in over two months. Now, to her dismay, two perfectly good hard ones dangled within inches of her grasp and Jade had her on koochie lock down. Rightfully so, her good sense screamed that she should walk away and not fuck with either one of them. Too bad God didn't bless the vagina with good sense and good decision making skills. It's strange how your pussy can meow louder than any screaming rational thought. It's even stranger that the brain will listen to bullshit before sound reason every single time.
Still, Queen finds herself in bed alone, yet again. After tossing and turning for almost an hour she finally manages to fall asleep. Shortly afterwards she is awaken by soft, wet kisses between her thighs. At first her mind convinced her that she was dreaming and oh what a good dream it was. But as the skillful mouth intensified its efforts to wake her up screaming with pleasure she instantly knew that this wasn't a dream.
The room was darker than dark, so it was near impossible to identify the clit master. But at this point Queen really didn't give a shit who was responsible for the monstrous screaming orgasm that she was about to have. Still, she had a damn good idea who was bold enough to come in her bed unannounced and uninvited.
Whoever he was he was an artist and Queen was a blank canvas that inspired him to create his greatest masterpiece. As her body quickly reached the boiling point Queen's breath quickened and stopped. Anticipating the scream that would follow, Picasso handed her a pillow. Queen grabbed the pillow just in time to muffle her blood curling scream of sweet release.
Little did she know that the unknown artist was not finished. He intensified his efforts and showed her clit absolutely no mercy and minutes later Queen erupted like an active volcano once again. Forget sound reasoning, forget playing it safe, forget depriving yourself, Queen's body had spoken, loud and clear. It wants what it wants and it wants him.
"Make love to me." She managed to say as her body continued to experience shockwaves of pleasure.
"I'd love to." His sultry voice replied.
As he entered her Queen's body melted over his like a Hershey bar on hot steel. Her unexpected visitor continued to do some of his greatest work. Although the paintbrush had changed the effect was still the same, a beautiful work of art. His body clashed hard against hers and she met him with every rhythmic beat. As he made the final stroke and signed his name on his masterpiece his body exploded into ripples of rapture. Queen braced herself as her body convulsed from her third climax. Screaming uninhibited she rode the wave in with him.

Get to Know Brenda:

How did you come up with the title and concept for the book?
The concept for All Mye Queen’s Men, the Chronicles of Love came to me many years ago when I was at a family gathering laughing and joking with family and friends. We were having girl talk and the conversation gravitated to men as it always somehow manages to do. So, we were talking about the various men that we’d loved and lost and of course the ones we gladly left behind and asked to go away. A lot of funny stories and some sad ones too, were tossed around before someone joked that we needed to write a book. I thought it was a great idea.
So, I decided to write a book which enveloped many of the great stories that I’ve heard over the years. I created a character, Mye Queen who would serve as a composite of all women who have loved and lost and endured the quest for their soul mate. Thus the title All Mye Queen’s Men was chosen and from that one conversation All Mye Queen’s Men, the Chronicles of Love was born. Fortunately, that one concept has inspired me to write the six books that comprise the Chronicles of Love series.

How did you come up with the characters?
As I mentioned before the characters in the book were in part inspired by men that various women in my life have encountered over the years. Naturally the book is completely fiction so I exercised my right to do a lot of embellishing to entertain my readers. The female lead character, Mye Queen is actually a representative of any given female and no one in particular. Although her character is admittedly flawed in a lot of aspects most women can identify and connect with her.

How long did it take to write All Mye Queen’s Men, the Chronicles of Love and was it a difficult series to write?
No, not at all, it actually was extremely fun. I had a great time watching as the story evolved one word at a time. Basically the characters told their own story and I had the privilege of being their scribe. All six books were completed within a two year span.

What challenged you to write this story?
My son was in England in Film School and somehow developed a detached retina. Unfortunately, he had to come back to the states to have surgery on his eye and miss his last semester of school. Naturally he was extremely depressed. So, in an effort to lift his spirits I challenged him to a Write Off. I bet him that I could write a novel before he could finish a screenplay. I don’t know what I was thinking. I hadn’t written as much as a short story since I was in the eighth grade. Really, I had no intentions of writing anything at that time. I just wanted to refocus his energy into doing something positive. Surprisingly I won the bet and the first installment of All Mye Queen’s Men, Chronicles of Love was the product.

What’s been the most frustrating part of your journey as a new author?
Other than the constant self promotion, I think the most frustrating thing that I have experienced is that nagging fear of rejection that most of us get. I put a lot of work and a piece of my soul into this series and I just want to make sure that it wasn’t in vain. I enjoyed creating the characters and writing the scenarios and I only pray that readers embrace them and like what I’ve done.
When I finished my first installment of All Mye Queen’s Men I made the rookie mistake of giving the manuscript to a family member, my sister, to read. Boy, was that torture? She never mentioned one word about the book for over four months. My mother taught us that if you don’t have anything good to say then don’t say anything at all. So, I took her silence as the polite way of saying, Hated It. I didn’t have the nerve to ask her why she didn’t like it. So, I stopped writing and went back to life as usual. Then one day she called screaming and yelling that she read the book, she loved it and she could not believe that I wrote it. Apparently she procrastinated reading it for four months, because she didn’t want to endure the awkwardness of telling me that it sucked. Now she’s my biggest fan. Still waiting for her review and validation was both frustrating and exhausting.

How did you come up with the concept for the cover of your books?
All Mye Queen’s Men, the Chronicles of Love is actually a six book series and we had to come up with not just one, but six different book covers. We decided to go with the Chess Match theme set against a stormy sky, to solve a lot of our problems with searching for the right male models to represent the various characters in the books. Readers tend to create their own fantasy about what a particular character would look like. The chess theme assured us that we wouldn’t crush any ones fantasy about their favorite character.
Still we had to consider the fact that sex sells and the sexier the cover art the more intrigued the buyers will become. So, we’ve launched the All Mye Queen’s Men Model Search 2012. We are looking for twelve of the sexiest every day, non celebrity, men alive. So if you know anyone that might be interested in launching a career as a cover model tell them to leave their contact info for me at the Daddy’s Girl Publishing House.

Can we expect another novel from you?
Yes, definitely. Actually you can expect several more novels in the near future. As I mentioned earlier the All Mye Queen’s Men, Chronicles of Love is a six novel series and all six of the novels are published and on sale. I’m currently working on another novel called, Georgia on My Mind. It should be finished in a month or two. And I’m also writing a spinoff of All Mye Queen’s Men called, Toy’s Story, which should be finished before spring. After that I have a few more books that are on my mind. So, God willing I will have lots of stories to keep my readers entertained for quite a while.

Current Promotional discounts and freebies
Connect with Brenda at Grown Folks Books or subscribe to her BLOG and get your ebook copy of All Mye Queen’s Men, A Love of Her Own, Absolutely FREE!

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Seductive Kiss By Francis Ray

Dianne Harrington is known throughout the world as "The Face", the stunningly beautiful spokesmodel for her family's fashion empire. She could probably have her pick of any man she wants. But Dianne would rather kick back and relax with a good friend-namely Alex Stewart, who she's known, and harbored a crush on, her whole life. Ever since they were kids, Alex has been Dianne's protector and pal, a shoulder to cry on. But as the brother of her best friend, Alex always seemed untouchable. Now a handsome, successful New York lawyer, Alex never realized how lonely Dianne's life has been-or how innocent she is in the ways of love. Alex wants more than anything to reach out to her, to heal her heart. But is his desire worth the risk? After a lifetime of longing building up between them, somethings gotta give. Maybe all it takes is just one kiss...


New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Francis Ray is a native Texan and lives in Dallas. INCOGNITO, her sixth title, was the first made-for-TV movie for BET. Her literary fiction series-Taggart and Falcon, the Invincible Women, Grayson Family of New Mexico, and Grayson Friends have consistently made bestseller's lists, and are enjoyed by readers world-wide. She has written forty-five books to date. Awards include Romantic Times Career Achievement, EMMA, The Golden Pen, Atlantic Choice, Borders 2008 Romance Award for bestselling Multicultural Romance for NOBODY BUT YOU. IF YOU WERE MY MAN was selected as Written 2010 Book of the Year. She has four books scheduled for 2012 - A SEDUCTIVE KISS, WITH JUST ONE KISS, A DANGEROUS KISS and WHEN MORNING COMES.

Get to Know Francis:

1)What was the first book you published?


FALLEN ANGEL was published by Oddssey Books, and then retitled SOMEONE TO LOVE ME by St. Martin's Press. in 2003.


2) What is the most difficult thing about being a writer?


For me that's a two part answer - plotting the next book, and then writing that book.


3) What book would you recommend to writers wanting to be published?


"Techniques of the Selling Writer" by Dwight Swain is an excellent book and should be in every writer's library.


4)What success as a published writer surprised you the most?


My greatest surprise was making the New York Times' and USA Today bestsellers list! I was thrilled beyond words.


5) What's next for you?

In 2012 I have four books scheduled: A SEDUCTIVE KISS (01/31), WITH JUST ONE KISS (02/28), and A DANGEROUS KISS (06/26) in the Grayson Friends series. WHEN

MORNING COMES, the long-awaited sequel to I KNOW WHO HOLDS TOMORROW, will be released June 5TH.



6) What would you like to say to your loyal readers?

I'd like to say to my loyal readers that I deeply appreciate your continued support. Without you none of my success would have happened. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. May God bless and keep each of you.


7) How can readers reach you and find out more about you?

Readers can contact me through and interact on my new web site at www.francisray.com. They can have fun, watch book trailers and read free books.


Contact here:

Web-link for FaceBook- https://www.facebook.com/FrancisRayAuthor

Twitter- http://twitter.com/Francis_Ray

Author Site -www.FrancisRay.com

Blogs- http://www.francisrayblog.com/

Networks- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/readersoffrancisray/

Email: francisray@aol.com

Buy on Amazon : http://www.amazon.com/Seductive-Kiss-Grayson-Friends/dp/031253647X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319820746&sr=1-1

Haven: The First Taste by Spoken Pandora

Nicole is a business savvy lesbian that has a craving that involves the world of dominance and kink. During her exploration of her sexual desires she comes across an aggressive dominating woman that may be the answer to her all of her prayers.
In my novel, Haven, we follow Nicole on her journey through the world of dominance and extreme sexual desire. Her mind is riddled with thoughts of sexual deviancy and cravings, which lead her to cruise personal ads in hopes of finding someone who understands her needs and fantasies. Nicole gets a little more than she bargains for when she answers and ad placed by someone known only to her as Daddy. Daddy opens Nicole up to a world she only thought she knew and cradles Nicole’s mind turning it into a haven compiled of erotic dreams and images of masturbation. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Excerpt:Hunger can be a fickle beast that will turn on its captor when left unfed. Nicole was no different. Her need for sexual gratification began to wreak havoc on her; invading her space and feeding on her every thought. In the shower it consumed her naked flesh. While she slept it manipulated her dreams into an erotic playground that she feared entering into her real life. It loomed over her like a never ending hangover and began to affect her job performance. She found herself fighting hard to concentrate on her clients, instead of the pounding that beat against her pussy with every step. And now it had led her to the parking lot of a bar that on any other night she would have driven past.
Earlier that day, as she stood in front of a client, she found herself succumbing to the whispers that ravished her body. They poked and prodded her, taking her to a place that resided beyond the walls of her office. While going over the business plan of a potential client she slowly drifted off, while(delete) shedding her suit and neatly wrapped bun for nakedness. As Madeline spoke to her, she saw herself kneeling down in front of her and crawling over to her knee. She felt Madeline running her hand through her wild curls and petting her like some unclaimed kitten who needed an owner. She could smell the breath of her client against her face as Madeline moved in closer to her and slipped her hand between her thighs. Nicole came close to letting out a moan but was interrupted by reality. If it wasn’t for Michael calling into her office over the speaker, she would have given in to her fantasy.
Michael was her loyal assistant and best-friend. He had always appeared when she needed him and his intrusion was welcomed, giving her the diversion she needed to cut the meeting short so that she could clean herself up. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, staring through her reflection, she screamed inside. Raging at whatever this was that was slowly taking over every part of her. And now she was here, sitting in the parking lot of some unnamed bar with only an open(“Open”) sign to welcome her in.
Nicole walked through the doors taking her time to inspect her surroundings, hoping for a clue to tell her why she had come. But there was not, and so she made her way towards the bartender dragging her nails along the withered wood.
Before she could ask for a drink the bartender had a martini waiting for her.
“How did you know?”
“You look like a dry martini type of girl.”
“I’m never dry.” She responded and grabbed her drink.
Nicole made her way towards the jukebox, inserted change, and searched for the right song to play. But before she could make her selection a stranger stepped in and chose a song for her.
“You owe me a quarter.”
“I’m Donatella, but they call me Dante”
Nicole leaned against the stranger, pressing her breast against Dante’s chest.
“I didn’t ask for your damn name.”
“And I didn’t wait for you to.”
Nicole turned to leave but Dante grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her closer.
“Dance with me.”
“No!”
Dante moved in even closer and whispered in her ear, “That wasn’t a question!”
She grabbed Nicole’s drink and finished it for her. Nicole felt the stern tone of this stranger run its way through her body, making her ignore her mind telling her to leave. Dante slid her hands around Nicole’s waist and rocked her slowly back and forth, in-synch with the beat that blasted through the speakers. Her hand started to slide from Nicole’s waist and ease its’ way up her blouse. Her breath came out heavy and Nicole was two seconds away from giving into her dance partner, but her senses took over and she pulled away. This time Dante wasn’t quick enough to stop her from running out of the bar.
And now here she was sitting in a parking lot, hitting her head against the steering wheel of her car and scolding herself for wanting a touch of a stranger. Nicole had no clue what was happening to her. Tonight proved that the beast she thought she had a handle on was getting out of control and control was one thing she prided herself on.
Her body wanted to be fucked, pounded into submission, subdued. But she couldn’t fathom having random sex with someone she barely knew despite the hunger pains her soul was suffering from. She started her car and flew out of the parking lot not looking back and trying desperately not to turn around.
When she got home she tried to bathe away the filth, but no amount of water would make her feel clean. Deep down she didn’t really want to be cleaned. She wanted something but that something had no name. So she found herself in front of her computer searching through personal ads over the internet. Her senses had turned her body into a depraved beast that needed to be fed and a simple meal would not do.



Spoken considers herself a gypsy poet and describes her writing style as a fornication with words. Her literary journey started out many years ago writing poetry as a means to cope with the chaos that surrounded her. Spoken’s writing quickly evolved and she began writing erotica poetry that tested boundaries and gave a different perspective of lesbian love. Her poetry mixes taboo subjects with the emotional aspects of women loving women to create an eclectic blend of heart-felt prose that leaves its mark after the piece has ended.
In 2010 Spoken published her first erotica novel, Haven: The First Taste through LM Inc. Haven is an erotica series that explores the world of BDSM through the eyes of an aspiring submissive and her potential Dommes. The difference of this work of art compared to many that have surfaced over the years is that all the characters are lesbian women of color and her words are not hindered by stereotypical opinions of a subject that few talk about outside of closed doors. In this novel we are exposed to sexual exploits unlike anything we have ever experienced or at least are willing to admit.
The success of her novel prompted new endeavors. Spoken currently reviews adult sex toys for Eden Fabtasys, Babeland, and Good Vibrations. She also shares her adult toy reviews and speaks on sexually related topics on Mr. Make It happen radio on Blog Talk Radio. In the past she has written lesbian author book reviews and advice columns and she has agreed to write sexually related essays, short stories, and adult sex toy reviews for Lady Gent Code, Sista Gurl magazine, LOTL magazine online, and Tickle Time Toys. Her work can also be seen in the anthology Life, Love & Lust by LM Inc and she will be a part of two other anthologies coming out this year by Eden Fantasys Writers Club and Perverts of Color.
Many writers claim to be different. Spoken owns the title and wears it proudly. You won’t find another erotica writer with her style that easily carries over even when the content isn’t sexual. She welcomes you to her world and hopes to break through the deviant closet, releasing all that we are condition to believe isn’t quote unquote correct by society’s standards.

Get to Know Spoken:
1. What inspired you to write Haven: The First Taste?
a. The first installment of the Haven series, The First Taste, was written during a period of sexual exploration. I had always been labeled a freak, but that title never resonated with me. I had always been kink inclined, but my sexual tastes perplexed me and I wanted to know the source. I didn’t find others of my shade who enjoyed the same things as me and were open about discussing them. For me, it was more than some perversion resulting from issues in my past. I craved to submit in ways that shamed me to the point that I spent most of my days struggling to subdue them. One day I couldn’t suppress my longings and they started to invade my space, making them seen in my everyday life. So I locked myself away in my apartment and began writing The First Taste while I explored myself. I wouldn’t call it a journal, however the novel is riddled with much of my own personal truth. Once I started writing, I couldn’t stop and Haven was born. I needed a place where I could share my thoughts and feel safe and protected. Hence the title Haven.

2. You mentioned that Haven contains much of your truth. Which character is based off of you?
a. Many characters in the first book are based off of people I encountered and at the same time the characters encompass several different people. Nicole, one of the main characters, is definitely my twin and I used her to express the thoughts, experiences, and emotional turmoil that I underwent during my quest. Through Nicole I was able to speak freely, especially since Haven is written as a fictitious novel. I like to call it non-fiction, fiction.

3. What are your current and future plans for your writing career?
a. I am currently working on several projects that will help to form my writing path. I am an adult toy reviewer for three adult toy companies on the internet and was recently allowed to review the Bedroom Kandi adult toyline by Kandi Burress. I am not the only reviewer for this collection but I was the first and it has opened doors for me as an adult toy reviewer. I will also be the reviewer and sexual health writer for Tickle Time Toys. I write a column for Sister Gurl magazine that focuses on sexual health, relationships, and intimacy. I will soon start a column for LOTL magazine online, an Australian based lesbian magazine created by Avalon Media, the company behind Curve magazine. And I have recently secured contributing to Lady Gent Code magazine.
Haven still has a long way to go as far as future books go and I am currently working on the second novel. I am also working on an erotic thriller, an erotic poetry book and a special novel that I am keeping under lock and key until it is complete. My ultimate goal is to become a successful novelist and freelance writer. With the success of Haven, I am also considering becoming an intimacy coach/speaker with a focus on kinks and fetishes. I would also like to see Haven on the big screen but I would like to develop the series more before I pursue this avenue.

4. With all that you do, how do you manage your time?
a. I would love to say that it is an easy task but I pursue as many endeavors as I can think up and my mind is constantly going. I tell myself that it is all for a good cause. With the continued support of my friends and family I continue to thrive. Post-it notes, coffee, and cigarettes also help to ease the process.
I work a 9 to 5, Monday through Friday corporate job. I have a family and like to have girl time, free time, and me time. It is hard to manage these things but I try to set aside time for everything. I start my week with a list of goals and knock them out as the week winds down. But ultimately I try to remind myself that I am only one person and look at what I don’t accomplish as an opportunity. Eventually it all gets done.

5. Why do you write?
a. Well that’s a simple one, if I don’t I would die. Writing for me is like breathing or existing. Without one the other doesn’t exist. I write for those with no voice. I write for those who have lived their lives in shame or under restraint. I write for those who doubt their power to create. I write because when He passed out gifts, this is the one I was given and I treasure it.

6. Writing in general is not the easiest thing to do. Writing in a niche market makes it even tougher. How do you succeed writing this genre?
a. Everyone says that sex sells and they are true to a point. It does sell, but everyone is selling it. To get and stay on top you have to think outside of the box and be true to yourself. I find different ways to tie erotic in to what I do. This is why I do sex toy reviews, erotic poetry, erotic essays, anthologies, etc. The key is to get recognition and write good literature. People often say that they won’t write for free. I have contributed to many projects without pay just to get the experience, exposure and networking opportunities. You have to see the bigger picture. And above all else never give up and remain true to who you are. I write for myself and having loyal fans is an added bonus. If I did not write my truth I would be doing a disservice to my readers. I am nowhere near down, but following these simple steps have put me on the right path.

7. Who is your favorite author?
a. Michael Z. Danielewski. Many years ago a friend of mine shared his book, House of Leaves, with me. I had never read a novel written in much a manner. There’s blank pages, color coded words, passages written in squares, footnotes that take up pages. It’s a masterly work of literary art. When someone tells me that I can’t write this way or that or when an editor completely demolishes a piece of my work, I think of him. It reminds me that I can write in a way that speaks to me and although all may not like it, someone will.

Web Links
Facebook: Spoken Pandora
Twitter: @Spoken_Pandora
Lady Gent Code Magazine: http://www.ladygentcode.com/
Sista Gurl Magazine: http://www.sistagurlmag.2ya.com/
LOTL Magazine Online: http://www.lotl.com/
Author Website: www.Pandorasbedfellow.com
Adult Toy Review and informational website along with author and book info: www.theeroticden.com
Tumblr: www.spokenpandora.tumblr.com

Email
spoken@pandorasbedfellow.com

Book Purchase LinksAmazon:
Kindle - http://www.amazon.com/Haven-The-first-taste-ebook/dp/B004H8GEU6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328325424&sr=8-1
Paperback- http://www.amazon.com/Haven-First-Taste-Spoken/dp/1456447173/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1328325424&sr=8-2

Buy Paperback from publisher LM Inc.:
http://www.lmwrites.com/#!__books

Barnes and Noble:
Nook-http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/haven-by-spoken-spoken/1030513460?ean=2940012248183&itm=1&usri=haven%2bby%2bspoken
Paperback- http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/haven-spoken/1029418295?ean=9781456447175&itm=1&usri=haven+by+spoken

Purchase info on personal site:
http://spokenpandora.com/theeroticden/erotic-den-books/