Michelle Lindo-Rice's Blog, page 33
August 21, 2016
Welcome Author Kristen Marquardt to my Blog!
Releasing Jesus from the Weeds
Published on July 21st, 2016Published by WestBow PressPublished as Christian/Inspirational Poetry & Short Stories
From the pew to the pulpit to prayer, Kristen Marquardt’s writing has been serving God’s People in Connecticut for over thirty years. Her unique style in prose, poetry, and short story reminds us of our shared humanity and how our faith and faith struggles are no different than those of both biblical characters and the people we see everyday in our daily walk. With rare insight, Marquardt looks deeply into faith and strips away the boundaries that we all assume exist, reminding us that our hope is not ours alone, we all share a common path as God’s children.
"Kristen is a gifted writer, a writer that stirs the soul and causes us to think more openly the existence of God in ordinary life. I call Kristen a wisdom writer." ~ Rev. Dr. Sharon Ledbetter
You can buy the book from:WestBowPress--http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Products/SKU-001034223/Releasing-Jesus-from-the-Weeds.aspxAmazon--https://amzn.com/B01IW7W758Barnes & Noble--http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/releasing-jesus-from-the-weeds-kristen-poirier-marquardt/1124111944?ean=9781512747669GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31238213-releasing-jesus-from-the-weeds
About the Author
Kristen Marquardt has been serving the church and God both volunteer and professionally for over 30 years, starting as a Sunday School teacher, CE Director, and Licensed Pastor. She holds a dual B..A. from Connecticut College in English Literature and Environmental Science and an M.S. In Theology and the Arts from Andover Newton Theological Seminary. She lives in Connecticut in a multigenerational home with her husband and many pets. She enjoys her family, writing, gardening and so much more...
Website: http://kpoiriermarquardt.wixsite.com/authorFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/kpoiriermarquardt
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/kpoiriermarquardt
Published on July 21st, 2016Published by WestBow PressPublished as Christian/Inspirational Poetry & Short Stories
From the pew to the pulpit to prayer, Kristen Marquardt’s writing has been serving God’s People in Connecticut for over thirty years. Her unique style in prose, poetry, and short story reminds us of our shared humanity and how our faith and faith struggles are no different than those of both biblical characters and the people we see everyday in our daily walk. With rare insight, Marquardt looks deeply into faith and strips away the boundaries that we all assume exist, reminding us that our hope is not ours alone, we all share a common path as God’s children.
"Kristen is a gifted writer, a writer that stirs the soul and causes us to think more openly the existence of God in ordinary life. I call Kristen a wisdom writer." ~ Rev. Dr. Sharon Ledbetter
You can buy the book from:WestBowPress--http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Products/SKU-001034223/Releasing-Jesus-from-the-Weeds.aspxAmazon--https://amzn.com/B01IW7W758Barnes & Noble--http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/releasing-jesus-from-the-weeds-kristen-poirier-marquardt/1124111944?ean=9781512747669GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31238213-releasing-jesus-from-the-weeds
About the Author
Kristen Marquardt has been serving the church and God both volunteer and professionally for over 30 years, starting as a Sunday School teacher, CE Director, and Licensed Pastor. She holds a dual B..A. from Connecticut College in English Literature and Environmental Science and an M.S. In Theology and the Arts from Andover Newton Theological Seminary. She lives in Connecticut in a multigenerational home with her husband and many pets. She enjoys her family, writing, gardening and so much more...Website: http://kpoiriermarquardt.wixsite.com/authorFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/kpoiriermarquardt
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/kpoiriermarquardt
July 17, 2016
Welcome Teresa B. Howell to My Blog!
I love being able to introduce new authors.
Here is my interview with new author, Teresa B. Howell.
Tell us about your journey to publication.
My journey was a true learning curve. I made a lot of mistakes starting out by listening to people who misrepresented their talents and skills. I began to research diligently and learned not only how to self publish but also how to help others through this process. It took about a year of trial and error but I made it!
What is the takeaway message for the novel? The takeaway message is in spite of our title or position, we are all still human and will continuously make mistakes in order to grow.
What inspired you to write the book?The death of a very close family member started me on this path. I wrote songs and poetry every once in awhile but I really took writing seriously after my tragedy. It was very therapeutic and became my inspiration to write other books.
What other authors do you read/recommend?
I enjoy reading Kimberela Lawson Roby, Alice Walker, and Octavia Butler
Do you have any Advice to any aspiring writers?Research, research, and more research
About the Author
Much like her book, which is about real life obstacles that detour us from the church and our faith. Teresa B. Howell brings dynamic truth to finding spirituality after realizing you have let the flesh have too much power. Teresa B. Howell is an Exceptional Children’s Director that has two Master Degrees in education and leadership. She has received numerous awards and accolades in her profession, dedicated to mentoring and teaching students within the school system. Teresa was born and raised in the church. She witnessed the good and the not so good while not only attending, but also serving in various capacities in different church organizations. Teresa decided in July 2015 to put her experiences and observations on paper, and her first novel That Church Life was born. She aspires to be more than just the average Christian Author, which can be noted in her writing style. Teresa’s literary path is inspired by her faith, family, and close friends. She currently lives in Durham, NC with her husband and children.
About the Book
Purchase Your Copy
The Church Gal Crew is leading the way to Salvation at Mt. Zion Holiness Church. Feisty Natalia Freemon is the “head” of the crew. Rebellious and outspoken, she has no problems challenging the church status quo. Years later however, her loss of faith will tragically impact her life.Michelle Hanks, a country girl from a hardworking farm family is the peacemaker and “soul” of the crew. Although struggling with self-confidence she is wise beyond her years and can’t wait to escape the farm life and find success; even if it costs her soul.Missy Jones, the “heart” of the crew, has the face of an angel and a voice sent from heaven. A pastor’s daughter raised in the church, Missy loves the ministry and her place in it. But the flesh is tempting, especially when it comes in the form of sexy church musician and Mt. Zion playboy Tommy.In spite of her dedication to the word, Missy falls hard for Tommy, and then falls out of favor with the church. Trapped in a cycle of relationship abuse, Missy’s world is falling apart until Beanie, a reformed stick-up man turned Deacon, shows her real love. But when tragedy strikes, Missy is torn between the truth, that could jeopardize everything she loves, or a lie that could be her damnation.These three best friends drift away from each other and the church but come back together through spiritual downfall, relationship crises, drug addiction, and even murder. Just some of the drama you’ll find, in that church life!
Purchase Your Copy
Here is my interview with new author, Teresa B. Howell.
Tell us about your journey to publication.
My journey was a true learning curve. I made a lot of mistakes starting out by listening to people who misrepresented their talents and skills. I began to research diligently and learned not only how to self publish but also how to help others through this process. It took about a year of trial and error but I made it!
What is the takeaway message for the novel? The takeaway message is in spite of our title or position, we are all still human and will continuously make mistakes in order to grow.
What inspired you to write the book?The death of a very close family member started me on this path. I wrote songs and poetry every once in awhile but I really took writing seriously after my tragedy. It was very therapeutic and became my inspiration to write other books.
What other authors do you read/recommend?
I enjoy reading Kimberela Lawson Roby, Alice Walker, and Octavia Butler
Do you have any Advice to any aspiring writers?Research, research, and more research
About the Author
Much like her book, which is about real life obstacles that detour us from the church and our faith. Teresa B. Howell brings dynamic truth to finding spirituality after realizing you have let the flesh have too much power. Teresa B. Howell is an Exceptional Children’s Director that has two Master Degrees in education and leadership. She has received numerous awards and accolades in her profession, dedicated to mentoring and teaching students within the school system. Teresa was born and raised in the church. She witnessed the good and the not so good while not only attending, but also serving in various capacities in different church organizations. Teresa decided in July 2015 to put her experiences and observations on paper, and her first novel That Church Life was born. She aspires to be more than just the average Christian Author, which can be noted in her writing style. Teresa’s literary path is inspired by her faith, family, and close friends. She currently lives in Durham, NC with her husband and children.
About the Book
Purchase Your Copy
The Church Gal Crew is leading the way to Salvation at Mt. Zion Holiness Church. Feisty Natalia Freemon is the “head” of the crew. Rebellious and outspoken, she has no problems challenging the church status quo. Years later however, her loss of faith will tragically impact her life.Michelle Hanks, a country girl from a hardworking farm family is the peacemaker and “soul” of the crew. Although struggling with self-confidence she is wise beyond her years and can’t wait to escape the farm life and find success; even if it costs her soul.Missy Jones, the “heart” of the crew, has the face of an angel and a voice sent from heaven. A pastor’s daughter raised in the church, Missy loves the ministry and her place in it. But the flesh is tempting, especially when it comes in the form of sexy church musician and Mt. Zion playboy Tommy.In spite of her dedication to the word, Missy falls hard for Tommy, and then falls out of favor with the church. Trapped in a cycle of relationship abuse, Missy’s world is falling apart until Beanie, a reformed stick-up man turned Deacon, shows her real love. But when tragedy strikes, Missy is torn between the truth, that could jeopardize everything she loves, or a lie that could be her damnation.These three best friends drift away from each other and the church but come back together through spiritual downfall, relationship crises, drug addiction, and even murder. Just some of the drama you’ll find, in that church life!Purchase Your Copy
July 14, 2016
A Sit-Down with Brand New Author: LaChelle Weaver.
I had the pleasure of interviewing brand new author, LaChelle Weaver. I read Sister Surrogate and simply had to ask her three questions.
1. What inspired you to write Sister Surrogate and how did you come up with the title?
I was in a nail salon getting a pedicure a few years ago flipping through a magazine, and I came across an ad about cervical cancer that featured three Caucasian sisters of which the youngest suffered from it. She was newly married with no children when she was diagnosed and she later succumbed to the disease. I said I wanted to write that story with three African-American sisters, but with a twist. The twist being the surrogacy angle. Rarely, do we hear about surrogacy in the African-American community. As for the title, that didn’t come easy. I usually struggle with titles, and as a writer I have to have a title first before I begin writing the story. So, during a brainstorming session with two of my writing sisters, I discussed with them my struggle and they helped me come up with the title.
2. What is the main message of Sister Surrogate?
I never have a particular message in mind when writing a story, but my goal as a writer is to always provide an engaging and entertaining reading experience that will hopefully spark great conversations. I’m already receiving messages from readers of Sister Surrogate who’ve been having them with their own families, friends and co-workers. It’s exciting to hear their opinions and views on the issues in Sister Surrogate.
3. Tell us about your journey to publication.
While Sister Surrogate is my debut novel, my first published work was in the Brown Girls Books’ bestselling and award-nominated anthology, The Dating Game where my short story, “We Ain’t the Huxtables” was featured, which came out last year. It’s been a whirlwind, but I’ve been blessed with such amazing opportunities.
Congrats, LaChelle, I certainly wish you all the best with your debut novel.
Meet the Author
LaChelle Weaver is one of the bestselling authors of Brown Girls Books’ #1 and award-nominated anthology, The Dating Game where you can read her short story, “We Ain’t the Huxtables”.
LaChelle is a native North Carolinian and avid reader whose love for writing and storytelling spans back to childhood. An English graduate of North Carolina State University, she’s always had a passion for weaving words together to create an entertaining and engaging reading experience. Her debut novel, Sister Surrogate released on July 12, 2016 under Brown Girls Books. For more about LaChelle and to stay informed about her future projects, you can visit her at www.lachelleweaverwrites.com and sign up to join her mailing list.
About the Book
Purchase Your Copy
Bridgette, Ivy, and Savannah have always been close...but their sisterhood hasn't been without its challenges. Yet these sisters always manage to come together in times of need.
When Savannah, the youngest sister, is faced with a life-altering illness, which threatens her lifelong desire to have children, one of her sisters offers to give her the ultimate gift - to become her surrogate.
While Savannah is overwhelmed with happiness and gratitude about her impending motherhood, not everyone in the family shares her sentiments. In fact, the upcoming bundle of joy has created a discord that this family may never be able to overcome.
Excerpt Savannah was filled with a myriad of emotions, which had become commonplace over the past few weeks. She was happy, but apprehensive at the same time. She was sad, but now, optimistic and hopeful again. Honestly, she’d never considered surrogacy. She didn’t know anything about it other than what she’d seen on TV and she would’ve never paid some stranger to carry her baby. She knew that there were cases where that hadn’t ended well for the intended parents, and she couldn’t imagine being that mother who placed all her hope on another woman fulfilling her dreams of motherhood, and then snatching it away because she’d had a sudden change of heart. It was unimaginable, but now here her sister was offering her a similar dream. Purchase Your Copy My ReviewThe bond between sisters is a strong one. No matter what Bridgette, Ivy and Savannah faced, they had each other. The question arises when reading Sister Surrogate is, should you put your sister above your immediate family? And, if you do, are you prepared to handle the consequences. But no matter what happens, the fact remains that the love between sisters is unshakeable. An intriguing read from this debut author.
Contact and social media links:
Website: www.lachelleweaverwrites.com
Blog: www.lachelleweaverwrites.com/lachelle-writes
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lachelleweaverwrites
Instagram: www.instagram.com/luv_words
Twitter: www.twitter.com/luvwrds94
Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/lachelleweaver
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/lachelleweaver
1. What inspired you to write Sister Surrogate and how did you come up with the title?
I was in a nail salon getting a pedicure a few years ago flipping through a magazine, and I came across an ad about cervical cancer that featured three Caucasian sisters of which the youngest suffered from it. She was newly married with no children when she was diagnosed and she later succumbed to the disease. I said I wanted to write that story with three African-American sisters, but with a twist. The twist being the surrogacy angle. Rarely, do we hear about surrogacy in the African-American community. As for the title, that didn’t come easy. I usually struggle with titles, and as a writer I have to have a title first before I begin writing the story. So, during a brainstorming session with two of my writing sisters, I discussed with them my struggle and they helped me come up with the title.
2. What is the main message of Sister Surrogate?
I never have a particular message in mind when writing a story, but my goal as a writer is to always provide an engaging and entertaining reading experience that will hopefully spark great conversations. I’m already receiving messages from readers of Sister Surrogate who’ve been having them with their own families, friends and co-workers. It’s exciting to hear their opinions and views on the issues in Sister Surrogate.
3. Tell us about your journey to publication.
While Sister Surrogate is my debut novel, my first published work was in the Brown Girls Books’ bestselling and award-nominated anthology, The Dating Game where my short story, “We Ain’t the Huxtables” was featured, which came out last year. It’s been a whirlwind, but I’ve been blessed with such amazing opportunities.
Congrats, LaChelle, I certainly wish you all the best with your debut novel.
Meet the Author
LaChelle Weaver is one of the bestselling authors of Brown Girls Books’ #1 and award-nominated anthology, The Dating Game where you can read her short story, “We Ain’t the Huxtables”.
LaChelle is a native North Carolinian and avid reader whose love for writing and storytelling spans back to childhood. An English graduate of North Carolina State University, she’s always had a passion for weaving words together to create an entertaining and engaging reading experience. Her debut novel, Sister Surrogate released on July 12, 2016 under Brown Girls Books. For more about LaChelle and to stay informed about her future projects, you can visit her at www.lachelleweaverwrites.com and sign up to join her mailing list.
About the Book
Purchase Your CopyBridgette, Ivy, and Savannah have always been close...but their sisterhood hasn't been without its challenges. Yet these sisters always manage to come together in times of need.
When Savannah, the youngest sister, is faced with a life-altering illness, which threatens her lifelong desire to have children, one of her sisters offers to give her the ultimate gift - to become her surrogate.
While Savannah is overwhelmed with happiness and gratitude about her impending motherhood, not everyone in the family shares her sentiments. In fact, the upcoming bundle of joy has created a discord that this family may never be able to overcome.
Excerpt Savannah was filled with a myriad of emotions, which had become commonplace over the past few weeks. She was happy, but apprehensive at the same time. She was sad, but now, optimistic and hopeful again. Honestly, she’d never considered surrogacy. She didn’t know anything about it other than what she’d seen on TV and she would’ve never paid some stranger to carry her baby. She knew that there were cases where that hadn’t ended well for the intended parents, and she couldn’t imagine being that mother who placed all her hope on another woman fulfilling her dreams of motherhood, and then snatching it away because she’d had a sudden change of heart. It was unimaginable, but now here her sister was offering her a similar dream. Purchase Your Copy My ReviewThe bond between sisters is a strong one. No matter what Bridgette, Ivy and Savannah faced, they had each other. The question arises when reading Sister Surrogate is, should you put your sister above your immediate family? And, if you do, are you prepared to handle the consequences. But no matter what happens, the fact remains that the love between sisters is unshakeable. An intriguing read from this debut author.
Contact and social media links:
Website: www.lachelleweaverwrites.com
Blog: www.lachelleweaverwrites.com/lachelle-writes
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lachelleweaverwrites
Instagram: www.instagram.com/luv_words
Twitter: www.twitter.com/luvwrds94
Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/lachelleweaver
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/lachelleweaver
July 13, 2016
Welcome Joy Avery to my Blog!
Book Title: Another Man's Treasure Publication Date: June 18, 2016 ASIN: B01HAKBZ0Q Genre: Contemporary Romance
About the Author
By day, Joy Avery works as a customer service assistant. By night, the North Carolina native travels to imaginary worlds—creating characters whose romantic journeys invariably end happily ever after. Since she was a young girl growing up in Garner, Joy knew she wanted to write. Stumbling onto romance novels, she discovered her passion for love stories; instantly, she knew these were the type stories she wanted to pen. Real characters. Real journeys. Real good love is what you’ll find in a Joy Avery romance. Joy is married with one child. When not writing, she enjoys reading, cake decorating, pretending to expertly play the piano, driving her husband insane, and playing with her two dogs. Joy is a member of Romance Writers of America and Heart of Carolina Romance Writers.About the Book
Graphic artist Trinity Hargrove never knew real passion until she sleeps with her boss’s son. Mistake number one. Mistake number two…liking it too much. But they agreed to only one night. Simple enough, right? Wrong. He may be out of her bed, but their intense night together still burns in her memories. As long as she keeps her distance from the oh-so-desirable Xander Duval, everything will be okay. Unfortunately, fate won’t go along with her plan. Restaurateur Xander Duval agrees to Trinity’s “one night” stipulation, but only in theory. He has no intentions of not being with her again. Especially when his mind—nor body—will allow him to forget the fire that blazed between them until the wee hours of the morning. When Trinity is injured in an automobile accident, he jumps at the opportunity to be her arms and legs. He plans to show her just how determined he is to make her his…for far longer than just one night. Read A Preview: http://a.co/14ZfHvW
Amazon: http://bit.ly/anothermanstreasure
Website: http://www.joyavery.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/authorjoyavery Twitter: www.twitter.com/authorjoyavery Tour hosted by Write Now Literary Book Tours www.wnlbooktours.com
Book Title: Another Man's Treasure Publication Date: June...
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Book Title: Another Man's Treasure Publication Date: June 18, 2016 ASIN: B01HAKBZ0Q Genre: Contemporary Romance
[image error][image error] By day, Joy Avery works as a customer service assistant. By night, the North Carolina native travels to imaginary worlds—creating characters whose romantic journeys invariably end happily ever after. Since she was a young girl growing up in Garner, Joy knew she wanted to write. Stumbling onto romance novels, she discovered her passion for love stories; instantly, she knew these were the type stories she wanted to pen. Real characters. Real journeys. Real good love is what you’ll find in a Joy Avery romance. Joy is married with one child. When not writing, she enjoys reading, cake decorating, pretending to expertly play the piano, driving her husband insane, and playing with her two dogs. Joy is a member of Romance Writers of America and Heart of Carolina Romance Writers.
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[image error]
Graphic artist Trinity Hargrove never knew real passion until she sleeps with her boss’s son. Mistake number one. Mistake number two…liking it too much. But they agreed to only one night. Simple enough, right? Wrong. He may be out of her bed, but their intense night together still burns in her memories. As long as she keeps her distance from the oh-so-desirable Xander Duval, everything will be okay. Unfortunately, fate won’t go along with her plan. Restaurateur Xander Duval agrees to Trinity’s “one night” stipulation, but only in theory. He has no intentions of not being with her again. Especially when his mind—nor body—will allow him to forget the fire that blazed between them until the wee hours of the morning. When Trinity is injured in an automobile accident, he jumps at the opportunity to be her arms and legs. He plans to show her just how determined he is to make her his…for far longer than just one night. Read A Preview: http://a.co/14ZfHvW
[image error] Amazon: http://bit.ly/anothermanstreasure [image error] Website: http://www.joyavery.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorjoyavery Twitter: www.twitter.com/authorjoyavery Tour hosted by Write Now Literary Book Tours www.wnlbooktours.com
Book Title: Another Man's Treasure Publication Date: June 18, 2016 ASIN: B01HAKBZ0Q Genre: Contemporary Romance
[image error][image error] By day, Joy Avery works as a customer service assistant. By night, the North Carolina native travels to imaginary worlds—creating characters whose romantic journeys invariably end happily ever after. Since she was a young girl growing up in Garner, Joy knew she wanted to write. Stumbling onto romance novels, she discovered her passion for love stories; instantly, she knew these were the type stories she wanted to pen. Real characters. Real journeys. Real good love is what you’ll find in a Joy Avery romance. Joy is married with one child. When not writing, she enjoys reading, cake decorating, pretending to expertly play the piano, driving her husband insane, and playing with her two dogs. Joy is a member of Romance Writers of America and Heart of Carolina Romance Writers.
[image error]
[image error]
Graphic artist Trinity Hargrove never knew real passion until she sleeps with her boss’s son. Mistake number one. Mistake number two…liking it too much. But they agreed to only one night. Simple enough, right? Wrong. He may be out of her bed, but their intense night together still burns in her memories. As long as she keeps her distance from the oh-so-desirable Xander Duval, everything will be okay. Unfortunately, fate won’t go along with her plan. Restaurateur Xander Duval agrees to Trinity’s “one night” stipulation, but only in theory. He has no intentions of not being with her again. Especially when his mind—nor body—will allow him to forget the fire that blazed between them until the wee hours of the morning. When Trinity is injured in an automobile accident, he jumps at the opportunity to be her arms and legs. He plans to show her just how determined he is to make her his…for far longer than just one night. Read A Preview: http://a.co/14ZfHvW
[image error] Amazon: http://bit.ly/anothermanstreasure [image error] Website: http://www.joyavery.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorjoyavery Twitter: www.twitter.com/authorjoyavery Tour hosted by Write Now Literary Book Tours www.wnlbooktours.com
July 12, 2016
Announcing a New Release: LIE TO ME
I am so pleased to bring you the second book of the Nothing but the Truth Series. I released my 11th book on my son's birthday. So, I guess you could say I now have twins. Please enjoy this fast-paced read.
Lie to Me
Purchase Your Copy
A marriage on the rocks, a wedding in the works, and the woman who will change all their lives.
Sydney and Noah Charleston are joyful they are about to become parents. But a scary possibility threatens to shake up their marriage especially when Sydney learns Noah has kept even more lies from her. Will she be able to forgive this time? Monica Riley has a dangerous love for Lance Forbes which is why she stayed away from him. But when she is offered a large sum of cash, Monica returns to town to rekindle her romance with Lance. Will Monica get back her man? Belinda Santiago and Lance Forbes are deep into wedding preparations while struggling to remain celibate. When Lance's old flame stirs up mischief, Will their love survive? Portia Hendricks has a crush on the new office hottie, Nathaniel Lyons. The problem is Nathaniel has his eyes on Sydney. Worse yet, Sydney seems flattered by his charms. Will she be able to keep her best friend out of trouble?
The 2nd book of the Nothing But the Truth series will keep you guessing until it's stunning conclusion. One thing is certain at the end of this read, nothing will ever be the same.
Brief Excerpt“Get out the car!”Fourteen-year-old Noah Charleston raked his hands through his chin-length hair then gripped the wheel.“Did you hear me? I said to get out!” the hooded young man banged on the glass.Noah turned to see the barrel of a 9MM Glock pointed at his head. He looked to his right to see two other assailants pounding on the window. Noah knew the locks were activated in his parents eight year old Toyota Camry, but he pressed them anyway.“Noah!” Mary Charleston yelled from the back seat.“They’re going to kill us,” Peter Charleston chimed in, twisting his hands.Noah saw his parents frightened expressions and made his decision. He bent his lanky frame close to the wheel. “Put your heads down,” he commanded.It was one a.m. The streets were deserted. Noah gunned the gas and tore through the red light. He hunched over expecting to hear the distinct sounds of siren.Two loud claps boomed throughout the otherwise quiet streets.Noah looked over at his dad. “Are you all right?”Peter’s bottom lip trembled.“We’ll be fine,” Noah said, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice.There was another loud clap. The car swerved out of his control. Noah gripped the wheel and instinctively curved with the car.“What’s that?” Mary asked.
“They hit a tire.” Noah gritted his teeth. He heard the sound of metal scraping the ground and knew he had no choice but to hit the brakes.
Read More
About the Author
Michelle Lindo-Rice is an award winning, bestselling author of the “Able to Love” and “On the Right Path” series. She enjoys crafting fiction centered around the four "F" words: Faith, Friendship, Family, and Forgiveness. She is the 2015 winner of the Black Writers And Book Clubs Rocks Female Author of the Year Award.
Originally from Jamaica West Indies, Michelle Lindo-Rice calls herself a lifelong learner. She has earned degrees from New York University, SUNY at Stony Brook, Teachers College Columbia University and Argosy University, A pastor’s kid, Michelle upholds the faith, preaching, teaching, and ministering through praise and worship. Feel free to connect with her at michellelindorice.com
Purchase on Amazon Purchase on SmashwordsPurchase on Barnes and NoblePurchase Paperback on Createspace
Lie to Me
Purchase Your CopyA marriage on the rocks, a wedding in the works, and the woman who will change all their lives.
Sydney and Noah Charleston are joyful they are about to become parents. But a scary possibility threatens to shake up their marriage especially when Sydney learns Noah has kept even more lies from her. Will she be able to forgive this time? Monica Riley has a dangerous love for Lance Forbes which is why she stayed away from him. But when she is offered a large sum of cash, Monica returns to town to rekindle her romance with Lance. Will Monica get back her man? Belinda Santiago and Lance Forbes are deep into wedding preparations while struggling to remain celibate. When Lance's old flame stirs up mischief, Will their love survive? Portia Hendricks has a crush on the new office hottie, Nathaniel Lyons. The problem is Nathaniel has his eyes on Sydney. Worse yet, Sydney seems flattered by his charms. Will she be able to keep her best friend out of trouble?
The 2nd book of the Nothing But the Truth series will keep you guessing until it's stunning conclusion. One thing is certain at the end of this read, nothing will ever be the same.
Brief Excerpt“Get out the car!”Fourteen-year-old Noah Charleston raked his hands through his chin-length hair then gripped the wheel.“Did you hear me? I said to get out!” the hooded young man banged on the glass.Noah turned to see the barrel of a 9MM Glock pointed at his head. He looked to his right to see two other assailants pounding on the window. Noah knew the locks were activated in his parents eight year old Toyota Camry, but he pressed them anyway.“Noah!” Mary Charleston yelled from the back seat.“They’re going to kill us,” Peter Charleston chimed in, twisting his hands.Noah saw his parents frightened expressions and made his decision. He bent his lanky frame close to the wheel. “Put your heads down,” he commanded.It was one a.m. The streets were deserted. Noah gunned the gas and tore through the red light. He hunched over expecting to hear the distinct sounds of siren.Two loud claps boomed throughout the otherwise quiet streets.Noah looked over at his dad. “Are you all right?”Peter’s bottom lip trembled.“We’ll be fine,” Noah said, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice.There was another loud clap. The car swerved out of his control. Noah gripped the wheel and instinctively curved with the car.“What’s that?” Mary asked.
“They hit a tire.” Noah gritted his teeth. He heard the sound of metal scraping the ground and knew he had no choice but to hit the brakes.
Read More
About the Author
Michelle Lindo-Rice is an award winning, bestselling author of the “Able to Love” and “On the Right Path” series. She enjoys crafting fiction centered around the four "F" words: Faith, Friendship, Family, and Forgiveness. She is the 2015 winner of the Black Writers And Book Clubs Rocks Female Author of the Year Award.
Originally from Jamaica West Indies, Michelle Lindo-Rice calls herself a lifelong learner. She has earned degrees from New York University, SUNY at Stony Brook, Teachers College Columbia University and Argosy University, A pastor’s kid, Michelle upholds the faith, preaching, teaching, and ministering through praise and worship. Feel free to connect with her at michellelindorice.com
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July 11, 2016
Book Review: One Sunday at a Time
About the Book
Purchase Your CopyIn this soap opera in print, the main character, Deborah, asks herself, “What does crazy look like?” Let Deborah tell it, it's the reflection that looks back at her in the mirror. She has a career she loves, two beautiful children and a handsome and successful husband. Her life seems to be the blueprint almost every woman she knows would kill to live. But working full-time, being a full-time mother, full-time wife and a full-time Sunday only Christian seems to be taking its toll on her. With all the scheming and shenanigans Deborah orchestrated to get this lifestyle, she might have to come up with a whole set of new ones to maintain it.Lynox is Deborah's husband who she thanks God for putting back into her life after a game of cat and mouse that defies the laws of romance. He feels that all Deborah needs is to let her hair down, maybe make some new friends and live a little. When Deborah agrees and then suspects Lynox of having an affair with the woman that he suggested she form a friendship with, will he live to regret his own
advice?
My ReviewI read One Sunday at a Time over a few days. Each time I read, I couldn't help but think of how Deborah represents so many women I know. We have full-time jobs. We have a family to take care of. Some of us have husbands or significant others as well. We sometimes become overwhelmed with all we have to do. What drew me in was that Deborah refused to seek the help she needed. Many times, people who are suffering from mental illness do not view counseling or medication as God's resources. Deborah took me on a crazy journey. Her husband, Lynox, was strong and faithful. This read will make you reflect and make changes for what is important: Our relationship with God, our health, and our relationship with our loved ones. Everything else is secondary.
Author Bio:
BLESSEDselling Author E. N. Joy is the author behind the “New Day Divas,” “Still Divas,” “Always Divas” and “Forever Divas" series, all which have been coined “Soap Operas in Print.” She is an Essence Magazine Bestselling Author who wrote secular books under the names Joylynn M. Jossel and JOY. Her title, If I Ruled the World, earned her a book blurb from Grammy Award Winning Artist, Erykah Badu. An All Night Man, an anthology she penned with New York Times Bestselling Author Brenda Jackson, earned the Borders bestselling African American romance award. Her Urban Fiction title, Dollar Bill (Triple Crown Publications), appeared in Newsweek and has been translated to Japanese. Her children’s book titled The Secret Olivia Told Me, written under the name N. Joy, received a Coretta Scott King Honor from the American Library Association. The book was also acquired by Scholastic Books and has sold almost 100,000 copies. Elementary and middle school children have fallen in love with reading and creative writing as a result of the readings and workshops E. N. Joy instructs in schools nationwide.
Author Website: www.enjoywrites.com
Virtual BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Party July 10, 2016 event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/15869...
Social Media:Facebook: AuthorENJoyTwitter: @enjoywritesPinterest: @authorENjoyInstagram: @bestselling_author_enjoyPeriscope: @Author_E_N_Joy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/enjoywrites
Purchase Your CopyIn this soap opera in print, the main character, Deborah, asks herself, “What does crazy look like?” Let Deborah tell it, it's the reflection that looks back at her in the mirror. She has a career she loves, two beautiful children and a handsome and successful husband. Her life seems to be the blueprint almost every woman she knows would kill to live. But working full-time, being a full-time mother, full-time wife and a full-time Sunday only Christian seems to be taking its toll on her. With all the scheming and shenanigans Deborah orchestrated to get this lifestyle, she might have to come up with a whole set of new ones to maintain it.Lynox is Deborah's husband who she thanks God for putting back into her life after a game of cat and mouse that defies the laws of romance. He feels that all Deborah needs is to let her hair down, maybe make some new friends and live a little. When Deborah agrees and then suspects Lynox of having an affair with the woman that he suggested she form a friendship with, will he live to regret his own advice?
My ReviewI read One Sunday at a Time over a few days. Each time I read, I couldn't help but think of how Deborah represents so many women I know. We have full-time jobs. We have a family to take care of. Some of us have husbands or significant others as well. We sometimes become overwhelmed with all we have to do. What drew me in was that Deborah refused to seek the help she needed. Many times, people who are suffering from mental illness do not view counseling or medication as God's resources. Deborah took me on a crazy journey. Her husband, Lynox, was strong and faithful. This read will make you reflect and make changes for what is important: Our relationship with God, our health, and our relationship with our loved ones. Everything else is secondary.
Author Bio:
BLESSEDselling Author E. N. Joy is the author behind the “New Day Divas,” “Still Divas,” “Always Divas” and “Forever Divas" series, all which have been coined “Soap Operas in Print.” She is an Essence Magazine Bestselling Author who wrote secular books under the names Joylynn M. Jossel and JOY. Her title, If I Ruled the World, earned her a book blurb from Grammy Award Winning Artist, Erykah Badu. An All Night Man, an anthology she penned with New York Times Bestselling Author Brenda Jackson, earned the Borders bestselling African American romance award. Her Urban Fiction title, Dollar Bill (Triple Crown Publications), appeared in Newsweek and has been translated to Japanese. Her children’s book titled The Secret Olivia Told Me, written under the name N. Joy, received a Coretta Scott King Honor from the American Library Association. The book was also acquired by Scholastic Books and has sold almost 100,000 copies. Elementary and middle school children have fallen in love with reading and creative writing as a result of the readings and workshops E. N. Joy instructs in schools nationwide.
Author Website: www.enjoywrites.com
Virtual BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Party July 10, 2016 event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/15869...
Social Media:Facebook: AuthorENJoyTwitter: @enjoywritesPinterest: @authorENjoyInstagram: @bestselling_author_enjoyPeriscope: @Author_E_N_Joy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/enjoywrites
July 8, 2016
LIE TO ME: The Prologue and First Three Chapters
Nothing but the Truth Series Book 2Lie to Me
Purchase Your Copy
A marriage on the rocks, a wedding in the works, and the woman who will change all their lives.
Prologue
“Get out the car!”Fourteen-year-old Noah Charleston raked his hands through his chin-length hair then gripped the wheel. “Did you hear me? I said to get out!” the hooded young man banged on the glass. Noah turned to see the barrel of a 9MM Glock pointed at his head. He looked to his right to see two other assailants pounding on the window. Noah knew the locks were activated in his parents eight year old Toyota Camry, but he pressed them anyway.“Noah!” Mary Charleston yelled from the back seat. “They’re going to kill us,” Peter Charleston chimed in, twisting his hands.Noah saw his parents frightened expressions and made his decision. He bent his lanky frame close to the wheel. “Put your heads down,” he commanded. It was one a.m. The streets were deserted. Noah gunned the gas and tore through the red light. He hunched over expecting to hear the distinct sounds of siren.Two loud claps boomed throughout the otherwise quiet streets. Noah looked over at his dad. “Are you all right?”Peter’s bottom lip trembled. “We’ll be fine,” Noah said, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice.There was another loud clap. The car swerved out of his control. Noah gripped the wheel and instinctively curved with car.“What’s that?” Mary asked.“They hit a tire.” Noah gritted his teeth. He heard the sound of metal scraping the ground and knew he had no choice but to hit the brakes.His chest heaved. He looked in the rearview and saw the youths running toward them. Within seconds, they were back at the car.Mary wiped her nose with her sweater. “It’s going to be all right, Mom,” Noah said.One of the boys bashed the rear window. “I’m out of ammo,” the one with the gun said. He dropped the weapon and rushed off.Peter opened the door and jumped out. “Leave us alone,” he yelled. “Dad, why did you—” Noah searched the interior for a possible weapon. Finding none, he exited the car. The boys heckled his father once they saw they were being confronted by a man with Down’s Syndrome. Peter’s eyes were wide with fear. One of the boys stuck his head inside and snatched Mary’s pearls from around her neck. Peter raced over to comfort her.Noah eyed the two boys who were without guns. He could take one of them. He rushed toward the youth and slammed him to the ground. His mother’s cries gave him the strength he needed to fight. He pummeled the boy with his fists and kicked and scratched. Noah wasn’t above fighting dirty. Growing up with his special needs parents had made him learn to fight from an early age.All of a sudden, Noah heard loud screams. He froze. He twisted around. The other boy held a long blade. Blood dripped off the steel.“No!” Noah yelled and rushed over to the car. His body shook when he noticed his parents hugging each other. They had multiple stab wounds. “Help!” he screamed as loud as he could. “Help me!”“It hurts, Noah,” Mary said with labored breaths.Noah could see the blood on her chest. His father’s head was bent at an odd angle. Noah knew his father was gone.He released a roar and charged in the direction of the boy with the knife. Sirens wailed in the distance. Someone must have alerted the officers. But, Noah didn’t care. He was going to kill this boy or die trying. They stabbed Noah in his legs and arms, but he persisted.From the corner of his eye, Noah noticed the other boy bend over and pick up the gun. He checked it for bullets. “There’s one round left.” He cackled. Noah’s heart raced. The youth pressed the trigger. Noah prepared his body for impact. To his surprise, none came.“We gotta get outta here!” The other youth yelled, stuffing cash into his pocket.“No, we have to smoke this kid,” the boy said. He pressed the trigger again. It jammed a second time. The other boy ran. “I’m leaving.”“You’re lucky,” the boy said before running after his friend.Noah hobbled over to his mother. Mouth hung open, her eyes were wide. He knew she was gone. Noah sunk to his knees by the side of the car. He wished the gun had gone off and killed him. His body shook. He hadn’t been able to help his parents. He should have been able to help them.Noah didn’t know he was wailing until strong arms surrounded him and pulled him to his feet.“They killed my parents,” he howled, leaning in to the officer’s chest. “I tried to help them. I tried.”The officer nodded. “The ambulance is on its way.”Noah shook his head. “It’s too late. They’re gone. I’ve lost them. I have no one. My family is gone.”He felt a pat on his back. “It will be all right,” the bass voice rumbled in Noah’s ear.“I wish the gun had gone off.” His body shuddered. “I wish I had died along with them.”“Your parents wouldn’t have wanted that,” the officer said. “Thank God you’re alive.”Noah pulled away from him. “Don’t talk to me about God right now. I want my parents.”Another officer approached. He had his pen and notebook in his hand. “Son, I know this is a hard time for you. But, I need to ask you some questions. Can you tell me anything about what happened?”Noah wiped his face. Rage filled his heart. His voice was sharp and raw. “It was three of them. Three black boys. Three black boys killed my parents.”Noah jumped up out of his sleep. He wiped his brow and took deep breaths. He looked at the woman sleeping beside him. It was a hot day in August and his wedding night.This dream hadn’t come to him by accident. Noah knew it was a warning. God was telling Him something. He had to tell her. Tell Sydney the truth. The only problem was telling her the truth could only mean one thing. He had lied to her. Again.
1Earlier that year
“You’re a low-down unscrupulous sorry excuse for a human being. You know that? The world may think Pastor Monty Clarendon walks on water, but you don’t have me fooled one bit.” Monica Riley hurled insults, as she entered the study of the renowned televangelist. Her reddened face and heaving chest told of a much greater anger than her spoken words.Seated behind the oversized mahogany desk, Clarendon leaned into his chair and laughed. She stomped her foot. He laughed again. “I take it you saw my son while you were away?” “Yes—yes, I did. I saw Lance. My first sight of him, after almost three years, was him on his knees begging Belinda Santiago to marry him. Belinda Santiago, Sydney’s best friend. What kind of messed up, mixed-up nonsense is that?” Monica yelled. She looked Clarendon in the eyes. “It would’ve been nice if you’d given me some warning, but you sent me in there cold, without a clue as to what I was walking into. That was downright cruel. I left in a hurry and forgot my favorite sweater. January in Florida is pretty chilly.”“Come now, Monica,” Clarendon cajoled. He scrunched his lips like he was holding his laughter in. “Lance and I are estranged. You can’t expect me to know his whereabouts.”She lifted a brow. She knew better. Monica slumped into a huge armchair across from him. “I can, and do—why else would you have hired me?” Clarendon didn’t answer right away. Instead the steel eyes, which pierced many-a-soul through the lens of a television camera, remained pinned on Monica for several seconds. She squirmed under his penetrating stare. “Quit that.” Goose bumps rose on her flesh. “I hate when you do that, Clarendon.”“I hired you because you’re not only a master chef…I needed someone with your—ah—what shall I say?” Clarendon paused as if he were searching for the right words. “Special talents.”Monica rolled her eyes. “You’re the devil incarnate disguised as an angel of God.”With a loud guffaw, Clarendon teased, “Temper—temper. You know you have to learn to control that.”His mocking tone grated on her nerves. She uttered in a low, menacing tone, “What do you want from me?”Clarendon’s face transformed. He became stone-faced. “When I hired you a year ago, you were destitute and your daughter was about to become a ward of the court. I gave you a job and a home.” He folded his arms. “Now, it’s time for retribution.”Monica bit her lip. “I can’t do it, Clarendon. I know you’ve asked me before, but I can’t be the one to bridge your relationship with Lance. He doesn’t want to see me. I’m like poison to him. Don’t you get that?” She jumped up and walked over to the mantle on the far side of the room. She picked up a picture of Clarendon standing next to a much younger looking Lance. Monica touched Lance’s face. Then she turned to face Clarendon. In a moment of clarity, she said, “When I saw him today, I wanted to bash Belinda’s face in. It took everything within me not to cause a scene.” She bunched her fists. “So, that means I’ve got to stay away from him.” Clarendon stood and walked over to her. “I was a rotten father and I need to make amends with my son.” He swept his hands over frames lining the wall that highlighted his illustrious career. “I have a legacy that’s his to claim, but he won’t let me near him. Lance shut me out and though I understand why, I can’t accept that. He’s started a new ministry with Noah Charleston. He should be standing with me.”Monica sympathized with the father whose pain for his son was palpable. “What did you do?”It was of no surprise when Clarendon shut down. “That is not for you to know.”Monica fiddled with the heart-shaped locket on her gold necklace. “I don’t mean to pry.” She changed the subject. “What do you want me to do?”“That’s easy. Just infiltrate Lance’s life. Get in—and then,” he laughed, “just be you.”She frowned. What did that mean? “You’re going to give me one hundred thousand dollars to just be myself?” She squinted. “I don’t get it.” “Yes, my dear. That’s all I want. If you agree, you’ll say goodbye to Atlanta and move back to Florida. I’ll buy you a house in Northport and you can furnish it to your liking. You and Quinn should be able to settle in without much fuss. Then, you can get started on getting me an audience with my son. I’ll hire you a nanny to help care for Quinn.”Monica shook her head and walked out to check on her daughter. Her feet sunk into the plush carpet as she made her way to Quinn’s bedroom. She cracked the door open and stuck her head inside.“Quinn?” Monica whispered. She tiptoed over to her two-year-old daughter’s crib. Quinn was fast asleep with her little bottom poked in the air. “Awww,” Monica crooned and reached over to stroke her daughter’s right cheek. Quinn released a gurgle and sighed. Monica’s heart melted. The only thing she enjoyed more than cooking was caring for her daughter. Quinn soothed her and made her less … crazy.She sighed. This was why she didn’t want to mess with Lance Forbes again. Seeing him made her want to do things she shouldn’t. “What should Mommy do, Quinn?” she whispered. She bit her lip. One hundred thousand dollars was a lot of money. It was like tantalizing fruit dangling before her eyes. Monica licked her lips. She was definitely hungry. When it came to money, she could never have enough. One hundred thousand dollars was too much money to pass up.She tiptoed through the connecting doors and entered her suite. She scanned the room, admiring the golden hues and soft yellow tones. Everything from the carpeting to the comforter was custom made. Her room was exquisite and tasteful like the rest of the mansion where Clarendon resided. As his personal chef, Monica’s room did not look like any of the servant’s quarters. Instead, she lived like a queen with a nanny and a staff who catered to her every whim. She’d gotten spoiled. This luxurious life was addicting and hard to give up.Monica knew Clarendon’s staff thought she provided ‘extracurricular’ services. And though she had no qualms about delivering the goods, Clarendon had not wanted anything like that from her. Monica admitted she would not have minded because he was still a handsome man. Plus, she could see Lance in him, which made him even more desirable in her eyes. But no, Monty Clarendon hadn’t wanted her. He was a man of God, he told her. Yeah, the same man of God who was now blackmailing her into seducing his son.“I should just take the money and run,” Monica thought aloud. She wandered over to her nightstand, opened the top drawer and took out a picture. Monica held it with reverence. “Lance,” she crooned, kissing the picture several times before putting it on top of the nightstand like a sacred treasure. She placed her hands on her lap. “Maybe God has a hand in this. Maybe God’s using Clarendon as a means for me to win Lance back.” “Yes, that’s it.” She looked at Lance’s picture for confirmation. She jumped to her feet and laughed with glee. “Why didn’t I see this before? God, you are so good to me. Thank you, Lord. Hallelujah! I hear Your voice. I am listening and I can see Your will clearly. Lance Forbes was meant to be mine and with Your help, Lord, I will get finally get him. I will be his wife.” Monica swooped her hands across the huge expanse of the room, similar to how Clarendon had done earlier. “All this will be mine, mine and Quinn’s. Quinn will have her father back and we will be a family again.”Monica dismissed the fact that Quinn was not Lance’s biological child. She forgot how she had used Quinn as a pawn to steal Lance from his first fiancée—Sydney Charleston, formerly Richardson—and one of her ex-best friends. She forgot she had been one of Sydney’s bridesmaids, who had convinced Lance to run off with her, even after knowing he had been with Belinda Santiago.Instead, caught up in her euphoria, Monica packed her and Quinn’s belongings like Clarendon had told her to. “Monica Riley Forbes… Quinn Riley Forbes…” she said over and over, speaking it into reality.
2
“Yes. Yes. Yes. Noah, yes,” Sydney Charleston exclaimed. Noah listened to satisfied groans beneath him and smiled. “You like that?” Sydney hugged his strong shoulders. “Oh, yes. But you already know that.” She gasped for breath. Her brown skin shined, her hair wet with perspiration. His wife smiled. It was a slow small smile, which widened to reveal lovely white teeth. Yes, that’s how it should be. Sydney wore the smile of a satisfied woman. His woman. Noah felt his chest expand, knowing he had put that glow on her face. “I love you,” he said, touching her cheek.Sydney exhaled. “I love you, too, Noah. I especially love the way you loved me. Twice.”Noah laughed. “I’ve been out of the game for years. And now I’m free to have legitimate, God-sanctified sex, anytime I want. I’m making up for lost time.”Sydney chuckled and said in a sultry voice, “You sure are. I’m so glad we waited for marriage, but if I had known it was going to be like this …” She reached up to wipe the sweat rolling down his face. Noah’s hair matted against his skin. She ran her fingers through his damp hair and gazed into his eyes. He loved the look of love reflected there. There was a time when she had looked at him with disgust and he never wanted to see that again. Noah had been a rebellious teen, joining a White supremacist group, The Avengers. He had a swastika tattooed in his head, which he had tried to remove once he met Christ. However, a faint outline of the insignia remained. It was revealed when he had to have brain surgery after a beam fell on him by an accident arranged by Matthew, one of the Avengers. Noah hadn’t told Sydney for fear she wouldn’t date him. From the moment he saw her, he knew she was the one. Love wasn’t about skin color. Despite his past, their love had conquered.Sydney tapped his chin. “What are you thinking about?”Noah smiled. “I’m thinking about how much I love you.” He cupped her bottom, pulling her closer to him. “Thank you for marrying me. My past is a tough thing to overlook.” She touched his cheek. “The past is the past. It doesn’t affect our future. I married you because I couldn’t picture my life without you. Being abducted by a racist madman put things in proper perspective.”Noah shuddered. “Matthew wasn’t only a racist. He was a maniac.” He drew her even closer, remembering how Matthew and his two goons had captured Sydney intending to hang her. Matthew hated that Noah had fallen in love with a black woman.“Yes, he was a spawn of Satan.” Her brown eyes went dreamy. “But, then you swooped in and rescued me.” She kissed his cheek. “My true hero.”“Don’t forget I had help,” Noah said, referring to his former bodyguard, Hunter Fox.Sydney waved off his comment. “My love for you gave me the energy to fight back. So in my book, you’re my knight in shining armor.”Noah kissed Sydney, ready for another lovemaking session. After a few moments, Sydney ended the kiss and moved out of his arms. He felt the loss of her warmth. “Where are you going?”“I’ve got to use the bathroom and I need to brush my teeth. Don’t you have some praying to do or something?” Sydney asked, scooting closer to the edge of the bed. He slipped an arm around her waist. “I prayed right before dawn.” Noah started every morning day with prayer then worked on his sermons. Sometimes Sydney would join him, but most often than not, she chose to stay in bed. Noah welcomed the one-on-one time with God.He and Sydney had prayer together every evening, except for Wednesdays when they were at Bible study. However, Noah returned to the topic uppermost on his mind. “Can I come with you?”Sydney shook her head. “The bathroom is the one place where I draw the line. I don’t care how close we are. You’re not coming in there with me when I have to handle my business.”Noah swatted her bottom. “As personal as we get, I can’t believe you have those hang ups.”“I don’t care.” Sydney slipped out of the bed. “We’re one, but we won’t ever get that close.”“I’m going to bust in on you one of these days,” he teased.Sydney scurried to the bathroom door, slamming it shut. Noah heard the lock click and grinned. Since she’d use the bathroom in their master bedroom, he knew she was doing number one. Sydney went into the guest room if she had to do number two. Noah told her she didn’t have to do that, but Sydney refused. Noah wondered what she would say if he told her that she tooted in her sleep. He chuckled. If he did, she’d probably stop sleeping next to him and start sleeping in the guest room.Noah crossed his legs at the ankles, content to remain naked in bed and wait for his wife to return. He heard the toilet flush and the faucet come on. Within seconds, Sydney opened the door. To his keen disappointment, she was wearing a cream satin robe. Noah sat up. “Why’d you put that on?” It had taken three weeks before Sydney let him see her naked in the daylight. If he had his way, Noah would make it mandatory that they shed clothes upon entering their home. He mused, picturing Sydney wearing nothing but her shoes. She had an obsession with shoes, and Noah loved to see her in them. But, he knew Sydney wouldn’t go for that.“I have to eat, Noah,” Sydney pointed out. “And, so do you. Besides, we can’t spend all day in bed.”“Why not?” Noah swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. He dragged on a pair of dark blue jeans.He saw Sydney eyes darken and hid his knowing smile. Her silk robe loosened. Noah zoned in on her bare cleavage. His mind shifted. Maybe…Sydney must have read his mind. “No, no.” She held her hands up to shield his advances, then retied and secured her robe. In a firm voice, she declared, “We have to go see Gramps.”Noah stopped and turned his head to look at the digital clock on Sydney’s side of the bed. His jaw dropped. “It’s eleven, already? Where did the time go?”Sydney lifted an eyebrow.Noah pushed his feet a pair of battered leather flip-flops. “I’ll go throw something together for us to eat. Won’t you get showered in the meantime?”“No, I’ll go make breakfast,” Sydney said. “I know that trick well. You always linger until I’m in the shower and vulnerable before you jump in. Then the next thing I know, an hour has passed. Frankly, Skins, you’re insatiable.”“I hate that nickname,” Noah said but he would tackle that another time. He gave her a forlorn expression. “I love looking at my wife. What’s wrong with that?”She reached up and patted his cheek. “Get dressed, Noah,” she ordered, before sashaying past him toward the kitchen.
3
Sydney opened the refrigerator. She took out some eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon and bread to make French toast, then retrieved the griddle and a large bowl. Sydney cracked the eggs and poured them into the bowl. Suddenly, the rawness of the eggs assaulted her nose. Putting her hand over her mouth, she vaulted to the guest bathroom and hurled. Sydney emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet. What happened? She wondered. She placed her hand over her stomach. She hoped she wasn’t sick.“Sydney?” She heard Noah call out. His voice sounded like he was in the kitchen.Sydney washed her mouth and face and quickly braided her curly hair. Composed, she exited the bathroom. “I’m coming.” She walked the small path and entered the kitchen to see Noah beating the eggs.“Are you okay?” He groaned when some of the yellow slick substance sloshed out of the bowl. He ripped off a paper towel to clean it up, then returned to whipping the eggs.“Yeah. I cracked the eggs and my stomach turned. I don’t know…”“If I didn’t know better, I would think …” Noah stopped and pushed the bowl aside. “That’s not possible,” he whispered.Sydney was subjected to keen scrutiny, before Noah asked her in a low voice. “Did you pick up a bug?”She shook her head and did some quick mental calculations, then touched her chin. “What if I’m pregnant,” she murmured. Her next thought was of her possible promotion at work. Sydney had been recommended for partnership at The Welchman Group. Could she handle a baby and a tougher work schedule?Noah’s eyes widened.Sydney walked over to pull her iPad out of her bag, which she’d left on the couch the night before. With some rapid sweeping of her index finger, Sydney pulled up her calendar and counted the weeks. Her heart pounded. When was her last period? She skimmed for the purple ‘P’. She usually marked her calendar with a ‘P’ to signify her monthly flow. She swiped to the previous month. There was no ‘P’ in March. She must have been too busy to note it. “Sydney?”Sydney looked towards her husband who leaned against the mauve colored wall. “I know you didn’t get your period last month. But, I figured it was stress-related. You work so hard that…” A light blush grazed his cheek. She tilted her head. She had been buried under two million-dollar cases. “You sure?” He nodded. “Believe me, I’m sure.”Sydney’s mouth popped open. Married life was really…personal. “I guess I’ll take your word for it,” she said, trying not to get tongue-tied. Sydney avoided his eyes. “I don’t think I’m pregnant, though.”“I don’t think you are, either. But, if you take a pregnancy test, we’ll know for sure. Let’s skip the meal and find out.” Sydney glanced at the clock. “I agree. I’ll clean up here while you go get the test.”Noah dumped the egg batter down the garbage disposal and headed out the door. Sydney washed the bowl and put away the griddle. Then she brushed her teeth and took a quick shower. Sydney lathered her body with lotion and plucked a sleeveless sundress from her closet to wear. Once she was dressed, Sydney waited by the front door for Noah to return.“Good, you’re back,” Sydney held out her hands. He made it back in less than twenty minutes.Noah kicked off his sandals. “Yes, and let me tell you it was no easy feat. I browsed the aisles for a while before I found them tucked away near the feminine products.” His eyes were wide. “I had no idea there were so many different brands. I read several boxes, each assuring a 99 percent accuracy rate. In the end, I grabbed three different kinds.” She crooked her fingers and held out a hand. “Hand them over.” He placed the bag into her hand and Sydney walked into their master bath.Noah was right behind her. The only sound was the crinkling the bag made as they trudged into the bathroom. She took the three boxes out of the bag and allowed the plastic bag to fall to the floor. Noah sat near the toilet while Sydney investigated the three boxes. She opened one and read the directions. She raised a brow. “Do you intend to watch me pee on a stick?” She hoped not. Noah needed to wait outside the door.Noah nodded. “I want to find out the same time you do. So get to it.”Sydney went over him and kissed the top of his head. “You have three seconds to get out of here or I won’t do it.”He looked up at her. “But, what about us sharing everything?”“We can and we will. But, not this,” Sydney replied in a firm tone.Noah closed his eyes. He was probably praying for patience, but she wasn’t going to change her mind. He opened one eye to peer at her. She folded her hands and tapped her toes.“Fine,” he hoisted to his feet. “But, I’ll be right outside the door.”“Whatever.” Sydney waited until Noah left to lock the door. She turned on the faucet. There was no way she wanted him hearing her go. Sydney took the stick out of the box. Her heart hammered against her chest. She awkwardly navigated the stick to the ideal place.Noah banged on the door. “What’s happening? What does it say?” Sydney rolled her eyes. “You’re not helping.” She finished the task, rested the stick on a paper towel and washed her hands. Within seconds, the answer appeared.He thundered through the door. “Are you pregnant or not?” She ignored him. “Sydney Ariella Charleston, if you don’t open this door…I may—”“I’m coming,” Sydney yelled. She grabbed the stick and opened the door. She couldn’t wait to see the look on Noah’s face when he saw the news.“The suspense is maddening. C’mon, sweetheart, you’ve got to tell me.”With a blank face, Sydney held the stick.
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A marriage on the rocks, a wedding in the works, and the woman who will change all their lives.
Prologue
“Get out the car!”Fourteen-year-old Noah Charleston raked his hands through his chin-length hair then gripped the wheel. “Did you hear me? I said to get out!” the hooded young man banged on the glass. Noah turned to see the barrel of a 9MM Glock pointed at his head. He looked to his right to see two other assailants pounding on the window. Noah knew the locks were activated in his parents eight year old Toyota Camry, but he pressed them anyway.“Noah!” Mary Charleston yelled from the back seat. “They’re going to kill us,” Peter Charleston chimed in, twisting his hands.Noah saw his parents frightened expressions and made his decision. He bent his lanky frame close to the wheel. “Put your heads down,” he commanded. It was one a.m. The streets were deserted. Noah gunned the gas and tore through the red light. He hunched over expecting to hear the distinct sounds of siren.Two loud claps boomed throughout the otherwise quiet streets. Noah looked over at his dad. “Are you all right?”Peter’s bottom lip trembled. “We’ll be fine,” Noah said, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice.There was another loud clap. The car swerved out of his control. Noah gripped the wheel and instinctively curved with car.“What’s that?” Mary asked.“They hit a tire.” Noah gritted his teeth. He heard the sound of metal scraping the ground and knew he had no choice but to hit the brakes.His chest heaved. He looked in the rearview and saw the youths running toward them. Within seconds, they were back at the car.Mary wiped her nose with her sweater. “It’s going to be all right, Mom,” Noah said.One of the boys bashed the rear window. “I’m out of ammo,” the one with the gun said. He dropped the weapon and rushed off.Peter opened the door and jumped out. “Leave us alone,” he yelled. “Dad, why did you—” Noah searched the interior for a possible weapon. Finding none, he exited the car. The boys heckled his father once they saw they were being confronted by a man with Down’s Syndrome. Peter’s eyes were wide with fear. One of the boys stuck his head inside and snatched Mary’s pearls from around her neck. Peter raced over to comfort her.Noah eyed the two boys who were without guns. He could take one of them. He rushed toward the youth and slammed him to the ground. His mother’s cries gave him the strength he needed to fight. He pummeled the boy with his fists and kicked and scratched. Noah wasn’t above fighting dirty. Growing up with his special needs parents had made him learn to fight from an early age.All of a sudden, Noah heard loud screams. He froze. He twisted around. The other boy held a long blade. Blood dripped off the steel.“No!” Noah yelled and rushed over to the car. His body shook when he noticed his parents hugging each other. They had multiple stab wounds. “Help!” he screamed as loud as he could. “Help me!”“It hurts, Noah,” Mary said with labored breaths.Noah could see the blood on her chest. His father’s head was bent at an odd angle. Noah knew his father was gone.He released a roar and charged in the direction of the boy with the knife. Sirens wailed in the distance. Someone must have alerted the officers. But, Noah didn’t care. He was going to kill this boy or die trying. They stabbed Noah in his legs and arms, but he persisted.From the corner of his eye, Noah noticed the other boy bend over and pick up the gun. He checked it for bullets. “There’s one round left.” He cackled. Noah’s heart raced. The youth pressed the trigger. Noah prepared his body for impact. To his surprise, none came.“We gotta get outta here!” The other youth yelled, stuffing cash into his pocket.“No, we have to smoke this kid,” the boy said. He pressed the trigger again. It jammed a second time. The other boy ran. “I’m leaving.”“You’re lucky,” the boy said before running after his friend.Noah hobbled over to his mother. Mouth hung open, her eyes were wide. He knew she was gone. Noah sunk to his knees by the side of the car. He wished the gun had gone off and killed him. His body shook. He hadn’t been able to help his parents. He should have been able to help them.Noah didn’t know he was wailing until strong arms surrounded him and pulled him to his feet.“They killed my parents,” he howled, leaning in to the officer’s chest. “I tried to help them. I tried.”The officer nodded. “The ambulance is on its way.”Noah shook his head. “It’s too late. They’re gone. I’ve lost them. I have no one. My family is gone.”He felt a pat on his back. “It will be all right,” the bass voice rumbled in Noah’s ear.“I wish the gun had gone off.” His body shuddered. “I wish I had died along with them.”“Your parents wouldn’t have wanted that,” the officer said. “Thank God you’re alive.”Noah pulled away from him. “Don’t talk to me about God right now. I want my parents.”Another officer approached. He had his pen and notebook in his hand. “Son, I know this is a hard time for you. But, I need to ask you some questions. Can you tell me anything about what happened?”Noah wiped his face. Rage filled his heart. His voice was sharp and raw. “It was three of them. Three black boys. Three black boys killed my parents.”Noah jumped up out of his sleep. He wiped his brow and took deep breaths. He looked at the woman sleeping beside him. It was a hot day in August and his wedding night.This dream hadn’t come to him by accident. Noah knew it was a warning. God was telling Him something. He had to tell her. Tell Sydney the truth. The only problem was telling her the truth could only mean one thing. He had lied to her. Again.
1Earlier that year
“You’re a low-down unscrupulous sorry excuse for a human being. You know that? The world may think Pastor Monty Clarendon walks on water, but you don’t have me fooled one bit.” Monica Riley hurled insults, as she entered the study of the renowned televangelist. Her reddened face and heaving chest told of a much greater anger than her spoken words.Seated behind the oversized mahogany desk, Clarendon leaned into his chair and laughed. She stomped her foot. He laughed again. “I take it you saw my son while you were away?” “Yes—yes, I did. I saw Lance. My first sight of him, after almost three years, was him on his knees begging Belinda Santiago to marry him. Belinda Santiago, Sydney’s best friend. What kind of messed up, mixed-up nonsense is that?” Monica yelled. She looked Clarendon in the eyes. “It would’ve been nice if you’d given me some warning, but you sent me in there cold, without a clue as to what I was walking into. That was downright cruel. I left in a hurry and forgot my favorite sweater. January in Florida is pretty chilly.”“Come now, Monica,” Clarendon cajoled. He scrunched his lips like he was holding his laughter in. “Lance and I are estranged. You can’t expect me to know his whereabouts.”She lifted a brow. She knew better. Monica slumped into a huge armchair across from him. “I can, and do—why else would you have hired me?” Clarendon didn’t answer right away. Instead the steel eyes, which pierced many-a-soul through the lens of a television camera, remained pinned on Monica for several seconds. She squirmed under his penetrating stare. “Quit that.” Goose bumps rose on her flesh. “I hate when you do that, Clarendon.”“I hired you because you’re not only a master chef…I needed someone with your—ah—what shall I say?” Clarendon paused as if he were searching for the right words. “Special talents.”Monica rolled her eyes. “You’re the devil incarnate disguised as an angel of God.”With a loud guffaw, Clarendon teased, “Temper—temper. You know you have to learn to control that.”His mocking tone grated on her nerves. She uttered in a low, menacing tone, “What do you want from me?”Clarendon’s face transformed. He became stone-faced. “When I hired you a year ago, you were destitute and your daughter was about to become a ward of the court. I gave you a job and a home.” He folded his arms. “Now, it’s time for retribution.”Monica bit her lip. “I can’t do it, Clarendon. I know you’ve asked me before, but I can’t be the one to bridge your relationship with Lance. He doesn’t want to see me. I’m like poison to him. Don’t you get that?” She jumped up and walked over to the mantle on the far side of the room. She picked up a picture of Clarendon standing next to a much younger looking Lance. Monica touched Lance’s face. Then she turned to face Clarendon. In a moment of clarity, she said, “When I saw him today, I wanted to bash Belinda’s face in. It took everything within me not to cause a scene.” She bunched her fists. “So, that means I’ve got to stay away from him.” Clarendon stood and walked over to her. “I was a rotten father and I need to make amends with my son.” He swept his hands over frames lining the wall that highlighted his illustrious career. “I have a legacy that’s his to claim, but he won’t let me near him. Lance shut me out and though I understand why, I can’t accept that. He’s started a new ministry with Noah Charleston. He should be standing with me.”Monica sympathized with the father whose pain for his son was palpable. “What did you do?”It was of no surprise when Clarendon shut down. “That is not for you to know.”Monica fiddled with the heart-shaped locket on her gold necklace. “I don’t mean to pry.” She changed the subject. “What do you want me to do?”“That’s easy. Just infiltrate Lance’s life. Get in—and then,” he laughed, “just be you.”She frowned. What did that mean? “You’re going to give me one hundred thousand dollars to just be myself?” She squinted. “I don’t get it.” “Yes, my dear. That’s all I want. If you agree, you’ll say goodbye to Atlanta and move back to Florida. I’ll buy you a house in Northport and you can furnish it to your liking. You and Quinn should be able to settle in without much fuss. Then, you can get started on getting me an audience with my son. I’ll hire you a nanny to help care for Quinn.”Monica shook her head and walked out to check on her daughter. Her feet sunk into the plush carpet as she made her way to Quinn’s bedroom. She cracked the door open and stuck her head inside.“Quinn?” Monica whispered. She tiptoed over to her two-year-old daughter’s crib. Quinn was fast asleep with her little bottom poked in the air. “Awww,” Monica crooned and reached over to stroke her daughter’s right cheek. Quinn released a gurgle and sighed. Monica’s heart melted. The only thing she enjoyed more than cooking was caring for her daughter. Quinn soothed her and made her less … crazy.She sighed. This was why she didn’t want to mess with Lance Forbes again. Seeing him made her want to do things she shouldn’t. “What should Mommy do, Quinn?” she whispered. She bit her lip. One hundred thousand dollars was a lot of money. It was like tantalizing fruit dangling before her eyes. Monica licked her lips. She was definitely hungry. When it came to money, she could never have enough. One hundred thousand dollars was too much money to pass up.She tiptoed through the connecting doors and entered her suite. She scanned the room, admiring the golden hues and soft yellow tones. Everything from the carpeting to the comforter was custom made. Her room was exquisite and tasteful like the rest of the mansion where Clarendon resided. As his personal chef, Monica’s room did not look like any of the servant’s quarters. Instead, she lived like a queen with a nanny and a staff who catered to her every whim. She’d gotten spoiled. This luxurious life was addicting and hard to give up.Monica knew Clarendon’s staff thought she provided ‘extracurricular’ services. And though she had no qualms about delivering the goods, Clarendon had not wanted anything like that from her. Monica admitted she would not have minded because he was still a handsome man. Plus, she could see Lance in him, which made him even more desirable in her eyes. But no, Monty Clarendon hadn’t wanted her. He was a man of God, he told her. Yeah, the same man of God who was now blackmailing her into seducing his son.“I should just take the money and run,” Monica thought aloud. She wandered over to her nightstand, opened the top drawer and took out a picture. Monica held it with reverence. “Lance,” she crooned, kissing the picture several times before putting it on top of the nightstand like a sacred treasure. She placed her hands on her lap. “Maybe God has a hand in this. Maybe God’s using Clarendon as a means for me to win Lance back.” “Yes, that’s it.” She looked at Lance’s picture for confirmation. She jumped to her feet and laughed with glee. “Why didn’t I see this before? God, you are so good to me. Thank you, Lord. Hallelujah! I hear Your voice. I am listening and I can see Your will clearly. Lance Forbes was meant to be mine and with Your help, Lord, I will get finally get him. I will be his wife.” Monica swooped her hands across the huge expanse of the room, similar to how Clarendon had done earlier. “All this will be mine, mine and Quinn’s. Quinn will have her father back and we will be a family again.”Monica dismissed the fact that Quinn was not Lance’s biological child. She forgot how she had used Quinn as a pawn to steal Lance from his first fiancée—Sydney Charleston, formerly Richardson—and one of her ex-best friends. She forgot she had been one of Sydney’s bridesmaids, who had convinced Lance to run off with her, even after knowing he had been with Belinda Santiago.Instead, caught up in her euphoria, Monica packed her and Quinn’s belongings like Clarendon had told her to. “Monica Riley Forbes… Quinn Riley Forbes…” she said over and over, speaking it into reality.
2
“Yes. Yes. Yes. Noah, yes,” Sydney Charleston exclaimed. Noah listened to satisfied groans beneath him and smiled. “You like that?” Sydney hugged his strong shoulders. “Oh, yes. But you already know that.” She gasped for breath. Her brown skin shined, her hair wet with perspiration. His wife smiled. It was a slow small smile, which widened to reveal lovely white teeth. Yes, that’s how it should be. Sydney wore the smile of a satisfied woman. His woman. Noah felt his chest expand, knowing he had put that glow on her face. “I love you,” he said, touching her cheek.Sydney exhaled. “I love you, too, Noah. I especially love the way you loved me. Twice.”Noah laughed. “I’ve been out of the game for years. And now I’m free to have legitimate, God-sanctified sex, anytime I want. I’m making up for lost time.”Sydney chuckled and said in a sultry voice, “You sure are. I’m so glad we waited for marriage, but if I had known it was going to be like this …” She reached up to wipe the sweat rolling down his face. Noah’s hair matted against his skin. She ran her fingers through his damp hair and gazed into his eyes. He loved the look of love reflected there. There was a time when she had looked at him with disgust and he never wanted to see that again. Noah had been a rebellious teen, joining a White supremacist group, The Avengers. He had a swastika tattooed in his head, which he had tried to remove once he met Christ. However, a faint outline of the insignia remained. It was revealed when he had to have brain surgery after a beam fell on him by an accident arranged by Matthew, one of the Avengers. Noah hadn’t told Sydney for fear she wouldn’t date him. From the moment he saw her, he knew she was the one. Love wasn’t about skin color. Despite his past, their love had conquered.Sydney tapped his chin. “What are you thinking about?”Noah smiled. “I’m thinking about how much I love you.” He cupped her bottom, pulling her closer to him. “Thank you for marrying me. My past is a tough thing to overlook.” She touched his cheek. “The past is the past. It doesn’t affect our future. I married you because I couldn’t picture my life without you. Being abducted by a racist madman put things in proper perspective.”Noah shuddered. “Matthew wasn’t only a racist. He was a maniac.” He drew her even closer, remembering how Matthew and his two goons had captured Sydney intending to hang her. Matthew hated that Noah had fallen in love with a black woman.“Yes, he was a spawn of Satan.” Her brown eyes went dreamy. “But, then you swooped in and rescued me.” She kissed his cheek. “My true hero.”“Don’t forget I had help,” Noah said, referring to his former bodyguard, Hunter Fox.Sydney waved off his comment. “My love for you gave me the energy to fight back. So in my book, you’re my knight in shining armor.”Noah kissed Sydney, ready for another lovemaking session. After a few moments, Sydney ended the kiss and moved out of his arms. He felt the loss of her warmth. “Where are you going?”“I’ve got to use the bathroom and I need to brush my teeth. Don’t you have some praying to do or something?” Sydney asked, scooting closer to the edge of the bed. He slipped an arm around her waist. “I prayed right before dawn.” Noah started every morning day with prayer then worked on his sermons. Sometimes Sydney would join him, but most often than not, she chose to stay in bed. Noah welcomed the one-on-one time with God.He and Sydney had prayer together every evening, except for Wednesdays when they were at Bible study. However, Noah returned to the topic uppermost on his mind. “Can I come with you?”Sydney shook her head. “The bathroom is the one place where I draw the line. I don’t care how close we are. You’re not coming in there with me when I have to handle my business.”Noah swatted her bottom. “As personal as we get, I can’t believe you have those hang ups.”“I don’t care.” Sydney slipped out of the bed. “We’re one, but we won’t ever get that close.”“I’m going to bust in on you one of these days,” he teased.Sydney scurried to the bathroom door, slamming it shut. Noah heard the lock click and grinned. Since she’d use the bathroom in their master bedroom, he knew she was doing number one. Sydney went into the guest room if she had to do number two. Noah told her she didn’t have to do that, but Sydney refused. Noah wondered what she would say if he told her that she tooted in her sleep. He chuckled. If he did, she’d probably stop sleeping next to him and start sleeping in the guest room.Noah crossed his legs at the ankles, content to remain naked in bed and wait for his wife to return. He heard the toilet flush and the faucet come on. Within seconds, Sydney opened the door. To his keen disappointment, she was wearing a cream satin robe. Noah sat up. “Why’d you put that on?” It had taken three weeks before Sydney let him see her naked in the daylight. If he had his way, Noah would make it mandatory that they shed clothes upon entering their home. He mused, picturing Sydney wearing nothing but her shoes. She had an obsession with shoes, and Noah loved to see her in them. But, he knew Sydney wouldn’t go for that.“I have to eat, Noah,” Sydney pointed out. “And, so do you. Besides, we can’t spend all day in bed.”“Why not?” Noah swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. He dragged on a pair of dark blue jeans.He saw Sydney eyes darken and hid his knowing smile. Her silk robe loosened. Noah zoned in on her bare cleavage. His mind shifted. Maybe…Sydney must have read his mind. “No, no.” She held her hands up to shield his advances, then retied and secured her robe. In a firm voice, she declared, “We have to go see Gramps.”Noah stopped and turned his head to look at the digital clock on Sydney’s side of the bed. His jaw dropped. “It’s eleven, already? Where did the time go?”Sydney lifted an eyebrow.Noah pushed his feet a pair of battered leather flip-flops. “I’ll go throw something together for us to eat. Won’t you get showered in the meantime?”“No, I’ll go make breakfast,” Sydney said. “I know that trick well. You always linger until I’m in the shower and vulnerable before you jump in. Then the next thing I know, an hour has passed. Frankly, Skins, you’re insatiable.”“I hate that nickname,” Noah said but he would tackle that another time. He gave her a forlorn expression. “I love looking at my wife. What’s wrong with that?”She reached up and patted his cheek. “Get dressed, Noah,” she ordered, before sashaying past him toward the kitchen.
3
Sydney opened the refrigerator. She took out some eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon and bread to make French toast, then retrieved the griddle and a large bowl. Sydney cracked the eggs and poured them into the bowl. Suddenly, the rawness of the eggs assaulted her nose. Putting her hand over her mouth, she vaulted to the guest bathroom and hurled. Sydney emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet. What happened? She wondered. She placed her hand over her stomach. She hoped she wasn’t sick.“Sydney?” She heard Noah call out. His voice sounded like he was in the kitchen.Sydney washed her mouth and face and quickly braided her curly hair. Composed, she exited the bathroom. “I’m coming.” She walked the small path and entered the kitchen to see Noah beating the eggs.“Are you okay?” He groaned when some of the yellow slick substance sloshed out of the bowl. He ripped off a paper towel to clean it up, then returned to whipping the eggs.“Yeah. I cracked the eggs and my stomach turned. I don’t know…”“If I didn’t know better, I would think …” Noah stopped and pushed the bowl aside. “That’s not possible,” he whispered.Sydney was subjected to keen scrutiny, before Noah asked her in a low voice. “Did you pick up a bug?”She shook her head and did some quick mental calculations, then touched her chin. “What if I’m pregnant,” she murmured. Her next thought was of her possible promotion at work. Sydney had been recommended for partnership at The Welchman Group. Could she handle a baby and a tougher work schedule?Noah’s eyes widened.Sydney walked over to pull her iPad out of her bag, which she’d left on the couch the night before. With some rapid sweeping of her index finger, Sydney pulled up her calendar and counted the weeks. Her heart pounded. When was her last period? She skimmed for the purple ‘P’. She usually marked her calendar with a ‘P’ to signify her monthly flow. She swiped to the previous month. There was no ‘P’ in March. She must have been too busy to note it. “Sydney?”Sydney looked towards her husband who leaned against the mauve colored wall. “I know you didn’t get your period last month. But, I figured it was stress-related. You work so hard that…” A light blush grazed his cheek. She tilted her head. She had been buried under two million-dollar cases. “You sure?” He nodded. “Believe me, I’m sure.”Sydney’s mouth popped open. Married life was really…personal. “I guess I’ll take your word for it,” she said, trying not to get tongue-tied. Sydney avoided his eyes. “I don’t think I’m pregnant, though.”“I don’t think you are, either. But, if you take a pregnancy test, we’ll know for sure. Let’s skip the meal and find out.” Sydney glanced at the clock. “I agree. I’ll clean up here while you go get the test.”Noah dumped the egg batter down the garbage disposal and headed out the door. Sydney washed the bowl and put away the griddle. Then she brushed her teeth and took a quick shower. Sydney lathered her body with lotion and plucked a sleeveless sundress from her closet to wear. Once she was dressed, Sydney waited by the front door for Noah to return.“Good, you’re back,” Sydney held out her hands. He made it back in less than twenty minutes.Noah kicked off his sandals. “Yes, and let me tell you it was no easy feat. I browsed the aisles for a while before I found them tucked away near the feminine products.” His eyes were wide. “I had no idea there were so many different brands. I read several boxes, each assuring a 99 percent accuracy rate. In the end, I grabbed three different kinds.” She crooked her fingers and held out a hand. “Hand them over.” He placed the bag into her hand and Sydney walked into their master bath.Noah was right behind her. The only sound was the crinkling the bag made as they trudged into the bathroom. She took the three boxes out of the bag and allowed the plastic bag to fall to the floor. Noah sat near the toilet while Sydney investigated the three boxes. She opened one and read the directions. She raised a brow. “Do you intend to watch me pee on a stick?” She hoped not. Noah needed to wait outside the door.Noah nodded. “I want to find out the same time you do. So get to it.”Sydney went over him and kissed the top of his head. “You have three seconds to get out of here or I won’t do it.”He looked up at her. “But, what about us sharing everything?”“We can and we will. But, not this,” Sydney replied in a firm tone.Noah closed his eyes. He was probably praying for patience, but she wasn’t going to change her mind. He opened one eye to peer at her. She folded her hands and tapped her toes.“Fine,” he hoisted to his feet. “But, I’ll be right outside the door.”“Whatever.” Sydney waited until Noah left to lock the door. She turned on the faucet. There was no way she wanted him hearing her go. Sydney took the stick out of the box. Her heart hammered against her chest. She awkwardly navigated the stick to the ideal place.Noah banged on the door. “What’s happening? What does it say?” Sydney rolled her eyes. “You’re not helping.” She finished the task, rested the stick on a paper towel and washed her hands. Within seconds, the answer appeared.He thundered through the door. “Are you pregnant or not?” She ignored him. “Sydney Ariella Charleston, if you don’t open this door…I may—”“I’m coming,” Sydney yelled. She grabbed the stick and opened the door. She couldn’t wait to see the look on Noah’s face when he saw the news.“The suspense is maddening. C’mon, sweetheart, you’ve got to tell me.”With a blank face, Sydney held the stick.
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July 6, 2016
An Interview with Blessedselling Author E N Joy
Author E.N. Joy
Tell us something about yourself. (Where are you from, what is your background, how long have you been writing or anything we might find interesting about you.) I'm born, raised and still planted in Columbus, Ohio. After thirteen years of being a paralegal, I finally divorced my career and married my mistress and my passion; writing. I self-published my first book back in 1998 and my second a year or so later. My third self-published book eventually got picked up by a major publisher. What was so crazy about that was that the first publisher to ever send me a rejection letter was the same publisher who gave me my first book deal.
Is there a general theme present in your work? If so, what is it? The theme in all of my books is the same. I mean, I can honestly sum up every book in my “New Day Divas” series, “Still Divas” series, “Always Divas” series, and my “Forever Divas” series with one word. That word is ‘pain.’ In my books I capture pain and use it to connect my readers with the characters. I not only want to show the characters going through pain—walking it out—but how to get delivered from the pain and then walk in (maintain) that deliverance. So, yes, even though romance is the number one selling genre with books, God has me writing about the polar opposite; pain. That is the one thing all His people have in common; at some point in life we will all experience some type of pain. My books are instruction manuals on how to deal with it.
Purchase Your CopyWhat did you learn about yourself while writing One Sunday at a Time?I learned that I’m not crazy; I’m human. There are so many women out there who feel like they have so much going on in their life that they are about to lose control. It was important for me to write this book because I need them to know that to lose control is a good thing…when you plan on letting God take control.Who does your body of literary work speak to? I hear authors say it all the time: “I write my book for everybody, not just one particular audience.” That’s all fine and well, but the book business is just that; a business. In dealing with business you have to have a target audience that you start off promoting and marketing to. Once you have saturated your target audience, then you have the bull’s eye affect, where you begin to expand outward into other areas. There is absolutely no shame in my game; I write my books for my sisters. If anyone outside of my target audience wants to pick up my book that is an awesome blessing. But I want to make sure that my sisters—my target audience—can walk right into the book store and know exactly where to find me. Richard Ridley once said, "Many writers make the mistake of thinking that bigger is better when it comes to defining a book's target audience. They believe that if a potential reader is simply made aware of their book, then surely they'll take a chance and buy it. But by choosing this "big pond" approach, those authors are being overlooked, and they're missing the opportunity to stand out in a smaller pond. You'll have much better success being a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond."
You were the first content development editor for what publication and what did it entail? I was the first content development editor for Triple Crown Publications, which was founded and run by Vickie Stringer. A couple of the more well-known books I did content development on were Gangstaby K'Wan and A Hustler's Wife by Nikki Turner. What that entailed was working with the authors on developing their stories, be it character development or filling in holes in the story so that everything connected and made sense. A developmental editor assists the author (sometimes through multiple drafts) with elements of structure, concept, content, tone, and overall presentation. A developmental editor may also help with research, competitive market analyses, and chapter outlines. As a development editor the purpose is to make the text clear, readable, engaging, and marketable. We're kind of like a coach, only without the whistle, but the infamous red pen instead. I didn't do the copyediting, grammar, punctuation, spelling, line editing, proof editing or anything like that for Triple Crown. I know back in the day Triple Crown took many hits for what readers saw as error filled books, but allow me to say that Ms. Stringer did have editors in place and she was paying them hefty fees. Unfortunately, Ms. Stringer wasn't getting what she was paying for. As a person running a million dollar company, she trusted these self-proclaimed editors to get the job done. Her job wasn't to go behind each editor and re-edit the book; after all, that's what she was paying them for. Perhaps she could have done her due diligence in researching the editors and getting samples of their work, but she was new to the whole self-publishing and publishing thing, as were most of us at the time. But we live and we learn . . . sometimes the hard way, which can also be the costly way.
You were the acquisitions editor for what Christian imprint? Back in 2006 I became the acquisitions editor for the now dissolved Urban Christian imprint. I proudly held that role for ten years. It was an amazing experience. My own titles were published under the Urban Christian imprint, including my very first Christian fiction book titled Me, Myself and Him. During my ten years as acquisitions editor for Urban Christian, I got to work with some of the best Christian fiction authors in the business, who are now continuing their careers through either self-publishing or who are currently with other publishers. Some have even stepped out on faith and started their own publishing companies to publish their titles under. As the acquisitions editor for Urban Christian, I was responsible for reading every single submission that was submitted for publication consideration. For those I felt were publishable, I'd then pitch to my superiors and hopefully get permission to extend a publishing contract offer and advance. From there I would then take on the role of working with each author in the capacity as their content development editor.
What Can Readers expect from you next? November 2016 will be the final installment in my “Divas” books. To date 13 books in the series have been published (She Who Finds a Husband, Been There Prayed That, Love Honor or Stray, Trying to Stay Saved, I Can Do Better All By Myself, And You Call Yourself a Christian, The Perfect Christian, The Sunday Only Christian, I Ain't Me No More, More Than I Can Bear, You Get What You Pray For, When All is Said and Prayed, and One Sunday at a Time). Lady of the Housewill be the final installment, but it’s definitely not the last readers will hear from the divas. Let’s just say I’m going to have some of the cast members of these soap operas in print make cameos in some of my other forthcoming works. So, readers, stay tuned!
Author Bio: BLESSEDselling Author E. N. Joy is the author behind the “New Day Divas,” “Still Divas,” “Always Divas” and “Forever Divas" series, all which have been coined “Soap Operas in Print.” She is an Essence Magazine Bestselling Author who wrote secular books under the names Joylynn M. Jossel and JOY. Her title, If I Ruled the World, earned her a book blurb from Grammy Award Winning Artist, Erykah Badu. An All Night Man, an anthology she penned with New York Times Bestselling Author Brenda Jackson, earned the Borders bestselling African American romance award. Her Urban Fiction title, Dollar Bill (Triple Crown Publications), appeared in Newsweek and has been translated to Japanese. Her children’s book titled The Secret Olivia Told Me, written under the name N. Joy, received a Coretta Scott King Honor from the American Library Association. The book was also acquired by Scholastic Books and has sold almost 100,000 copies. Elementary and middle school children have fallen in love with reading and creative writing as a result of the readings and workshops E. N. Joy instructs in schools nationwide.
Author Website: www.enjoywrites.com
Virtual BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Party July 10, 2016 event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/15869...
July 5, 2016
Welcome Shundria Riddick to my Blog!
Marriage Grace
Twenty Years! I cannot believe I’ve been married for that long. It's been a winding wonderful road. I've been asked, "If someone could have said one thing to you before you got married, what would it have been?"
My answer "Buckle up!"
It's been a ride. Highs have been high and lows have been low. I look at our young faces in our wedding picture and think "clueless!" Ha! Please don't misunderstand; we loved each other then and we still do now. But neither of us knew the depth of love and sacrifice we were about to embark upon. We didn't know what was about to be asked of ourselves or each other. We didn’t know.I am so glad that the Lord kept us and still holds us. If it were left up to us, we would have driven our marriage into the ground. We had so many personal obstacles, unreasonable expectations, and worldly views of marriage. By the absolute Grace of God we are still together and have the privilege of encouraging others in their marriages! To God be the Glory...This isn't a post about how wonderful marriage has been. It has been that. We've shared so many incredible years. My husband can still walk into a room and take my breath away! It's not about how hard it's been. It has been that. We don't have the time to even begin! :)This post is about Grace in marriage. In spite of everything we've been through, Grace kept us. It loved us. It carried us. When we wanted to walk away, it reminded us of the covenant we made with God and each other. When we laughed through great times, Grace strengthened us. Grace is for us. If I could say anything to encourage someone in marriage it would be:• It's not always fair, don't expect it.• You may give more one season and your spouse may give more the next.• Only Christ can complete you, not your spouse.• Love is sacrifice, not a feeling. I Corinthians 13 is your “to do” list.• Walking in your Role is important. Know it.• God's Word is the authority not your feelings.• Arguing is healthy.• Making up is even better.• Laugh together.• Hold hands.• Forgive like you want to be forgiven.• Accept that your spouse's weaknesses are different than yours• ALWAYS PRAY TOGETHER• Marriage is not meant to make you happy, but is meant to make you holy.• Love your kids, but never put them before your marriage (Your marriage is their foundation.)• Live your life understanding that a Godly healthy marriage and a healthy family are the enemy's biggest threats. YOU ARE KINGDOM BUILDING! He wants your marriage and your children broken. He is your enemy not each other.• Marriage still works!I'm looking forward to many more years with my husband! We often say that no one else is crazy enough to be with us. So we might as well be together!
About Shundria Shundria Riddick is a speaker and licensed professional counselor who shares a message of hope and freedom in Christ.
A graduate of Amberton University, Shundria holds a Master's Degree in Counseling. As a counselor, she loves to connect with individuals and seeks to guide them with Biblical Truth. This desire to walk beside those who are experiencing difficult seasons in their lives has given her a phenomenal ability to disarm any audience. Her passion is to help others grasp the unshakable love of Christ, let go of frustration that comes from trying to live out one's own plans and experience the beauty of embracing His will.
Like many women, she has a career, an advanced education, and is a successful wife and mother of three school-aged children. And like the typical woman she has juggled all of these things while dealing with the emotional and mental battles of life's daily issues. God has graciously given her the opportunity to share with women, singles, girls and married couples as they seek to live out their victory in Christ.
Shundria is a wife to her best friend Chris and mother to three wonderful children: Joshua, Elyana and Noah. Visit her online at www.ShundriaRiddick.com
Purchase Your Copy
Married for Five Minutes: Hope for Living Inside Real-Life Marriages Shundria Riddick, M.A., LPC & Michelle Stimpson
Release Date: June 28, 2016Paperback ISBN: 1-943563-05-5Hardcover ISBN: 1-943563-06-3Ebook available through online retailers Publisher: Edifying Reads, an Imprint of MLStimpson Enterprises
Twenty Years! I cannot believe I’ve been married for that long. It's been a winding wonderful road. I've been asked, "If someone could have said one thing to you before you got married, what would it have been?"
My answer "Buckle up!"
It's been a ride. Highs have been high and lows have been low. I look at our young faces in our wedding picture and think "clueless!" Ha! Please don't misunderstand; we loved each other then and we still do now. But neither of us knew the depth of love and sacrifice we were about to embark upon. We didn't know what was about to be asked of ourselves or each other. We didn’t know.I am so glad that the Lord kept us and still holds us. If it were left up to us, we would have driven our marriage into the ground. We had so many personal obstacles, unreasonable expectations, and worldly views of marriage. By the absolute Grace of God we are still together and have the privilege of encouraging others in their marriages! To God be the Glory...This isn't a post about how wonderful marriage has been. It has been that. We've shared so many incredible years. My husband can still walk into a room and take my breath away! It's not about how hard it's been. It has been that. We don't have the time to even begin! :)This post is about Grace in marriage. In spite of everything we've been through, Grace kept us. It loved us. It carried us. When we wanted to walk away, it reminded us of the covenant we made with God and each other. When we laughed through great times, Grace strengthened us. Grace is for us. If I could say anything to encourage someone in marriage it would be:• It's not always fair, don't expect it.• You may give more one season and your spouse may give more the next.• Only Christ can complete you, not your spouse.• Love is sacrifice, not a feeling. I Corinthians 13 is your “to do” list.• Walking in your Role is important. Know it.• God's Word is the authority not your feelings.• Arguing is healthy.• Making up is even better.• Laugh together.• Hold hands.• Forgive like you want to be forgiven.• Accept that your spouse's weaknesses are different than yours• ALWAYS PRAY TOGETHER• Marriage is not meant to make you happy, but is meant to make you holy.• Love your kids, but never put them before your marriage (Your marriage is their foundation.)• Live your life understanding that a Godly healthy marriage and a healthy family are the enemy's biggest threats. YOU ARE KINGDOM BUILDING! He wants your marriage and your children broken. He is your enemy not each other.• Marriage still works!I'm looking forward to many more years with my husband! We often say that no one else is crazy enough to be with us. So we might as well be together!
About Shundria Shundria Riddick is a speaker and licensed professional counselor who shares a message of hope and freedom in Christ.
A graduate of Amberton University, Shundria holds a Master's Degree in Counseling. As a counselor, she loves to connect with individuals and seeks to guide them with Biblical Truth. This desire to walk beside those who are experiencing difficult seasons in their lives has given her a phenomenal ability to disarm any audience. Her passion is to help others grasp the unshakable love of Christ, let go of frustration that comes from trying to live out one's own plans and experience the beauty of embracing His will.
Like many women, she has a career, an advanced education, and is a successful wife and mother of three school-aged children. And like the typical woman she has juggled all of these things while dealing with the emotional and mental battles of life's daily issues. God has graciously given her the opportunity to share with women, singles, girls and married couples as they seek to live out their victory in Christ.
Shundria is a wife to her best friend Chris and mother to three wonderful children: Joshua, Elyana and Noah. Visit her online at www.ShundriaRiddick.com
Purchase Your Copy
Married for Five Minutes: Hope for Living Inside Real-Life Marriages Shundria Riddick, M.A., LPC & Michelle Stimpson
Release Date: June 28, 2016Paperback ISBN: 1-943563-05-5Hardcover ISBN: 1-943563-06-3Ebook available through online retailers Publisher: Edifying Reads, an Imprint of MLStimpson Enterprises
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