Empi Baryeh's Blog, page 2
August 26, 2021
New Release: Secrets of a One Night Stand by Naima Simone
She said yes to one night with a stranger… Now she’s pregnant and that stranger is her boss!
Only in this Billionaires of Boston romance from USA TODAY bestselling author Naima Simone.
She told herself it was one night. Nothing more. But her heart knew the truth…
Finding out her previous one-night fling is her new boss is the shock of Mycah Hill’s lifetime. She can’t say no to being VP for software CEO Achilles Farrell—she’s finally made her career dream come true. But knowing he’s so close… It’s only a matter of time before she’s back in his arms. It can’t end well. Achilles’s tortured family history means he’s not up for sticking around long-term. But Mycah’s surprise pregnancy is about to change everything…AVAILABLE ONAMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | APPLE | KOBO | GOOGLE | HARLEQUIN
ADD ON GOODREADSADD TO WISHLIST ON BOOKBUB ABOUT NAIMA SIMONE
Published since 2009, USA Today Bestselling author Naima Simone loves writing sizzling romances with heart, a touch of humor and snark. Her books have been featured in The Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly, and described as balancing “crackling, electric love scenes with exquisitely rendered characters caught in emotional turmoil.”
She is wife to Superman, or his non-Kryptonian, less bullet proof equivalent, and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They all live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern United States.
CONNECT WITH NAIMAAUTHOR SITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
July 13, 2021
#Review: The Torn Prince by Zee Monodee | #RHOSaene
Prince Zediah is betrothed to a woman he doesn’t love as part of a peace treaty between their two countries. His heart, however, belongs to another woman, Riona. Zee Monodee presents a refreshing take on a familiar plot with her beautiful narration, a couple of twists, plus a great cast of relatable and realistic characters. Prepare to fall in love with the prince who doesn’t bulldoze his way into getting what he wants. I adored Zed through his journey to finding himself and winning the heart of the only woman he’s ever loved. I loved Rio’s strong personality and sympathised with the drama that is her family (mainly her mother). The scenes with their son, Nour, were simply adorable!
The Torn Prince is book 4 of the Royal House of Saene series, but can be read as a standalone. It was great seeing some characters from the previous books.
I highly recommend it!
July 9, 2021
New Release: The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed
THE BLACK KIDS BY CHRISTINA HAMMONDS REED
Mocha Girls Read sponsored Book of the Month
A New York Times bestseller
A William C. Morris Award Finalist
“Should be required reading in every classroom.” —Nic Stone, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin
“A true love letter to Los Angeles.” —Brandy Colbert, award-winning author of Little & Lion
“A brilliantly poetic take on one of the most defining moments in Black American history.” —Tiffany D. Jackson, author of Grown and Monday’s Not Coming
Perfect for fans of The Hate U Give, this unforgettable coming-of-age debut novel explores issues of race, class, and violence through the eyes of a wealthy black teenager whose family gets caught in the vortex of the 1992 Rodney King Riots.
Los Angeles, 1992
Ashley Bennett and her friends are living the charmed life. It’s the end of senior year and they’re spending more time at the beach than in the classroom. They can already feel the sunny days and endless possibilities of summer.
Everything changes one afternoon in April, when four LAPD officers are acquitted after beating a black man named Rodney King half to death. Suddenly, Ashley’s not just one of the girls. She’s one of the black kids.
As violent protests engulf LA and the city burns, Ashley tries to continue on as if life were normal. Even as her self-destructive sister gets dangerously involved in the riots. Even as the model black family façade her wealthy and prominent parents have built starts to crumble. Even as her best friends help spread a rumor that could completely derail the future of her classmate and fellow black kid, LaShawn Johnson.
With her world splintering around her, Ashley, along with the rest of LA, is left to question who is the us? And who is the them?
* ALA/YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults - Top Ten
* ALA/William C. Morris Award Finalist
* Kansas NEA Reading Circle List Top Pick
On the news, they keep playing the video. The cops are striking the Black man with their boots and batons across the soft of his body and the hard of his skull, until I guess they felt like they’d truly broken him,
and, sure enough, they had. Four of the cops who beat him are on trial right now, a trial that some say is a battle for the very soul of the city, or even the country itself. It’s something I should give a shit about, but I don’t—not now.
Right now, birds chirp, palm trees sway, and it’s the kinda Friday where the city seems intent on being a postcard of itself. Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch are on the radio singing “Good Vibrations,” and it’s no Beach Boys, but it’ll do. Heather and I do the running man and hump the air to the beat; this even though she’s told us, in no uncertain terms, that this song is lame, and the rest of us have terrible taste in music. We’re several weeks away from being done with high school, and when I think about it too hard, it terrifies me. So right now I’m trying really hard not to care about anything at all.
After we exhaust ourselves, Heather and I collapse on the old pool chairs with their broken slats. The plastic creates geometry on my skin. Heather is pudgy and sometimes doesn’t shave her pits. I can see the dark of her hair in patches in the center of her pasty outstretched arms. How she manages to stay that pale given how long and how often we bake ourselves, I don’t know. It’s a spectacular feat of whiteness. Her lime-green toenail polish is chipped so that each nail vaguely resembles a state in the Midwest. Courtney’s pool vaguely resembles a kidney.
Across from us, Kimberly and Courtney stretch their bodies out across two fat plastic donuts that are pink and tacky and rainbow sprinkled. They float into each other’s orbits and back out again. Every so often they splash water at each other and shriek, “Omigod, stop it!”
Heather yells, “Jesus, get a room already.”
Courtney laughs and squeezes Kimberly’s boob like it’s a horn. They’ve ditched class two times a week for the last month. I don’t ditch nearly as often as my friends do. But my parents and I are supposed to meet my crazy sister’s new husband tonight, and it’s gonna be a doozy of an evening, so it kinda felt like I owed it to my sanity to not be at school today.
These are the places we go—the mall, somebody’s pool, or our favorite, the beach. Our parents hate Venice because it’s dirty and there are too many homeless people, tourists, and boom boxes blasting, which means we love it. We flop across our boogie boards and stare into the horizon. Occasionally, a wave comes and we’ll half-heartedly ride it into the sand, our knees scraping against the grain.
TAKE A LISTEN!
CLICK HERE FOR AN AUDIO EXCERPTFIVE REASONS TO BE RIVETED BY THE BLACK KIDS
ABOUT CHRISTINA HAMMONDS REED
Christina Hammonds Reed holds an MFA from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. A native of the Los Angeles area, her work has previously appeared in the Santa Monica Review and One Teen Story. Her first novel, The Black Kids, was a New York Times bestseller and William C. Morris Award Finalist. CONNECT WITH CHRISTINA HAMMONDS REEDINSTAGRAMCONNECT WITH MOCHA GIRLS READWEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | NEWSLETTER
July 5, 2021
New Release: Love Me Carefully by A.C. Arthur | #LoveMeCarefully #ACArthur #HoneyMagnolia
LOVE ME CAREFULLY BY A.C. ARTHURFor better or worse, this unlikely hook-up might be the perfect union.
Wedding planner Leah Graham doesn’t believe in “Happily Ever After”. It’s fine for her clients to believe in fairy tales, but when it comes to her own nuptials, her feet aren't just cold - they're frozen. Jaded by her mother’s frequent trips to the altar Leah’s content to plan gorgeous weddings for clients such as her hair stylist, Ms. Rosie; that is until Ms. Rosie's meddling son turns Leah's life upside down.
Computer programmer Terrell Pierce is on the prowl for his perfect bride, but when he catches his girlfriend in bed with another man, his search comes to a screeching halt. Then, as if he needed more drama in his life, his mother announces her intention to remarry, and her groom-to-be is a suspected criminal. Finding a wife suddenly takes a back seat to proving this joker is no good for his mama!
Terrell and Leah are at instant odds - their positions clashing, their attitudes getting in the way. Still, the passion between them simmers as they travel the streets of Baltimore in search of a drug lord, then cruise the seas to Negril with the FBI hot on their trail. Love-at-fist-sight simply isn't enough to get this couple down the aisle. But murder and mayhem might be!
*NOTE: This book was previously published. The title is the same, but the cover has changed and the content has been refreshed. Please do NOT purchase this book under a different cover. AVAILABLE NOW ONAMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO ABOUT A.C. ARTHUR
AC Arthur was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland where she currently resides with her husband, three children, grandson and an English bulldog named Vader. An active imagination and a love for reading encouraged her to begin writing in high school and she hasn’t stopped since. Working in the legal field for over twenty-five years, AC has seen lots of horrific things and longs for the safe haven of a romance novel. To date, she has written in several genres: YA paranormal (w/a Artist Arthur), small town romance as Lacey Baker, and sexy contemporary and paranormal romance. With intriguing plots and sexy love scenes, AC brings a new edge to romance!
CONNECT WITH A.C. ARTHURAUTHOR SITE | FACEBOOK | A.C.’S BOOK LOUNGE | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | BOOKBUB| GOODREADS | AMAZON AUTHOR
June 8, 2021
New Release: Reel by Kennedy Ryan | Hollywood Renaissance Book 1
REEL BY KENNEDY RYAN
" Reel is alive and pulsing like a beating heart.
This romance is a triumph of art and emotion. "
--Talia Hibbert, New York Times bestselling author
Reel, an all new epic CONTEMPORARY STANDALONE love story from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kennedy Ryan, is available now!
One moment in the spotlight.
For months I stood by, an understudy waiting in the wings, preparing for my time to shine.
I never imagined he would watch in the audience that night.
Canon Holt.
Famous film director.
Fascinating. Talented. Fine.
Before I could catch my breath, everything changed.
I went from backstage Broadway to center stage Hollywood.
From being unknown, to my name, Neevah Saint, on everyone’s lips.
Canon casts me in a star-studded Harlem Renaissance biopic, catapulting me into another stratosphere.
But stars shine brightest in the dead of night.
Forbidden attraction, scandal and circumstances beyond my control jeopardize my dream.
Could this one shot—the role of a lifetime, the love of a lifetime—cost me everything?
GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xwekW8
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/Reel
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3dWwUyG
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2QCKcHS
Nook: https://bit.ly/3nsKKfr
Google Play: https://bit.ly/3gHMDUc
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2RpXgAe
Order your Signed copy of REEL today>> http://bit.ly/EagleEyePB
ALSO AVAILABLE IN AUDIO NOW!
"Bravo . . .A true literary audio experience!"
-- Alexandria House, Amazon & Audible bestselling author
Narrated by Eboni Flowers and Jakobi Diem
Featuring Nicole Small
Vocal Performance by April Christina
➜ Audible: http://mybook.to/ReelAudio
ENTER RELEASE G!VEAWAY ➜ https://geni.us/ReelReleaseGive
$50 G!FT CARD + Signed Paperback
JOIN THE ZOOM RELEASE PARTY ➜ http://bit.ly/REELPARTY
About Kennedy Ryan
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Kennedy Ryan and her writings have been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour, Cosmo, TIME, O Mag and many others. A RITA® Award winner, Kennedy writes empowered women from all walks of life and centers those who have found themselves perennially on the margins of traditional storytelling.
Her Hoops Series (Long Shot, Block Shot and Hook Shot) and All the King's Men Series (The Kingmaker, The Rebel King and Queen Move) have been optioned for television.
An autism mom, Kennedy co-founded LIFT 4 Autism, an annual charitable initiative, and has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other media outlets as an advocate for autism families. She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son.
Connect with Kennedy
Text KennedyRyan to 797979 for release alerts!
Subscribe to Mailing List: subscribepage.com/kennedyryan
Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2GY6eyb
TikTok: @kennedyryanauthor
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Facebook: http://bit.ly/2GUq0uF
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2Fvhqiz
BookBub: bookbub.com/authors/kennedy-ryan
Website: http://kennedyryanwrites.com
May 7, 2021
New Release: Kyna by Lisa Washington | #Kyna #LisaWashington #HonMagPR
KYNA, A STORY OF LOVE BY LISA WASHINGTON
Kyna is has accomplished all of her professional goals, but what is there to do now? Morgan is a successful business man with no one to share it with. When they meet at a hotel bar is it love at first sight or the adventure that drives them together.
Their relationship happens really fast allowing seeds of doubt, mistrust and jealousy to seep into the fertile yet unstable ground that is the foundation of their relationship. Will they be able to recover and salvage what is left or move on without each other?
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOKS-A-MILLION ABOUT LISA WASHINGTON
Award-winning Christian Fiction/Romance author Lisa Washington is a Detroit native and currently residing in Georgia with her family. Washington earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI and a master’s degree in business administration from Averett University in Danville, VA. It wasn’t until she suffered from the stresses of a Ph.D, program that she decided, if she had to write 75-page papers, they would be something she truly enjoyed writing. Two years later, Washington was accepted into the Master of Fine Arts program for creative writing at Butler University in Indianapolis, IN. She applied with a terrible first draft of her first published novel, “When You Least Expect It.” Washington completed her program in 2016. After two years of peer reviews and a year of learning how to self-publish her novel, she went on to win the 2018 African American Literary Award Show, Best Christian Fiction Award for “When You Least Expect It.”
Washington also served several years in the US Navy before attending college. Washington credits having a strong faith in God and trusting He had a plan for her life. Her faith is also what drives her to write Christian fiction and romance. She is often quoted saying, “If it were not for God, I don’t know where I would be today.”
Lisa Washington and her husband are the co-founders of The Washington Way LLC, which includes Washington Way Financial, Washington Way Publishing, Washington Way Travel, and Ms. Lisa Weddings.
CONNECT WITH LISA WASHINGTON AUTHOR SITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
May 5, 2021
Cover Reveal: Reel by Kennedy Ryan | Hollywood Renaissance Book 1
Reveal Kit: Reel by Kennedy Ryan
REEL BY KENNEDY RYAN
Stand-Alone: yes
Series: Hollywood Renaissance Novel, Book 1
Publication Date: June 8, 2021
Genre:Contemporary Romance
Cover Celebration: May 5, 2021
Release Blitz: June 8, 2021
Bookstagram Blitz: June 8, 2021
TikTok Tour: June 8-11, 2021
Blog Tour: June 9-13, 2021
Contact: info@honmagpr.com
Reel, Kennedy Ryan’s new breathtaking standalone romance set in the glamorous world of film and theater, is coming June 8th, and we have the beautiful cover and your first look!
Award-Winning Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Kennedy Ryan launches a brand new series with a Hollywood tale of wild ambition, artistic obsession, and unrelenting love.
One moment in the spotlight.
For months I stood by, an understudy waiting in the wings, preparing for my time to shine.
I never imagined he would watch in the audience that night.
Canon Holt.
Famous film director.
Fascinating. Talented. Fine.
Before I could catch my breath, everything changed.
I went from backstage Broadway to center stage Hollywood.
From being unknown, to my name, Neevah Saint, on everyone’s lips.
Canon casts me in a star-studded Harlem Renaissance biopic, catapulting me into another stratosphere.
But stars shine brightest in the dead of night.
Forbidden attraction, scandal and circumstances beyond my control jeopardize my dream.
Could this one shot—the role of a lifetime, the love of a lifetime—cost me everything?
Reserve your copy today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xwekW8
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/Reel
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3dWwUyG
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2QCKcHS
Nook: https://bit.ly/3nsKKfr
Google Play: https://bit.ly/3gHMDUc
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2RpXgAe
Barnes and Noble Paperback: https://bit.ly/3nsKKfr
➜ Enter the Goodreads Giveaway! Kennedy is giving away 10 Signed Reel Paperbacks!
http://bit.ly/REELGoodreadsGive
➜ Follow Hollywood Renaissance series on Instagram:
@TheHollywoodRenaissanceSeries
Keep reading for the very first excerpt from Reel!
When the show reaches its climax, at the very end, the song pries the final note from my diaphragm, pulls it from my throat and suspends it—leaves it throbbing in the air. The theater goes quiet for the space of a breath held by 800 people and then explodes.
Applause.
The relief is knee-weakening. I literally have to grab John, the lead actor's arm for support. He doesn’t miss a beat, pulling me into his side and squeezing.
“Bravo,” he whispers, a broad, genuine smile spread across his face. The last song made me cry, and my face, still wet from those tears, splits into a wide, disbelieving grin.
I did it. I survived my first Broadway performance.
The lights drop and we rush backstage, a cacophony of laughter and chatter filling the hidden passageways. When the curtain call begins, the cast return to the stage in small waves, the applause building as the principals take their bows.
And then it’s my turn. On legs still shaky, I leave the safety of the wings, the long skirt of my costume belling out around me. I take center stage. The applause crescendos, approval vibrating through my bones and jolting my soul. Someone thrusts flowers into my arms and the sweet smell wafts around me. Every sense, every molecule of my being strains, opens, stretches to absorb this small slice of triumph. I can’t breathe deeply enough. The air comes in shallow sips, and I’m dizzy. The world spins like a top, a kaleidoscope of colors and light and sound that threatens to overwhelm me. The whirl of it makes me giddy, and I laugh. Eyes welling with tears, I laugh.
These are the moments a lifetime in the making. We toil in the shadows of our dreams. In the alleys of preparation and hard work where it’s dark and nothing’s promised. For years, we cling by a thread of hope and imagination, dedicating our lives to a pursuit with no guarantees.
But tonight, if only for tonight, it’s all worth it.
I’m still floating when Takira bursts into the dressing room.
“Neevah!” she screams, throwing her arms around me and rocking me back and forth. “You did it. You chewed that performance up and spat it out. You hear me?”
I laugh and return her squeeze, new tears trailing down my cheeks.
“Thank you.” I pull back to peer into my friend’s face. “I can’t believe it.”
“Well, believe it. You served notice.” She snaps her fingers and grins. “Neevah Saint is here.”
“Now to do it seven more times.” I laugh and start taking pins from the wig, which is as hot as a herd of sheep on my head.
“Oh, you got it, unless Elise hears how amazing you were and cuts her vacation short.”
“Not happening. She was ready for a break, but she’d never missed a show.”
I strip off the costume and stand in only panties, unselfconscious. Modesty is one of the first things to go in this business. I’ve undressed hurriedly in a roomful of actors and dancers in smaller shows where there was a dressing room, so we get real communal real fast.
I tug on skinny jeans with a tight-fitting orange sweater, and layer it with a brown leather jacket, scarf, boots. I wipe away the heavy stage makeup. It feels like my skin can breathe for the first time in hours. I assume there will be some fans at the stage door, even if it’s just a few. They’ll have to get the real Neevah because I don’t want anything more than a slick of lip gloss and a bit of mascara. A brown, orange and green plaid newsboy cap covering the neat cornrows I wore under my wig is all I’m doing for hair. Slim oversized gold hoops in my ears finish the look.
“Ready?” I ask Takira, hefting a slouchy bag on my shoulder.
“Let’s do this. Hopefully your adoring fans won’t take all night, ’cause your girl is starving.”
We’re still laughing, and I’m so preoccupied with my empty stomach, I’m completely unprepared for the crowd at the stage door. Are they here for John? For some principal player because surely they’re not all here for the understudy.
“Neevah!” a young girl, maybe ten or eleven, calls. “Can you sign this?”
She thrusts a pen and a Splendor playbill toward me. She glows, her smooth brown cheeks rounded with a wide grin. Her eyes shine with . . . pride?
“Oh, sure,” I mumble dazedly, taking the pen and signing my name.
She’s the first in a long line of girls, all shapes and colors and ages, saying what it meant to see me onstage. Mothers whispering how impactful it was for their Black and brown daughters to be in the audience tonight. The impact is on me; what could feel like a weight or burden or responsibility feels like a warm embrace. Feels like strong arms encircling me. Supporting me. The first time I saw someone who looked like me onstage, it planted a seed inside of me. It whispered a dream.
That could be you.
It makes me emotional to think I might have done that for any of these girls tonight, and I spend the next twenty minutes scribbling my name on playbills through a film of tears.
“Neevah!” a deep male voice calls from the back of the now-thinning crowd.
I squint at the tall man, frowning until I place him.
“Wright!” I take a few steps and he meets me halfway, giving me a tight hug. “Oh, my God. You were here tonight?”
“Was I here?” When he pulls back, a warm smile creases his handsome face. “You blew it out of the water. I knew you were good, but damn.”
Laughter spills out of me and I don’t think this night could get more perfect. I randomly met Wright Bellamy a few weeks back at a gig when he subbed for the pianist, giving the audience more than they bargained for with such a famous musician tickling the ivories that night.
“Thank you.” I step away and shove my hands into the pockets of my jeans, huddling in the leather jacket against the chill of an October night. “I was nervous as hell.”
“Didn’t show. Your voice is spectacular. I knew that from the gig we did, but I had no idea you were that good. Wow. Glad I saw your post on Instagram or I would’ve missed it.”
I’m stone-still, shocked that he came tonight specifically to see me perform. “I’m so glad you made it. You’re still in LA, right?”
“Yeah, but I’m here for some stuff. Heading back home in a few days.”
Takira walks up, linking her arm through mine. “Girl, if we don’t get some food,” she whispers.
“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” I turn back to Wright. “Takira, this is Wright Bellamy. Wright, my friend Takira.”
“Nice to meet you,” Takira says. “You got any food on you? I’m about to eat your hat.”
As usual, Takira never meets a stranger and has us laughing right away.
“We’re actually headed to Glass House Tavern,” I tell Wright. “Come if you want. It’s a group of us from the show. Just some of the cast celebrating, but you’re welcome. We can catch up.”
A small frown dents between his thick brows and he glances over his shoulder.
“I mean, no pressure obviously,” I rush to assure him. This is one of the biggest names in music, and here I go, inviting him to dinner with a group of strangers.
“No, it sounds cool,” he says, looking back to us. “Lemme check with my boy. Can he come?”
I glance over his shoulder and spot a tall man turned away from us, his broad shoulders and back straining a wool blazer, a hoodie pulled up to cover his head and face in the cold. His hands burrow into the pockets of his blazer and he’s nodding like he’s talking to himself.
“He’s on the phone,” Wright explains. “But lemme see if he wants to roll.”
He steps away toward the man and Takira immediately squeezes my hand and squeals.
“Neeve.” Her eyes are wide and bright. Mouth dropped open. “That’s Wright Bellamy.”
“I know. He’s cool as a fan.”
“You know him? How—”
“We’re in,” Wright says, stepping back up beside us. “He’s finishing a call, but we’re ready. Lead the way.”
It’s just a few blocks, and the three of us chat about the show and what Wright’s been doing in New York. All the while his friend’s deep voice rumbles a few paces behind. I don’t want to be rude or nosy and look back, but the rich timbre, his towering height, his face obscured by the hoodie—I’m intrigued. He hangs back on the sidewalk, still on his call, when we enter the restaurant.
Our friends already have a table and a shout goes up, congratulating me on popping my White Way cherry. My three understudy buddies came. John’s here, too, and one other principal. A few from the stage crew. Our little troupe has become a family and, as if eight shows a week isn’t enough time together, we gather and eat every chance we get.
“You’re not paying tonight,” John says, holding out the seat beside him. “And drinks are on me.”
“Awwww.” I plop into the chair and drop my bag to the floor. “You’re so sweet. You don’t have to do that.”
“You were fantastic,” John says, baby blue eyes sincere and smiling. “Let’s do it again tomorrow.”
Takira is already sitting beside me, so Wright takes the seat next to her.
“Hey,” he says to Janie across the table. “Could you hold that seat beside you for my friend? He’s wrapping up a call, but’ll be in soon.”
“Sure.” Janie blushes. “I love your work, by the way. The score of Silent Midnight . . . gah.”
“Thank you. That was a special project. Lots of fun,” Wright replies with a smile. “Now tell me about the show.”
Wright’s a genius, but he’s so unassuming and modest. A man as famous as he is could easily make this conversation about him, let everyone at this table give his ego a real nice hand job, but he doesn’t. He talks about our show, compliments the performance, asks John about his process. I liked him when we did that last-minute gig, and we’ve interacted some on social media since. My impression of him holds up. He’s a good guy.
Not to state the obvious, but also fine. Like fine fine.
He has this Boris Kodjoe vibe. Real smooth. Kind of golden–brown. Clean-cut, close-cut. I can objectively recognize his appeal, even though he’s not my type.
Not that I have a type lately. I’m so deep in this dick drought I’m past the point of thirst.
At first I thought it was merely the grind. Auditioning constantly, taking craft classes, doing commercials and voiceover work to not just keep bills paid, but to save. This business is feast or famine. I’m eating now, but I’ve been hungry before. Not again. I’m thirty. Too old to still be living gig to gig and buying into that starving artist thing. I need health insurance and regularly scheduled meals, thank you very much. So yeah, the grind could account for my semi-disinterested libido, but I suspect it’s more.
Maybe I’m disinterested.
I need a man who doesn’t think that because he has a dick and I don’t that I should defer to him—shrink my dreams down to a more manageable size. I’m cautious not only about who I share my heart and body with, but I’m also protective of my dreams; of my ambition. I won’t endanger my future for a man who can fuck. Though . . . a man who can fuck? I wouldn’t turn it down, but it will take more than that to pique my interest.
“What are you getting?” Takira asks, leaning over to read my menu instead of hers. “Anything here meet your high standards?”
My standards aren’t that high. I’ve just cut out red meat and stopped drinking as much alcohol. My health demands it.
“I’m thinking about the salmon, but I—”
A chair scraping across the floor catches my attention. Wright’s friend has finally come inside to join us. The table shrinks immediately when he settles his imposing frame into the seat beside Janie. He peels the hood away from his head and I bite off a gasp.
It’s Canon Holt.
Like the Canon Holt.
The director I, and probably every actress at this table and in this dining room, would sacrifice a pinky toe to work with. Canon Holt is at my table sitting across from me.
Takira’s expression doesn’t register this massive earthquake of a revelation, but she kicks me under the table and hisses from the corner of her mouth. “Did you know?”
I pretend I need to reach for something on the floor so I can whisper back, “Do you think I would have kept my shit together this long if I knew?”
“True. True.” Takira casually glances up from her menu and smiles in Canon’s general direction, but he’s not looking at her. He’s studying his screen. He’s apparently in an exclusive relationship with his phone, and no one at this table tempts him to stray.
Which means I can look at him.
Good. God.
He’s not that handsome, but that’s irrelevant. Some might even call his features, examined on their own, unremarkable.
They’d be wrong.
It’s a Maker’s sleight of hand. Now God knew this man did not need lashes that long and thick, a paradox against the hard, high slant of his cheekbones. Canon hasn’t looked twice at anyone here as far as I can tell, but I’ve stolen enough glances to know there’s a fathomlessness to his dark eyes that is arresting. His unsmiling mouth is wide, the lips full in the blunt elegance of his face. A five o’clock shadow licks the ridge of his jawline. There is a geometry to him—angles, lines, edges—that disregards the individual parts and illuminates the compelling sum.
WANT MORE REEL? Click here for the rest >> www.thehollywoodrenaissanceseries.com/excerpt
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Cover Designer: Lori Jackson Design
Photographer: Sophia Barrett Studios
Models: Jasmine Raiford and Ajayi Bodden
About Kennedy Ryan
A USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Kennedy Ryan and her writings have been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour, Cosmo, TIME, O Mag and many others. A RITA® Award winner, Kennedy writes empowered women from all walks of life and centers those who have found themselves perennially on the margins of traditional storytelling.
Her Hoops Series (Long Shot, Block Shot and Hook Shot) and All the King's Men Series (The Kingmaker, The Rebel King and Queen Move) have been optioned for television.
An autism mom, Kennedy co-founded LIFT 4 Autism, an annual charitable initiative, and has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other media outlets as an advocate for autism families. She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son.
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April 16, 2021
Cover Reveal: Secrets of a One Night Stand by Naima Simone
Book 2, Billionaires of Boston
She said yes to one night with a stranger… Now she’s pregnant and that stranger is her boss! Only in this Billionaires of Boston romance from USA TODAY bestselling author Naima Simone.
She told herself it was one night. Nothing more.
But her heart knew the truth…
Finding out her previous one-night fling is her new boss is the shock of Mycah Hill’s lifetime. She can’t say no to being VP for software CEO Achilles Farrell—she’s finally made her career dream come true. But knowing he’s so close… It’s only a matter of time before she’s back in his arms. It can’t end well. Achilles’s tortured family history means he’s not up for sticking around long-term. But Mycah’s surprise pregnancy is about to change everything…
From Harlequin Desire: Luxury, scandal, desire—welcome to the lives of the American elite.
Coming August 24th
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March 25, 2021
Spotlight: Renovation of Love by Meka James | #NewRelease #MekaJames #HonMagPR
RENOVATION OF LOVE BY MEKA JAMES
Renovating the physical is easy, but fixing love requires a different set of tools...
Her return could be a second chance to repair a first love.
Forty-three and jobless, Cynthia Marshall finds herself in the last place she'd expected, back home on Madison Island, GA. Her small hometown holds the ghosts of choices past. From the large Victorian she inherited from her beloved aunt, to unresolved family issues, and the boy turned man she left behind over two decades ago.
Starting a new career is hard enough but having to do so side by side with a person whose heart she broke is something she never accounted for.
Marcel Lewis is the owner of the only construction company on the island and is the key to making Cynthia's new dream a reality. He never quite got over the abrupt departure of the first woman he ever loved. Her return means he can finally get answers to the whys and what-ifs that have plagued him.
Years have passed, feelings have remained, but some wounds have yet to heal. The more time they spend together, the walls of the old house aren't the only ones tumbling down. But they can't construct a future without answering for decisions of the past.
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signed copy of Renovation of Love
CLICK HERE a Rafflecopter giveaway ABOUT MEKA JAMES
Meka James is a writer of adult contemporary and erotic romance. A born and raised Georgia Peach, she still resides in the southern state with her hubby of 16 years and counting. Mom to four kids of the two legged variety, she also has four fur-babies of the canine variety. Leo the turtle and Spade the snake rounds out her wacky household. When not writing or reading, Meka can be found playing The Sims 3, sometimes Sims 4, and making up fun stories to go with the pixelated people whose world she controls. CONNECT WITH MEKA JAMES AUTHOR SITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | NEWSLETTER | BOOKBUB
March 11, 2021
Spotlight: Almost Out Of Time by L M Richardson | #AlmostOutOfTime #LMRichardson #HonMagPR
From the author of the Ruby Quinn Series, and A Double Play Summer comes Almost Out of Time.
When the very thing Oakley has run from all her life threatens it, she is confronted with facing HIV/AIDS head-on or continue to deny reality. Choosing life is far more complicated than she expects.
Realizing the quote-unquote normal life she has been chasing does not exist, Oakley comes to terms with the circumstances surrounding her existence. A story of triumph, overcoming, and awakening, Almost Out of Time will leave you cheering and rooting for Oakley to live, prosper, and finally find love and peace.
AVAILABLE ONAMAZON | PRINT ENTER TO WIN
L.M. Richardson is giving away three copies of Almost Out of Time on her Instagram page!
To Enter the Almost Out of Time Giveaway
1. Like l.m. richardson's Instagram page (@larichmediagroup)
2. Like the Almost Out of Time giveaway post
3. Comment on the Almost Out of Time giveaway post
For an additional entry tag a friend who enjoys reading.
As far back as she can remember, L.M. Richardson has wanted to be a writer. Her start came with a sixth-grade writing contest. Children's books have always been her favorite genre, and recently found her place in Young Adult and New Adult Fiction. Richardson's aim is to create books where young black women can see themselves and be proud of who they are.
Richardson is a wife, mother, and grandmother who enjoys spending time with her large family, relaxing on her patio, and cooking. She's a college instructor at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, her alma mater, and has a MA in Journalism.
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