Chicki Brown's Blog, page 16
November 29, 2015
Sample Sunday
I'm 28,000 words into I WANT YOU BACK, Book Five in the Stafford Brothers series. Here's another UNEDITED excerpt:
***********
Following a long sigh, she rested her fork on the edge of her plate and looked as though she were contemplating her answer. “We were together for two years, Nick. That’s longer than a lot of people stay married, but we had gotten into such a routine. You’d come here after working a God-awful shift at the hospital. I’d feed you. We’d watch TV until you crashed, which was usually about twenty minutes after you ate; then I’d wake you up and we’d have sex then you’d go back to sleep until you had to get up and go back to work.”
He twirled his fork into the spaghetti and hesitated before raising it to his mouth. “Sounds pretty monotonous when you put it like that. I saw things totally different. I loved coming here because I have a roommate, and there’s no such thing as privacy with him and all of his friends traipsing in and out. You gave me the three things a man needs–good food, good sex and quiet.” He smiled. “Coming here and spending time with you was the best part of my week, but I understand how you felt you were getting the short end of the stick. I didn’t take into consideration what you needed. I’m sorry, baby.”
“It was my fault, but if we’re going to be together, things will be different. No more spending the night. No more doing your laundry here. If you want me, you have to date me like you should’ve been doing all along.”
Nick mulled over her words for a moment then nodded. “That’s fair. It’s what you deserve, but don’t expect any gourmet dining or weekend trips to South Beach on a resident’s salary.” He added with a mirthless chuckle.
“Oh, my God! You make fifty thousand dollars a year, more than half of the households in this country. I know that doesn’t compare to what your brothers make, but please stop acting like you’re poverty stricken.”
“I do, but I’m also two hundred thousand dollars in student loan debt, and if I ever plan to get out from under, most of what I earn has to go toward repaying my student loans. I don’t want to still be paying them off ten years from now.”
She crossed her arms and shook her head. “Think about it this way. If we were married, my salary plus what I make from giving lessons on the side would go into the family pot. We would only have one rent payment instead of two and only one set of utility bills.” She gave the ceiling a brief glance. “I’m just saying.”
He grinned. “You’re right. I have to stop imagining this anvil hanging over my head with 200K written on it.”
“Yes, you do.”
“Am I ever going to get to enjoy your cooking again?”
“We’ll see,” she said with a smirk.
“Let’s finish eating, because you need to be on your way before it gets too late.”
Nick had the distinct feeling he was in for a fight. Cher had never been a pushover, and that was one of the things he loved about her. She wasn’t going to make this easy for him. On top of that, when the word got around about what happened at the wedding, his name, as insignificant as it was, was going to be mud in the Atlanta medical community. So many of his father’s and his brother’s colleagues were sitting in the salon at The Estate this afternoon, and it was just a matter of time before the rumor mill started churning.
After they finished dinner, he helped Cherilyn clean up. She kissed him goodbye before he left and said, “Call me if you want to see me again.”
“Stop it, Cher. Don’t play like that.” He kissed her lips, which tasted like powdered sugar and cream from the cannoli, and left with thoughts of where would take her on their date. He shook his head as the word echoed through it as he drove back to his apartment. She was right, not since they had first met would he consider what they did as dating. The first few times, he’d taken her out to dinner and a movie or they visited one of the popular clubs in Buckhead. What they had was a relationship, one that was more like a marriage than he cared to admit.
COMING LATE WINTER 2016
November 27, 2015
New Release Spotlight!
Today is "Black Friday," which is traditionally is a shopping day, so I wanted to share a wonderful book to buy for your children or grandchildren. It's titled,
Nappy and the First Day of Kindergarten
.
The author is Arnitris Strong, and she is giving away a copy of the book to one lucky commenter.
Here's what she has to say about her writing and this delightful new book:
Earlier this year, I began my blog Blessed be the Tie as an exploration into the intricacies of the mother/daughter relationship. That relationship is the filter through which that child will identify and relate with the world around them. I began to realize that the strained, almost non-existent relationship with my mother was affecting the bond with my own girls. I was determined to break the cycle. My mother and I committed ourselves to working on our
bond.Blessed be the tie was my way of chronicling that journey. I have gotten support from people that I have never met, it seems that difficult relationships with mothers are universal. At some point, each of us have experienced a disagreement with our mothers. If we are
persistent we can get past it, but I realize everyone isn't so fortunate.
Since January, the site has expanded to include Mom, You are the real MVP- my monthly tribute to mompreneurs. As a busy working mom, I struggled to incorporate quality mommy and me time. I vividly recall a scene a few years ago as I drove my daughter, Destani to school. I asked about her best friend, Kerry Ann. Destani told me that they were no longer friends. This wasn't an especially rare occurrence, friends grow apart or have differences all the time. But, I felt this tremendous amount of guilt. I was so busy working and providing for my girls that I wasn't enjoying their childhood. I felt like a failure as a mother. In fact, I cried all the way to work. The Lion King on Broadway was scheduled to perform in Atlanta the following weekend.I bought tickets and scheduled a date with my daughter, just her and I. We had lunch and saw the show, we called it a mommy and me date. Each month I try to schedule time to spend with each one of them alone and just catch up. The dates are not always so elaborate, they can be as simple as Netflix and popcorn. The point is to create memories and to have quality time. I have begun to include a section of mommy and me experiences on the site, along with recipes that can be prepared with the help of the little ones. There is also a section where I discuss current events called A Spoonful of Sugar with Arnitris that is being revamped for January 2016. I also plan to provide live mommy and me experiences to encourage the strengthening of the ties that bind mothers and their children.
Nappy and the First Day of Kindergarten is the first physical product that Blessed be the Tie is offering. It is a result of a partnership through the CoLAB project. The CoLAB project is an effort by Latina bloggers, the ALT society and Be Blogalicious to bring awareness to
bloggers of different communities. Each participant was paired with a blogger from a different community. My partnership can only be described as divine intervention, because I was paired with an amazing artist - Beth Allen.
A few years ago, it was a habit to entertain my coworkers with the antics of my girls. A coworker remarked that I should write a book about them, and the seed was planted. Initially, I was only interested in winning tickets to Blogalicious, but it only seemed right to monetize the book. This is the first in a series of books, as you can see this one is centered around Nappy's first day in kindergarten. The plan is to follow her through each grade, eventually progressing to chapter books. I also have plans to introduce literacy aids based on the characters in the books. My experience as a reading tutor with AmeriCorps prompted me to create innovative ways to ensure my students grasped the concepts. Now it seems that all of that training was just preparation for this journey into my destiny.
Here's an excerpt from the book:
Destani scowled at her. She snatched the earbuds out of her ears and said, “What do you want?” She was always so grumpy.
“Never mind,” said Lynn.
Destani laughed. “How did you get butterflies in your stomach? Did you eat caterpillars, Nappy?”
“I knew she heard me,” thought Lynn.
“No, I did not eat caterpillars. And don’t call me Nappy!” Destani pushed Lynn as she walked past her.
“Why don’t you want me to call you Nappy? It is your name.”
“No, it is not,” Lynn replied.
Mom walked into the kitchen just in time.
“Stop teasing your sister, Des,” she said. “Are you going to eat cereal or do you want oatmeal, Lynn?”
“Do we have peaches and cream oatmeal?” Lynn asked.
Yes, we do. I will make it for you.” She looked at her watch. “Go ahead and get dressed. Put your robe on over your clothes so you don’t get dirty before you get to school.”
“She is going to be dirty when she gets home anyway,” Destani yelled from her bedroom.
“Shut…” Lynn began before looking up at her mother. She was not allowed to say “shut up”.
“Be quiet, Des,” Lynn said before she ran into her room to escape her mother’s gaze.
Mom had pressed Lynn’s white uniform shirt and navy blue skort last night. A new pair of white tights hung next to the skort. Lynn hated to wear the tights because they made her itch, but her mother thought she looked so cute in them. Lynn sat on the side of the bed and put on her tights, then she slid on her skort, and slipped into her blouse. Just then, her mother walked into her room.
Let me help you, baby,” she said.
“No, Mommy I can do it!” Lynn replied.
Mother glanced at her watch. “I know you can do it sweetheart but we need to leave soon and you still have to eat. Let me help.”
“Moommmyyy, I cann do it,” Lynn said before the first tears began to fall.
You can get in touch with Arnitris at the following links:http://www.blessedbethetie.com
Twitter & Instagram handles - @arntrs77
FB fan page- Blessed be the tie
email- arnitris@blessedbethetie.com
The author is Arnitris Strong, and she is giving away a copy of the book to one lucky commenter.
Here's what she has to say about her writing and this delightful new book:
Earlier this year, I began my blog Blessed be the Tie as an exploration into the intricacies of the mother/daughter relationship. That relationship is the filter through which that child will identify and relate with the world around them. I began to realize that the strained, almost non-existent relationship with my mother was affecting the bond with my own girls. I was determined to break the cycle. My mother and I committed ourselves to working on our
bond.Blessed be the tie was my way of chronicling that journey. I have gotten support from people that I have never met, it seems that difficult relationships with mothers are universal. At some point, each of us have experienced a disagreement with our mothers. If we are
persistent we can get past it, but I realize everyone isn't so fortunate.
Since January, the site has expanded to include Mom, You are the real MVP- my monthly tribute to mompreneurs. As a busy working mom, I struggled to incorporate quality mommy and me time. I vividly recall a scene a few years ago as I drove my daughter, Destani to school. I asked about her best friend, Kerry Ann. Destani told me that they were no longer friends. This wasn't an especially rare occurrence, friends grow apart or have differences all the time. But, I felt this tremendous amount of guilt. I was so busy working and providing for my girls that I wasn't enjoying their childhood. I felt like a failure as a mother. In fact, I cried all the way to work. The Lion King on Broadway was scheduled to perform in Atlanta the following weekend.I bought tickets and scheduled a date with my daughter, just her and I. We had lunch and saw the show, we called it a mommy and me date. Each month I try to schedule time to spend with each one of them alone and just catch up. The dates are not always so elaborate, they can be as simple as Netflix and popcorn. The point is to create memories and to have quality time. I have begun to include a section of mommy and me experiences on the site, along with recipes that can be prepared with the help of the little ones. There is also a section where I discuss current events called A Spoonful of Sugar with Arnitris that is being revamped for January 2016. I also plan to provide live mommy and me experiences to encourage the strengthening of the ties that bind mothers and their children.
Nappy and the First Day of Kindergarten is the first physical product that Blessed be the Tie is offering. It is a result of a partnership through the CoLAB project. The CoLAB project is an effort by Latina bloggers, the ALT society and Be Blogalicious to bring awareness to
bloggers of different communities. Each participant was paired with a blogger from a different community. My partnership can only be described as divine intervention, because I was paired with an amazing artist - Beth Allen.
A few years ago, it was a habit to entertain my coworkers with the antics of my girls. A coworker remarked that I should write a book about them, and the seed was planted. Initially, I was only interested in winning tickets to Blogalicious, but it only seemed right to monetize the book. This is the first in a series of books, as you can see this one is centered around Nappy's first day in kindergarten. The plan is to follow her through each grade, eventually progressing to chapter books. I also have plans to introduce literacy aids based on the characters in the books. My experience as a reading tutor with AmeriCorps prompted me to create innovative ways to ensure my students grasped the concepts. Now it seems that all of that training was just preparation for this journey into my destiny.
Here's an excerpt from the book:
Destani scowled at her. She snatched the earbuds out of her ears and said, “What do you want?” She was always so grumpy.
“Never mind,” said Lynn.
Destani laughed. “How did you get butterflies in your stomach? Did you eat caterpillars, Nappy?”
“I knew she heard me,” thought Lynn.
“No, I did not eat caterpillars. And don’t call me Nappy!” Destani pushed Lynn as she walked past her.
“Why don’t you want me to call you Nappy? It is your name.”
“No, it is not,” Lynn replied.
Mom walked into the kitchen just in time.
“Stop teasing your sister, Des,” she said. “Are you going to eat cereal or do you want oatmeal, Lynn?”
“Do we have peaches and cream oatmeal?” Lynn asked.
Yes, we do. I will make it for you.” She looked at her watch. “Go ahead and get dressed. Put your robe on over your clothes so you don’t get dirty before you get to school.”
“She is going to be dirty when she gets home anyway,” Destani yelled from her bedroom.
“Shut…” Lynn began before looking up at her mother. She was not allowed to say “shut up”.
“Be quiet, Des,” Lynn said before she ran into her room to escape her mother’s gaze.
Mom had pressed Lynn’s white uniform shirt and navy blue skort last night. A new pair of white tights hung next to the skort. Lynn hated to wear the tights because they made her itch, but her mother thought she looked so cute in them. Lynn sat on the side of the bed and put on her tights, then she slid on her skort, and slipped into her blouse. Just then, her mother walked into her room.
Let me help you, baby,” she said.
“No, Mommy I can do it!” Lynn replied.
Mother glanced at her watch. “I know you can do it sweetheart but we need to leave soon and you still have to eat. Let me help.”
“Moommmyyy, I cann do it,” Lynn said before the first tears began to fall.
You can get in touch with Arnitris at the following links:http://www.blessedbethetie.com
Twitter & Instagram handles - @arntrs77
FB fan page- Blessed be the tie
email- arnitris@blessedbethetie.com
November 24, 2015
Character Inspiration
Those who have been reading my The Stafford Brothers Novels know that only Nick's and Jesse's stories are remaining. I decided months ago to pattern Dr. Jesse's character after Jesse Williams from Grey's Anatomy. Readers will get a peek into his story at the end of I WANT YOU BACK. He's on the cover of next month's EBONY magazine with Harry Belafonte, one of the original actor/activists!
Jesse is not only physically gorgeous, but he is a very intelligent, erudite man. I believe he will follow in the footsteps of Mr. Belafonte and eventually leave Hollywood to become a powerful leader in the movement against injustice in this country.
Jesse is not only physically gorgeous, but he is a very intelligent, erudite man. I believe he will follow in the footsteps of Mr. Belafonte and eventually leave Hollywood to become a powerful leader in the movement against injustice in this country.
November 17, 2015
New Release Spotlight
Genre: Contemporary Romance
A GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT
Publication Date: 10-24-2015
ASIN: B0172YH9XM
Author: Joy Avery
When it comes to love, all deals are off! Blake Farrington knows exactly who to call when he finds himself needing crisis management. Yes, this task is outside Eunice Howard’s usual realm of responsibilities, but he’s willing to make it worth her time. Plus, she’s ideal for the role. Who better to play his pretend lover than the one woman who knows him almost better than he knows himself? The last thing Eunice Howard expects when summoned to her boss’s office is a request to play the role of his new love interest to appease his mother, restless to marry him off. Foolishly agreeing, she ventures with him to Farrington Estates for the Thanksgiving holiday. She thought she’d seen all sides of Blake Farrington, but the man who emerges is a man she could easily love. Their agreement blossoms into a connection neither expected—nor are willing to admit. When the lines between make-believe and reality blur, something phenomenal occurs.
Joy Avery is a contemporary romance author who loves watching her imaginary friends fall in love. When not crafting her next love story, she enjoys reading, spending time with the family, playing with her two dogs, and cake decorating. She’s the author of the novels Smoke in the Citi, His Until Sunrise (book 1 in the Indigo Falls series), Cupid’s Error-a Valentine’s novella, and His Ultimate Desire (book 2 in the Indigo Falls series).
November 6, 2015
Focus
One of the things I've been proud of in my writing career is my ability to start a book and be able to focus on the story until I type The End. Often, once I pass the halfway point in my current work-in-progress, ideas start coming to me for the next story. That has worked pretty well for me. I started working on Book Five in the Stafford Brothers series about a month ago, but this time something strange happened. Book Five is Nick Stafford's story. The last book in the series will be Jesse Stafford's story.
After that, I was considering writing a standalone book, but while Mr. Chicki and I were on vacation, I got a different idea. On our way to Panama City Beach, Florida, we drove through a small town in Alabama called Eufaula. It's a town on a huge lake bordered by beautiful contemporary lake homes. In another part of town there is a historic district with amazing Victorian, colonial and antebellum homes. I was so taken with the place, I started making notes in the car.
A couple of weeks after we returned home, I was hanging out on Facebook and saw a post by another author which said she was selling her books at the Eufaula Fall Festival! I sent her a message asking if she was in Alabama or Oklahoma, because both states have a Eufaula. She wrote back and said she lives in Eufaula, Alabama, and she agreed to answer my questions about the town. Having an insider to help me with the details is like hitting a gold mine! Since my books are always set in real locations, I usually do a lot of research on sites like Citi-Data.com, convention and visitor's bureau, Chamber of Commerce, etc.
I also have a hero of this book. He's a biker who is passing through Eufaula on his way from Atlanta to Panama City Beach with his motorcycle club. My Facebook friends chose him out of six character role models...
My challenge right now is to maintain my focus on Nick's book while these other two stories percolate in my head...
After that, I was considering writing a standalone book, but while Mr. Chicki and I were on vacation, I got a different idea. On our way to Panama City Beach, Florida, we drove through a small town in Alabama called Eufaula. It's a town on a huge lake bordered by beautiful contemporary lake homes. In another part of town there is a historic district with amazing Victorian, colonial and antebellum homes. I was so taken with the place, I started making notes in the car.
A couple of weeks after we returned home, I was hanging out on Facebook and saw a post by another author which said she was selling her books at the Eufaula Fall Festival! I sent her a message asking if she was in Alabama or Oklahoma, because both states have a Eufaula. She wrote back and said she lives in Eufaula, Alabama, and she agreed to answer my questions about the town. Having an insider to help me with the details is like hitting a gold mine! Since my books are always set in real locations, I usually do a lot of research on sites like Citi-Data.com, convention and visitor's bureau, Chamber of Commerce, etc.
I also have a hero of this book. He's a biker who is passing through Eufaula on his way from Atlanta to Panama City Beach with his motorcycle club. My Facebook friends chose him out of six character role models...
My challenge right now is to maintain my focus on Nick's book while these other two stories percolate in my head...
October 27, 2015
New Release Showcase
Today I am pleased to feature the brand new release from author Nigeria Lockley,
Author is giving away one autographed copy of Tempted to Touch and a $10.00 Amazon gift card. a Rafflecopter giveaway Tempted to Touch Publisher: Inheritance Books (October 27, 2015) ASIN: B013W6BUIY Genre: Christian Fiction Author: Nigeria Lockley
Kira Seagram is frustrated by her husband Mason’s zeal for the Lord, so she pours all of her attention into her work and reserves her soprano singing skills for the shower. Kira would rather not use them if she get can’t the adoration and recognition she feels she deserves and doubts she’ll find singing lead for Mason’s choir. When a routine drop off at her son, Nate’s private school turns into a ten-year reunion with her ex-boyfriend, Quincy McAdams, Kira isn’t interested in Mason's half-hearted affection or willing to keep her voice to herself. With a firm offer from Quincy to help Kira cut a demo and possibly revive the love they let die, Kira has some choices to make. When Kira finds herself tempted to touch will she remain faithful to her husband or yield to the desires of her flesh?
When I rounded the corner Meena, my secretary, was standing in front of her desk smiling and waving at me. Her attentiveness and bright smile cut right into my investigation into why my marriage was beginning to fail. “Hi, Meena. Did you miss me?” I asked, referring to the way she was waiting to greet me like a lap dog. “Mrs. Seagram, you’re so funny,” she said, swiping her wispy brunette hair out of her eyes. “I’m so excited to see you because I can’t wait to see the look on your face when you go into your office.” “Ugh.” I groaned, letting my arms droop at my sides. “You didn’t redecorate again, did you?” “No. While you were at lunch you received a delivery and it’s mighty extravagant. I hope that after I’ve been married for ten years my husband still does things like Mr. Seagram.” “Thank you, Meena. I’m sure it’s nothing out of the ordinary,” I said as I walked past her desk. I turned the knob and my stomach dropped to my heels. On the other side of the door a tall medley of flowers and fruit curled into a G clef awaited me. A smile spread across my face as I approached this massive fruit salad structure. I fingered the petals of the black orchids and inspected the assortment of fruits—pineapple chunks, mangoes, and strawberries covered in white chocolate. All of my favorite things were neatly assembled on my desk. Mason must have thought there was another dog sniffing around his backyard. “Excuse me,” I said to Meena who was still standing in the doorway gawking at the flowers as I picked up the phone and dialed Mason’s cell phone number. He probably thought this massive floral arrangement would get me to join the choir and keep my affections at home. I would have preferred some new shoes. Shoot, for a new pair of Fendi pumps I’d churn out “I Go to the Rock” in a heartbeat and have them saints running up and down the aisle of our church in a minute. “Praise the Lord!” Mason shouted into the phone when he answered. Why did he have to be all holy all the time? “Hello, Mason.” “What’s going on, my love? You usually don’t call me in the middle of the day.” “You tell me what’s going on, Mason. Do you think that a little gallant gesture and some white chocolate will get me to work on the record with your choir?” “What are you talking about?” “You know exactly what I’m talking about. The floral arrangement—” “Floral arrangement?” he queried, cutting me off. “If you thought that an oversized wreath would get me to sing with that little gospel choir of yours, you’re wrong.” “Kira, I did not send you any floral arrangement.” Half listening to his spiel, I dug my hand into the center of the arrangement and removed the card. Without your voice my music is all blues and no rhythm. ~Q I read the message again and flashes of heat coursed through my fingers. His vulnerability was sexy. Quincy McAdams had gone from a chemistry major to a music mogul and his life was still missing something. The words on the card spoke louder to me than Mason until he shouted into the receiver, “Well, where did the flowers come from? I will not ask again.”
Nigeria Lockley possesses two master's degrees, one in English secondary education, which she utilizes as an educator with the New York City Department of Education. Her second master's degree is in creative writing. Nigeria's debut novel, Born at Dawn received the 2015 Phillis Wheatley Award for First Fiction. Nigeria serves as the Vice President of Bridges Family Services, a not-for-profit organization that assists student parents interested in pursuing a degree in higher education. She is also the deaconess and clerk for her spiritual home, King of Kings and Lord of Lords Church of God. Nigeria is a New York native who resides in Harlem with her husband and two daughters.
Author is giving away one autographed copy of Tempted to Touch and a $10.00 Amazon gift card. a Rafflecopter giveaway Tempted to Touch Publisher: Inheritance Books (October 27, 2015) ASIN: B013W6BUIY Genre: Christian Fiction Author: Nigeria Lockley
Kira Seagram is frustrated by her husband Mason’s zeal for the Lord, so she pours all of her attention into her work and reserves her soprano singing skills for the shower. Kira would rather not use them if she get can’t the adoration and recognition she feels she deserves and doubts she’ll find singing lead for Mason’s choir. When a routine drop off at her son, Nate’s private school turns into a ten-year reunion with her ex-boyfriend, Quincy McAdams, Kira isn’t interested in Mason's half-hearted affection or willing to keep her voice to herself. With a firm offer from Quincy to help Kira cut a demo and possibly revive the love they let die, Kira has some choices to make. When Kira finds herself tempted to touch will she remain faithful to her husband or yield to the desires of her flesh?
When I rounded the corner Meena, my secretary, was standing in front of her desk smiling and waving at me. Her attentiveness and bright smile cut right into my investigation into why my marriage was beginning to fail. “Hi, Meena. Did you miss me?” I asked, referring to the way she was waiting to greet me like a lap dog. “Mrs. Seagram, you’re so funny,” she said, swiping her wispy brunette hair out of her eyes. “I’m so excited to see you because I can’t wait to see the look on your face when you go into your office.” “Ugh.” I groaned, letting my arms droop at my sides. “You didn’t redecorate again, did you?” “No. While you were at lunch you received a delivery and it’s mighty extravagant. I hope that after I’ve been married for ten years my husband still does things like Mr. Seagram.” “Thank you, Meena. I’m sure it’s nothing out of the ordinary,” I said as I walked past her desk. I turned the knob and my stomach dropped to my heels. On the other side of the door a tall medley of flowers and fruit curled into a G clef awaited me. A smile spread across my face as I approached this massive fruit salad structure. I fingered the petals of the black orchids and inspected the assortment of fruits—pineapple chunks, mangoes, and strawberries covered in white chocolate. All of my favorite things were neatly assembled on my desk. Mason must have thought there was another dog sniffing around his backyard. “Excuse me,” I said to Meena who was still standing in the doorway gawking at the flowers as I picked up the phone and dialed Mason’s cell phone number. He probably thought this massive floral arrangement would get me to join the choir and keep my affections at home. I would have preferred some new shoes. Shoot, for a new pair of Fendi pumps I’d churn out “I Go to the Rock” in a heartbeat and have them saints running up and down the aisle of our church in a minute. “Praise the Lord!” Mason shouted into the phone when he answered. Why did he have to be all holy all the time? “Hello, Mason.” “What’s going on, my love? You usually don’t call me in the middle of the day.” “You tell me what’s going on, Mason. Do you think that a little gallant gesture and some white chocolate will get me to work on the record with your choir?” “What are you talking about?” “You know exactly what I’m talking about. The floral arrangement—” “Floral arrangement?” he queried, cutting me off. “If you thought that an oversized wreath would get me to sing with that little gospel choir of yours, you’re wrong.” “Kira, I did not send you any floral arrangement.” Half listening to his spiel, I dug my hand into the center of the arrangement and removed the card. Without your voice my music is all blues and no rhythm. ~Q I read the message again and flashes of heat coursed through my fingers. His vulnerability was sexy. Quincy McAdams had gone from a chemistry major to a music mogul and his life was still missing something. The words on the card spoke louder to me than Mason until he shouted into the receiver, “Well, where did the flowers come from? I will not ask again.”
Nigeria Lockley possesses two master's degrees, one in English secondary education, which she utilizes as an educator with the New York City Department of Education. Her second master's degree is in creative writing. Nigeria's debut novel, Born at Dawn received the 2015 Phillis Wheatley Award for First Fiction. Nigeria serves as the Vice President of Bridges Family Services, a not-for-profit organization that assists student parents interested in pursuing a degree in higher education. She is also the deaconess and clerk for her spiritual home, King of Kings and Lord of Lords Church of God. Nigeria is a New York native who resides in Harlem with her husband and two daughters.
October 11, 2015
Sample Sunday
By the time the day ended, he’d garnered some critical information and learned about a new surgical technique, but he was mentally drained. Some of the doctors had plans to hit the Magnificent Mile to check out the nightlife, but Vic wasn’t up for it. Instead he chose to have dinner in Andiamo, the hotel’s Italian restaurant. When he entered, he saw Heather sitting alone at the bar. She didn’t see him at first, and his immediate instinct was to simply take a seat without acknowledging her, but that was ridiculous. There wouldn’t be any harm in asking if she was waiting on a date. Their conversation last night had been friendly and upbeat, and God only knew how much he could use a little pleasant and positive interaction with a woman.“Heather.” He came up behind her. “It looks like we had the same idea. Are you waiting for someone?”She glanced up at him, with a surprised smile. “Vic, we meet again. No, I’m not expecting anyone. Just stopped in for a drink. Please, have a seat,” she said, indicating the stool next to her.“Well, I was planning to have dinner. Would you like to join me?”Her smile widened. “Yes, I’d like that.”Vic took her hand to help her dismount the stool. She was only about five-foot-five, and while seated, her feet didn’t reach the floor. He inhaled as he got a whiff of her perfume, a light fragrance with a refreshing hint of lemon, and reminded himself of what he’d told Trey about white women. It didn’t take much to put a brother in a bad light when seen in public with them. The hostess sat them at a table with a high-back booth on one side, which gave it an intimate feel–more intimate than he would’ve preferred. “My colleagues wanted to investigate the clubs tonight, and I wasn’t in the mood.” Vic’s gaze ran over her. She was well-dressed, wore just the right amount of makeup and exposed only a peek of cleavage beneath a feminine ruffled-neck blouse. “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but if you were hoping to meet someone tonight, I don’t want to block that.”Her blue gaze dropped to his left hand then she studied him as though she were trying to figure him out. “I have met someone.” She smiled. “Let’s order dinner.”“Why did you decide to become a doctor, Vic?”“My father, my two uncles and two of my brothers are doctors.” He smiled at the way her eyebrows lifted.“So you’re carrying on a family tradition then?”“I guess you could say that. It’s all I ever wanted to do. A couple of my brothers say they felt pressured to go into medicine, but I didn’t feel any pressure. I admired my father and the good work he was able to do for his patients.”Heather seemed fascinated to hear that he came from a family of physicians. She leaned forward and twisted a lock of her hair around her index finger. “That says a lot about him and what kind of man he is. I grew up in a small town in Arkansas and never knew any professional African-Americans.”Vic marveled at how easily they communicated. It felt like a second date as he devoured his house salad, New York sirloin, mashed potatoes and a glass of Zinfandel. When he mentioned his mother had been a teacher, they talked at length about Heather’s job as an elementary school teacher. She suggested they split the chocolate fudge cake topped with whipped cream and raspberry coulis, and he ordered after-dinner cocktails. She had been nursing a drink when he came in, and by the way she giggled and kept touching his arm, he thought she was a little buzzed. But when their dessert arrived, and she dipped a spoon into the rich treat and raised it to his lips, he was certain his pretty companion was now tipsy.“Come on, taste it,” she said, drawing her words out lazily and locking her seductive gaze with his.Vic parted his lips enough for her to insert the spoon then closed them and savored the rich fruity chocolate flavor. Actually, he used the brief moment to consider what he might say when he opened them. “I’m married, Heather,” he said, choosing to go the direct route. “So,” she said, holding his gaze, refilling the spoon and bringing it to his mouth again. The whole scene was so seductive, and his body responded against his will. Reluctantly, he received the second spoonful then, when he opened his mouth to continue explaining why this little rendezvous was improper, she filled it with her tongue. As much as he knew he should’ve resisted, he didn’t, and he responded with matching enthusiasm. A moment later, he literally pushed her away.“Are you driving tonight?” Her eyes filled with expectation. “No. What do you have in mind?”
October 4, 2015
Sample Sunday
Today I'm sharing an excerpt from I'm Losing You. In this scene, Mona Stafford goes to visit her mother to talk about her issues with Vic.
Mona got into the car and hit the button to put the top down. She snatched her hair up into a ponytail and secured it with one of the elastic hair ties from the emergency makeup bag she kept in the glove box. It probably would’ve made more sense to leave the convertible top up and put the air on, but she felt as though steam was pouring from the top of her head. The breeze might help to clear her head.
Hadn’t Vic made it clear? The answer to their problem wasn’t for him to make more room for her in his schedule. No, he wanted her to busy herself, so he wouldn’t have to be burdened with her. The idea disturbed her deeply, because they had always shared everything. Even when he was an intern putting in eighty-hour weeks, she had been his sounding board. He’d included her in what was going on in his life. Their best times were when he confided in her after they had made love and lay in each other’s arms. Yes, he had given her all kinds of material things, but they weren’t what mattered most to her.Maybe he was simply tired of her. After all, they had been married for more than a decade, but she’d followed her mother’s advice and done everything humanly possible to keep herself as close to how she looked on their wedding day. Granted, after two pregnancies she’d put on about fifteen pounds, and her body wasn’t as tight as it was when they met. But it was close. His brother, Charles had even given her a minor tummy tuck and a breast lift before he’d closed his plastic surgery practice. What more could she do? Quite possibly he’d gotten bored with her. He worked with professional women who had degrees and could relate to him intellectually, which she couldn’t do, but it never seemed to bother him before. As she drove with no idea where she was going, visions of her husband engaged in stimulating conversation with different women at work raced through her mind. Her intention when she’d gotten into the car was not to visit her mother, but when she finally realized it, she was turning onto her street in Decatur. She’d been driving for a half hour. When she parked in the driveway, Mona sat for a moment asking herself why she was there. Of all the people in the world, she knew what her mother would have to say, but there wasn’t anyone else she could talk to about her current situation. She didn’t want to mention anything to Daphine until she knew for sure exactly what was happening with Vic.“Hi, Ma,” she said when the older woman opened the front door with widened eyes.“Ramona, what are you doing here?”She stepped around her mother and into the living room of the cozy brick bungalow. “Gee, thanks for the warm welcome.”“Stop it! You know I’m happy to see you. It’s just rare for you to come by on the weekend.” Cecily Cox or Cee Cee, as her friends called her, eyed her daughter with a skeptical squint. “So…what’s wrong?”Mona headed down the wide wood slats of the hallway into the kitchen. “Why does there have to be something wrong? Do you have any coffee?”“Of course I have coffee. You bought me the brewer, remember?” Mona approached the coffeemaker as though she were on a mission. After she chose a flavor from one of the boxes on the counter, she opened the lid, inserted the K cup, impatiently closed the cover and pressed brew.“Don’t tell me nothing’s bothering you. I can tell by the way you slammed that lid. Sit down and talk, girl.” Her mother pulled out a chair at the table.Mona slumped down onto the seat. “It’s Vic. I think he’s tired of me.”“Why on earth would you think that?”“He’s so wrapped up in his job, it’s almost like he doesn’t even see me anymore.”“Impossible! You’re just as gorgeous as you were the day you walked down the aisle.”“That’s just it. I think he’s lost interest in me. He keeps telling me I need to find something to occupy my time.”Her mother reared back in her chair. “You have a house, two sons to take care of and your volunteer work. I would think that’s enough to keep any woman occupied.”“Well…I don’t really take care of the house, Maite does. We have a cleaning service, a landscaping company and someone else to take care of the pool. I think what he means is I need to get a job.”“A job!” Her mother looked stricken. “Ridiculous. Why in the world do you need to work?” The epitome of the pageant mom, Cecily Cox had raised her daughter to be a beauty queen, a woman who would be put on a pedestal by a successful man. And she had achieved her goal. “He didn’t come right out and say it, but it’s what I believe he meant. Vic works around smart, educated women all day, and then he comes home to me. All I know how to do is walk a runway and smile.”“And I suppose that’s my fault.”“I didn’t say that. Why do you always read something into everything I say?”“You have a bachelor’s degree, and you were crowned Miss Georgia, for God’s sake!”“And both of those equate to absolutely nothing in the real world,” she said, knowing her mother had only sent her to college to find a suitable husband. And her mother’s plan had worked.She gave Mona a confused look. “Didn’t he tell you from the beginning he wanted you to stay home with Trey and Julian?”“Yes, but I guess he figures they’ve both been in school all day for years now.”“So what are you saying?”“I don’t know. All I know is I’m not willing to let Vic put me on the shelf as though I don’t matter anymore.”“Ramona, Vic is a good man, and you have to do everything you can to keep him. Are you?”Her hair swished as she tossed her head back and forth in frustration. “I know he’s a good man, but I don’t know what else I can do. We don’t talk the way we used to. Now he seems to want to keep everything to himself.” “Well, if you don’t want to lose him, you’d better find out what he needs and start doing it.”“Don’t you think I would, if I knew what it was he wanted? And did it ever occur to you that maybe he needs to start doing something? Vic has always been perfect in your mind. Well, guess what? He isn’t.”“I never said he was perfect, but he’s as close to it as I’ve ever seen. No matter what you need to do to get his interest back, do it.”The clock above the sink said it was only six o’clock, but Mona needed to escape from the unspoken accusations. She cringed at the idea of going home. The last thing she wanted to do was get into another disagreement with Vic, so she kissed her mother goodbye and headed to Cakes and Ale. If she went to a restaurant, she could waste a couple of hours, and since she wasn’t dressed up for dinner as she normally would’ve been, this was a perfect spot. By the time she got home, hopefully Vic would be asleep.Women who went out to dinner or a movie alone had always seemed a little pathetic to her. It was as though they were advertising their loneliness to the world. Until now, she’d never found herself in this position. Once inside the casual, yet pricey eatery, she asked the hostess for a corner table and ordered a glass of wine instead of an appetizer and the pork loin with polenta and savoy cabbage as her entree.The entire time she lingered over her meal, the advice of the two women she loved and respected kept replaying in her head. She tended to give more credence to Vic’s mother’s advice, because she’d been through it herself. Her mother was looking at everything from the outside, and she tended to glamorize it all. By the time she finished eating, Mona had come to a conclusion. Everything she’d done so far had failed to get Vic’s attention, but knowing her husband as well as she did, there was one thing that would make him take notice of her once again. It was risky, but nothing else had worked thus far. Just like his patients who coded on the operating table, he needed to be shocked back to life.
Kindle - http://amzn.to/1KMoCXi Nook - http://bit.ly/1USTKcl& Kobo - http://bit.ly/1NDYMDKand in paperback - CreateSpace eStore: https://www.createspace.com/5760829
Mona got into the car and hit the button to put the top down. She snatched her hair up into a ponytail and secured it with one of the elastic hair ties from the emergency makeup bag she kept in the glove box. It probably would’ve made more sense to leave the convertible top up and put the air on, but she felt as though steam was pouring from the top of her head. The breeze might help to clear her head.
Hadn’t Vic made it clear? The answer to their problem wasn’t for him to make more room for her in his schedule. No, he wanted her to busy herself, so he wouldn’t have to be burdened with her. The idea disturbed her deeply, because they had always shared everything. Even when he was an intern putting in eighty-hour weeks, she had been his sounding board. He’d included her in what was going on in his life. Their best times were when he confided in her after they had made love and lay in each other’s arms. Yes, he had given her all kinds of material things, but they weren’t what mattered most to her.Maybe he was simply tired of her. After all, they had been married for more than a decade, but she’d followed her mother’s advice and done everything humanly possible to keep herself as close to how she looked on their wedding day. Granted, after two pregnancies she’d put on about fifteen pounds, and her body wasn’t as tight as it was when they met. But it was close. His brother, Charles had even given her a minor tummy tuck and a breast lift before he’d closed his plastic surgery practice. What more could she do? Quite possibly he’d gotten bored with her. He worked with professional women who had degrees and could relate to him intellectually, which she couldn’t do, but it never seemed to bother him before. As she drove with no idea where she was going, visions of her husband engaged in stimulating conversation with different women at work raced through her mind. Her intention when she’d gotten into the car was not to visit her mother, but when she finally realized it, she was turning onto her street in Decatur. She’d been driving for a half hour. When she parked in the driveway, Mona sat for a moment asking herself why she was there. Of all the people in the world, she knew what her mother would have to say, but there wasn’t anyone else she could talk to about her current situation. She didn’t want to mention anything to Daphine until she knew for sure exactly what was happening with Vic.“Hi, Ma,” she said when the older woman opened the front door with widened eyes.“Ramona, what are you doing here?”She stepped around her mother and into the living room of the cozy brick bungalow. “Gee, thanks for the warm welcome.”“Stop it! You know I’m happy to see you. It’s just rare for you to come by on the weekend.” Cecily Cox or Cee Cee, as her friends called her, eyed her daughter with a skeptical squint. “So…what’s wrong?”Mona headed down the wide wood slats of the hallway into the kitchen. “Why does there have to be something wrong? Do you have any coffee?”“Of course I have coffee. You bought me the brewer, remember?” Mona approached the coffeemaker as though she were on a mission. After she chose a flavor from one of the boxes on the counter, she opened the lid, inserted the K cup, impatiently closed the cover and pressed brew.“Don’t tell me nothing’s bothering you. I can tell by the way you slammed that lid. Sit down and talk, girl.” Her mother pulled out a chair at the table.Mona slumped down onto the seat. “It’s Vic. I think he’s tired of me.”“Why on earth would you think that?”“He’s so wrapped up in his job, it’s almost like he doesn’t even see me anymore.”“Impossible! You’re just as gorgeous as you were the day you walked down the aisle.”“That’s just it. I think he’s lost interest in me. He keeps telling me I need to find something to occupy my time.”Her mother reared back in her chair. “You have a house, two sons to take care of and your volunteer work. I would think that’s enough to keep any woman occupied.”“Well…I don’t really take care of the house, Maite does. We have a cleaning service, a landscaping company and someone else to take care of the pool. I think what he means is I need to get a job.”“A job!” Her mother looked stricken. “Ridiculous. Why in the world do you need to work?” The epitome of the pageant mom, Cecily Cox had raised her daughter to be a beauty queen, a woman who would be put on a pedestal by a successful man. And she had achieved her goal. “He didn’t come right out and say it, but it’s what I believe he meant. Vic works around smart, educated women all day, and then he comes home to me. All I know how to do is walk a runway and smile.”“And I suppose that’s my fault.”“I didn’t say that. Why do you always read something into everything I say?”“You have a bachelor’s degree, and you were crowned Miss Georgia, for God’s sake!”“And both of those equate to absolutely nothing in the real world,” she said, knowing her mother had only sent her to college to find a suitable husband. And her mother’s plan had worked.She gave Mona a confused look. “Didn’t he tell you from the beginning he wanted you to stay home with Trey and Julian?”“Yes, but I guess he figures they’ve both been in school all day for years now.”“So what are you saying?”“I don’t know. All I know is I’m not willing to let Vic put me on the shelf as though I don’t matter anymore.”“Ramona, Vic is a good man, and you have to do everything you can to keep him. Are you?”Her hair swished as she tossed her head back and forth in frustration. “I know he’s a good man, but I don’t know what else I can do. We don’t talk the way we used to. Now he seems to want to keep everything to himself.” “Well, if you don’t want to lose him, you’d better find out what he needs and start doing it.”“Don’t you think I would, if I knew what it was he wanted? And did it ever occur to you that maybe he needs to start doing something? Vic has always been perfect in your mind. Well, guess what? He isn’t.”“I never said he was perfect, but he’s as close to it as I’ve ever seen. No matter what you need to do to get his interest back, do it.”The clock above the sink said it was only six o’clock, but Mona needed to escape from the unspoken accusations. She cringed at the idea of going home. The last thing she wanted to do was get into another disagreement with Vic, so she kissed her mother goodbye and headed to Cakes and Ale. If she went to a restaurant, she could waste a couple of hours, and since she wasn’t dressed up for dinner as she normally would’ve been, this was a perfect spot. By the time she got home, hopefully Vic would be asleep.Women who went out to dinner or a movie alone had always seemed a little pathetic to her. It was as though they were advertising their loneliness to the world. Until now, she’d never found herself in this position. Once inside the casual, yet pricey eatery, she asked the hostess for a corner table and ordered a glass of wine instead of an appetizer and the pork loin with polenta and savoy cabbage as her entree.The entire time she lingered over her meal, the advice of the two women she loved and respected kept replaying in her head. She tended to give more credence to Vic’s mother’s advice, because she’d been through it herself. Her mother was looking at everything from the outside, and she tended to glamorize it all. By the time she finished eating, Mona had come to a conclusion. Everything she’d done so far had failed to get Vic’s attention, but knowing her husband as well as she did, there was one thing that would make him take notice of her once again. It was risky, but nothing else had worked thus far. Just like his patients who coded on the operating table, he needed to be shocked back to life.
Kindle - http://amzn.to/1KMoCXi Nook - http://bit.ly/1USTKcl& Kobo - http://bit.ly/1NDYMDKand in paperback - CreateSpace eStore: https://www.createspace.com/5760829
September 30, 2015
Breaking new ground
I'm Losing You released two weeks ago, and sales have been fantastic. Thank you to everyone who bought a copy and also to those who bought the first book in the series. You are awesome!
I took a week off to get myself together and prepare to start the promotion parade, but now I'm back to writing and have jumped into I Want You Back , Book Five in the Stafford Brothers series. The first chapter had been written for inclusion at the end of Book Four, but I knew very little about Nick Stafford, the baby of the family other than the fact that he'd just graduated from medical school and had recently broken up with his girlfriend of two years, Cherilyn Vernon. I don't have a cover yet, but this picture represents the premise of the story.
Whenever I begin writing a new story, one of my favorite parts is uncovering the personalities, goals and motivations of the characters. As the title and this photo hint, Nick is on a campaign to win Cherilyn back after a seven-month breakup. Her hasty engagement to another man, who is an already successful neurosurgeon, complicates Nick's efforts at the beginning, but he refuses to give up.
As I write, I am finding out just who Nick and Cherilyn are. Being the youngest of the six brothers, he is used to having what he wants. He hasn't faced much opposition in his life, and he is thrown off balance when it becomes apparent that Cher isn't going to make his quest easy.
Cherilyn, the only girl in a family of four siblings, has her own successful career. She makes a good living as a voice coach at an Atlanta HBCU and gives private lessons on the side, but she's battles with self-esteem issues because of her size. Unlike her fiance', Nick never seemed to notice or care that her dress size isn't in the single digits. In fact, he always expressed his appreciation for her physical assets.
I'm only in Chapter Two, and I'm excited about starting a new story. I'll keep you posted on how it's going.
September 26, 2015
New Release Spotlight!
The awesome Deatri King-Bey is here today to share her new release, SOULMATE. Read on to find out what kind of enticing premise she's come up with this time!
The heart of the Precious Jewels Security Agency, Pearl Nicolas’s life has become one undercover assignment after the next. Happy, yet jealous, that her sisters are finding their soulmates, Pearl reluctantly accepts there is no soulmate out there for her… Or is there?
Tariq Suárez Anzar’s life changed when he became a single father of a teen. When a possible drug ring is suspected on his daughter’s prep school campus, the Precious Jewels are called in to find out exactly what is going on. But Tariq discovers so much more—Pearl. From the first moment they met, everything within him screamed, “She is your soulmate!”
Timing would be perfect for Tariq to go after his soulmate except one tiny thing—his daughter is Pearl’s only lead in the case. Patient as much as he is determined, he will not let this once in a lifetime chance slip by to have the family he wants.
Excerpt::Amber had never been more right in her life! Pearl continued staring at the headshot of Tariq Suárez Aznar in the Newton Academy’s staff gallery on the school’s website via her iPad. Teachers were not supposed to look like this. Had Professor Suárez been her math instructor, she wouldn’t have learned a thing from dreaming about him all day.
Sincere hazel eyes to gaze into, strong facial features to admire, lips plump enough for kissing, short wavy hair to run her fingers over—if his body were half as nice, she’d never solve the case from drooling over the man.
Resisting the urge to conduct a background check on him, she turned off her tablet and put it away. He’d hired them and deserved his privacy. This was business. Plus a man like him had to be married. Then again, what would she do with a boring teacher anyway? Good looks be damned, she needed a man who could keep up with her. One whose lifestyle matched hers enough that they wanted to share their lives together. She wanted someone who didn’t exist—her soulmate.
Disheartened, she walked from the bench in the main office over to the bulletin board. Pep rally, fundraiser, Halloween party, volleyball game schedule, football game schedule, math club meetings, science club meeting… nothing out of the ordinary.
“Excuse me, Ms. Nicholas?”
That soft, sexy voice had to belong to the new star of her fantasies. Much calmer than she felt, she turned and smiled politely. “Yes. Oh, Mr. Suárez.” Following Spanish tradition, she said his middle name, which was his father’s family name.
Appreciation burned in his bright eyes as he took her in from head to toe. She knew when a man was attracted to her, and Mr. Suárez definitely was.
Available in:Kindle http://tinyurl.com/p55huf8Nook: http://tinyurl.com/qfbtq2sPrint: Coming soon
You can check out all of Deatri's work on her web site here: http://www.DeatriKingBey.com
The heart of the Precious Jewels Security Agency, Pearl Nicolas’s life has become one undercover assignment after the next. Happy, yet jealous, that her sisters are finding their soulmates, Pearl reluctantly accepts there is no soulmate out there for her… Or is there?
Tariq Suárez Anzar’s life changed when he became a single father of a teen. When a possible drug ring is suspected on his daughter’s prep school campus, the Precious Jewels are called in to find out exactly what is going on. But Tariq discovers so much more—Pearl. From the first moment they met, everything within him screamed, “She is your soulmate!”
Timing would be perfect for Tariq to go after his soulmate except one tiny thing—his daughter is Pearl’s only lead in the case. Patient as much as he is determined, he will not let this once in a lifetime chance slip by to have the family he wants.
Excerpt::Amber had never been more right in her life! Pearl continued staring at the headshot of Tariq Suárez Aznar in the Newton Academy’s staff gallery on the school’s website via her iPad. Teachers were not supposed to look like this. Had Professor Suárez been her math instructor, she wouldn’t have learned a thing from dreaming about him all day.
Sincere hazel eyes to gaze into, strong facial features to admire, lips plump enough for kissing, short wavy hair to run her fingers over—if his body were half as nice, she’d never solve the case from drooling over the man.
Resisting the urge to conduct a background check on him, she turned off her tablet and put it away. He’d hired them and deserved his privacy. This was business. Plus a man like him had to be married. Then again, what would she do with a boring teacher anyway? Good looks be damned, she needed a man who could keep up with her. One whose lifestyle matched hers enough that they wanted to share their lives together. She wanted someone who didn’t exist—her soulmate.
Disheartened, she walked from the bench in the main office over to the bulletin board. Pep rally, fundraiser, Halloween party, volleyball game schedule, football game schedule, math club meetings, science club meeting… nothing out of the ordinary.
“Excuse me, Ms. Nicholas?”
That soft, sexy voice had to belong to the new star of her fantasies. Much calmer than she felt, she turned and smiled politely. “Yes. Oh, Mr. Suárez.” Following Spanish tradition, she said his middle name, which was his father’s family name.
Appreciation burned in his bright eyes as he took her in from head to toe. She knew when a man was attracted to her, and Mr. Suárez definitely was.
Available in:Kindle http://tinyurl.com/p55huf8Nook: http://tinyurl.com/qfbtq2sPrint: Coming soon
You can check out all of Deatri's work on her web site here: http://www.DeatriKingBey.com
