Shelly Ellis's Blog, page 2

My Radio Interview with 96KIX FM!

I was honored and excited to be chosen as Author of the Week by DJ Kimberly Kaye at the Jackson, Tenn., radio station, 96 KIX FM. I’ve done reporting for most of my career but never have I been the interviewee. But with a new book, The Player and the Game, coming out in a week, I put on my big girl panties and did what i had to do! LOL

I was excited with the final result though. Here’s the interview!

Listen to my interview with DJ Kimberly Kaye

Download: shelly-ellis-interview-track-1.mp3

Guest Blog: The Only Option by Deatri King-Bey

Hey all! Once again, I’m hosting a guest blogger on my site. This time novelist Deatri King-Bey.

Don’t tell anyone, but there are times that I’ve written books where I didn’t particularly like my hero or heroine. Shhhh. It’s a secret. How can I write such a book? Because I’m one of those psycho authors who hear voices in my head of the characters, then I write their stories. I like to say I put my psychosis to work. Even if the characters who pop into my head aren’t my favorite people, I still write their stories.

So I was worried about my new title, The Only Option. Unlike my other titles where there is a triggering event to wake the voices to tell their whole story. This time, I only saw the opening of the first scene without the dialogue. Then when Isis, the heroine, finally started talking—more of demanding her story—she would only tell me as I wrote. So I got no preview of what would happen. How rude, right?

Well, lucky for me, I fell in love with Isis and Jonah before the end of the first chapter. I got to experience the twists and turns of their story like a reader would and I enjoyed every one, and I hope you will too. So what is The Only Option about?

Sane upwardly-mobile women don’t agree to enter into arranged marriages… Or do they?

Control freak Jonah Tazi comes from a long line of arranged marriages, but the thought of his parents picking his bride never sat well with him. Time is working against Jonah, so he reluctantly agrees to allow his father to find him a proper bride. Then he meets Isis and becomes infatuated with the vibrant, funny, and talented woman. A powerful man used to getting exactly what he wants, exactly when he wants it, he is unprepared when Isis doesn’t agree to his proposal immediately. Now he is determined to convince her (and everyone else) that he and Isis belong together. Jonah intends to be her only option.

Isis Michaels has always been sheltered by her father. The tables have turned, and now she must shelter him. Isis rearranges her life and will do whatever it takes to please her father during the time he has left—almost anything. It becomes clear that he wants to see her settled before he passes. Is marrying Jonah, a man she’s emotionally and physically attracted to but just met, her only option?

Here’s the portion that was in my mind. I saw it with no dialogue though.

Chapter One

“Dad, you’re not choosing my wife.” Adjusting his earpiece, Jonah exited the elevator. Fifteen minutes early for an acquisition meeting, he considered himself late.

“You’re a lot closer to forty than thirty. People are starting to talk.”

“I don’t care.” Artwork lined either side of the hallway. The priceless collection had taken Jonah years to build and there were more pieces to acquire.

“Well, I do. Three years. Three years ago you promised to dedicate time to finding a wife.”

“I’ve been busy running a multibillion-dollar corporation.”

“I was just as busy as my father and his father before him. We’ve always had arranged marriages. That didn’t change when my father moved to this country. He did an excellent job of choosing my wife.”

“You’re divorced.” Jonah’s grandfather had moved his wife from Morocco to the United States shortly after their marriage. The majority of the family remained in Morocco and Spain along with many of their traditions. Jonah’s selection of a wife went beyond tradition. As the only son, Jonah believed it was his duty to produce at least one heir to carry on the Tazi name. Time had slipped by too quickly for him to find a wife. A control freak, he hated the idea of his father choosing his wife, but he didn’t see an alternative.

Attracted to the maturity of women his own age, if he waited much longer, the type of woman Jonah wanted wouldn’t be of childbearing age. “Fine, I’ll get married. I take it you have suitable options in mind?”

“Of course I do. I’ll have your assistant set up the meetings.”

“Speaking of meetings, I have one in thirteen minutes. We can talk later.” Jonah disconnected and continued along the hallway. Originally, he’d tried to acquire D. M. Solutions two years ago, but the owner wouldn’t consider his offer.

He rounded the corner, then stopped in his tracks. Few people had access to his private floor, so seeing a woman standing dangerously close to his Auguste Rodin sculpture shocked him. What drew him even more than her presence were her legs. Quite tall himself, he rarely met a woman who reached his shoulders. He’d give his Rembrandt to have her legs wrapped around him as he pushed into her.

Soon he’d be selecting a wife and other women would be off-limits. Currently a free man, Jonah had no intention of allowing the long-legged lovely to pass him by.

I hope you give The Only Option a chance. It’s available inPrint, Kindle,and Nook/ePub (via Barnes & Noble) formats.

Thanks for the continued support everyone. I hope you enjoy Isis and Jonah’s story.  And please help spread the word.

You can find me online at: http://www.DeatriKingBey.com,  https://www.facebook.com/deatri, http://www.Twitter.com/DeatriKingBey my dangerously-sexy suspense is written as L. L. Reaper http://www.LLReaper.com

Thank you for hosting this stop of The Only Option virtual tour.

Your Series Was Originally a Regency Romance? Adapting Story Ideas for a New Purpose

Have you ever had writer’s block? I can answer honestly, “Nope!”

Now I’ve had issues climbing my way out of plot holes. (They’ve basically required an imaginary hard hat and steam shovel to get out of them.) I’ve had a hard time wrapping my mind around a character. (“You keep talking in my head, annoying person, but I have no idea who the hell you are!”) But I’ve never had a problem coming up with a story idea. Why? Because I mine novel ideas from everywhere and I mean EVERYWHERE: conversations, TV shows, other books, news articles, or this one song I heard on the radio while I was driving to work. And I don’t give up on ideas, even if they aren’t viable for that particular setting, character, or novel, itself. I simply… reshape them.

Imagine Stephanie Gibbons in an empire-waist gown and ringlets. That’s how I originally envisioned the Gibbons sisters!

For example, can you guess what was the inspiration for the Gibbons Gold Digger series? Probably not. It was regency romance. Whaaaaaaat, girl? Yes, a regency romance novel! That was the original incarnation of the Gibbons family that I had in mind years ago.

The Gibbons Sisters (though they went by another name) were a group of lower tier aristocrats who were dead set on moving upward in society and had a list of family rules on how to go about doing it. If it meant marrying an earl or being the mistress of an earl, they didn’t care. Their reputations made them less than popular among the women in the Ton and very popular with the rogues. I wanted the women in the family to be cheeky, funny, and a blast to write. Now the problem with this: first, writing a book about a social climber that’s set in Regency England isn’t very original. There are hundreds of books like it. Secondly, I didn’t see historical romance being the trajectory of what I wanted to follow for my writing career. So then became the quandary of how to take this cool idea (or at least I thought it was a cool idea) and make it into something I still wanted to write but a novel that was also marketable.

I saw among African American lit that the soap opera-y (Is that a word?), gold digger books were growing in popularity. Based on the sales lists I could see that black readers love their drama and their hustlers. Instead of making the Gibbons sisters social climbers in Regency England, why not adapt them to more modern times? Rather than looking to raise their status through marrying an earl or a duke, how about having them just wanting to marry a really, really rich guy? The same rules would apply on how to do so. They would operate under many of the same codes of ethics. But I could set it in a black community in America.

I still wanted the story to be a romance though. In order for the reader to root for a family of gold digging women and hope each would eventually find true love, each sister also had to have redeeming qualities. Bingo! Bango! Presto! I had my new story idea!

So what’s the moral of THIS story? There’s no such thing as writer’s block. Those ideas that you deserted long ago as not viable or just plain stupid, pull them out again. Dust them off and look them over. You have no idea what treasures may lurk in that writer’s memory box.

____________________________________________________________________________

Stephanie Gibbons has finally hit the jackpot. Her new sugar daddy, Isaac, is loaded and treating her in high style. When he proposes, Stephanie is sure she’s set for life —- until she finds her bank account empty, Isaac gone, and a strange —- but very attractive—man following her.

Sexy P.I. Keith Hendricks has been tracking Isaac all along the eastern seaboard —- where the con man has left behind a trail of heartbroken, swindled women. But when Keith confronts Stephanie, he’s not sure if she’s Isaac’s accomplice —- or his next victim. The only thing that’s certain is his overwhelming attraction to her. And when Stephanie joins him on the hunt for Isaac, neither can ignore the sparks. Soon Stephanie is wondering whether true love is worth its weight in gold…

PREORDER IT NOW!

Series Rock! by romantic suspense novelist, Stacy-Deanne

Series Rock!
 by Stacy-Deanne

I’m happy to announce that my seventh book and the third in my current interracial mystery/romantic suspense series, The Wild Life from Peace in the Storm Publishingis now available! During the journey of penning this series I’ve become addicted to the series format. My love for series comes from being a mystery buff. We mystery readers love reading series because most books in the mystery and crime fiction genres have always been series.

My current series features Albany Detectives Brianna “Bree” Morris and her partner and ex-lover Steven Kemp. Bree is black and Steven is white, bringing the main interracial aspect into the series. The characters first appeared in my ’08 novel Melody and I fell so in love with them that I knew I had more adventures in store.

Writing this series not only showed me how much I enjoyed these characters, but how much I enjoyed the series format. I no longer enjoy writing standalones. I feel more invested and interested in a series because it opens ideas up for the long term. The more series I write, the more I enjoy them.

Currently I have begun my foray into short story writing. I will be releasing two short story serials soon. I also have plans to begin another novel-length series starring Detective Jayce Matthews from the Bree and Steven series. Aside from maybe two more standalones, one that will be released in March 2014, I don’t believe I will write anymore standalones. Of course, writers can never say never right? At least I can’t. My muse owns me so whatever my muse wants to do at the time is what happens. So I won’t say I won’t ever write another standalone, but right now I am purely devoted to series books.

Writing a series is a win-win for authors and readers. Authors get to continue on with characters they enjoy and readers get to keep reading them. It’s not hard to see why series and serials have taken the reading world by storm. Besides that, they are so much fun!

Check out my new release and get your copy today in ebook or print!

The Wild Life:

When Albany Detective Brianna “Bree” Morris learns that Cuban crime lord Milan Varela wants her estranged father dead, she heads off to Miami to find out why. With Homicide Detective Jayce Matthews and her ex-lover Detective Steven Kemp she devises a plot to get close to the Varela organization.

Brianna finds herself attracted to the older Milan and falls deep into his web of seduction while fighting to keep her mind on her mission. Milan is equally drawn to Brianna and vows to win her trust and her heart.

Is Milan really the villain when it comes to Brianna’s father? Or is he the victim?

Is Brianna’s father really in danger or is there more to the story than anyone could ever imagine?

Brianna risks her life to save her father’s but will she end up losing her own?

The steamy, explosive, and super-hot new installment in the Bree and Steven Series!

I have a big blog tour and giveaway beginning in August! Check out my site for more information! Sign up for my mailing list while you’re there!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Peace-Storm-Publishing-Presents-ebook/dp/B00DWL2NVI/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1373654875&sr=1-1

Facebook: http://tiny.cc/aqx43

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/stacydeanne

Bio:

Stacy-Deanne (Dee-Anne) is a published novelist of crime fiction, mystery/suspense, and romantic suspense with interracial subplots. She started writing professionally in 1997 when she was nineteen years old. Stacy grew up loving the suspense genre. Her idols are Edgar Allan Poe and Alfred Hitchcock. Her love for Psycho and many of his movies fueled her fire for suspense.

Stacy´s books include Everlasting (Simon and Schuster, 2007), Melody (Simon and Schuster, 2008), Giving up the Ghost (Peace in the Storm Publishing, 2011) and The Season of Sin (Peace in the Storm Publishing, 2012). Stacy’s books have been nominated for numerous awards.

Giving up the Ghost was nominated for a 2011 African-American Literary Award in the Mystery category and 2012 Swirl Award in the Romantic Suspense category. The Swirl awards are dedicated to recognizing authors of interracial and multicultural romance. Giving up the Ghost was a 2012 Top 20 Black Expressions Bestseller.

The Season of Sin was nominated for a 2012 African-American Literary Award in the Mystery Category and was a USA Today Recommended Read.

A Little Bit of Sexy Inspiration: The Men of the Gibbons Gold Digger series

So when a lot of authors write novels, they sometimes write characters with a certain person in mind. I may not always have the perfect idea of what the heroine looks like but I definitely have an idea of what the hero looks like. It’s easier to write love scenes when you know the face and body you’re working with! Well, here’s my reveal of the visual inspirations for the men in the Gibbons Gold Digger series.
Can’t Stand the Heat

Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) as Crisanto Weaver

When I crafted the character, Crisanto Weaver, Lauren Gibbons’s love interest in Can’t Stand the Heat, I knew I needed a guy who was very alpha male, but also sexy and a little bit “exotic.” Dwayne Johnson definitely fit the bill. That dude is all muscle and sex appeal! He even shares a mixed ancestry similar to Crisanto’s , being of African American and Samoan ancestry (Cris is African American and Filipino). Johnson’s tattoos also were another detail I added to the character to make him more vivid.

The Player and the Game

Lance Gross as Keith Hendricks in The Player and the Game

One character describes Keith Hendricks, the P.I. who is Stephanie Gibbons’s love interest in The Player and the Game, as “a big cup of hot chocolate.” Who is worthier of that title than Mr. Lance Gross??? He’s dark, handsome, and built like a boxer — just like Keith! He also has the sexiest eyes that could make any woman melt. I took some liberty with Keith’s character with giving him trademark dimples that Gross doesn’t seem to share but both men have killer smiles!

Book 3 (Untitled)

Coby Bell as the Hero of Book 3 in the series!

And here’s a preview of inspiration for the love interest in Book 3, which will feature the second oldest sister, Dawn Gibbons! It’s Coby Bell, star of The Game and Burn Notice. Can’t reveal too many more details about the book yet, but it will be a spicy one!

What a Girl Wants… Giuseppe Zanotti Sandals

The Gibbons Sisters love the finer things in life. In “What a Girl Wants,” I share what’s on their must-have lists. And be forewarned… These girls have expensive tastes!

Gold-plated heels… Oh, my!

In the last installment of “What a Girl Wants,” I shared Lauren Gibbons obsession with the La Cornue range. But unlike Lauren, Stephanie Gibbons, who’s story is featured in The Player and the Game (Book #2), couldn’t care less about cooking.

No, if there is one thing Stephanie  is serious about its shoes. The high-powered real estate agent’s closet is littered with pumps by Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, and Prada. But her current obsession is the Summer 2013 season Guiseppe Zanotti sandals. These sandals, in particular. Stephanie is not about being subtle and these shoes are just perfect for her! The gold-plated, suede platform sandals are a one-of-a-kind design that are sure to up her shoe-game and are a perfect touch for those nights out when Stephanie wants to stand out in a crowd. Just shy of $900, Stephanie considers shoes like these to be a steal at that price. Now if only she can get one of her sugar daddies to buy them for her. Hmmm….

Find out more about Stephanie and her sisters in the novel, Can’t Stand the Heat, now available in stores.

Over three generations, the Gibbons women of Chesterton, Virginia, have built their reputation as a family of shameless—but refined—gold diggers. They even have a strict set of rules by which they operate. But the rebellious, youngest Gibbons is about to break them all…

Lauren Gibbons is committing the ultimate family betrayal: abandoning the tradition of seducing men for money. Nothing is worth the abuse she’s endured from her sugar daddy. Now a sous chef, Lauren is hoping to break from the past for good. And when she meets hot former NFL player Crisanto Weaver, she even lets herself imagine a future. But the small-town rumor mill—and her own sisters—aren’t ready for a new Lauren. Between her conniving relatives, her vengeful ex, a mountain of debt, and a whole lot of haters, can she escape her old life, and create something new?

Purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and BAM.

I’m going on a blog tour!

Ooooh, the places you will go! My (other) baby, Can’t Stand the Heat , comes out on April 30th. (Woot! Woot!)
I’m really preggers and can’t travel. (Booo!) So I’ll have to travel virtually. In honor of the book’s release, I’m going on a little blog tour to some great author web sites this month and next month. Please stop by if you can. (Some are offering giveaways!) If more stops are added, I’ll update the listing, but for now, thanks to every blog site for hosting me.
April 9th


Author interview at All That Buzz Literary Reviews


April 17th


How to Survive and Thrive in the Publishing House Slush Pile at Romance University


April 30th


The Realities of the Publishing Biz at BlackGirlNerds.com


May 3rd


Writing About What You Know…  When You Don’t Really Know It at Paranormal Author Jill Archer Blog


May 8th


Spicy Mac ‘n’ Cheese Recipe at Romancecooks.com


Date TBA


Writing the Jigsaw Puzzle at Washington Romance Writers blog


Book Intro to Can’t Stand the Heat at Dee Writes

And the winners are in!

From Feb. 27 to March 31, I held a Goodreads giveaway contest for four signed copies of my book, Can’t Stand the Heat .  I got 334 entries (thanks so much, guys!) and four winners were chosen at random by the Goodreads software.  I wish I could list the names of the winners, but to protect their privacy, I won’t. I’ll just say they will be receiving a signed advanced reading copy very soon.

Slated for May 2013

I’m hoping to hold another Goodreads drawing soon, before the book is released on April. 30! For now, I’m in a push to get more facebook likes. Why? Because those who like my facebook page will hear about other contests I plan to hold in the future in honor of the release of The Player and the Game, the second book in the Gibbons Gold Digger series. That contest will not only include a signed advanced reading copy but also some luxury goodies that represent what any Gibbons girl would covet. Designer sunglasses… a cute purse… high-end perfume…. Yeah, baby!
Stay tuned!

Woo-hoo! Starred review from Publishers Weekly

So the first reviews for Can’t Stand the Heat are in and their pretty darn good… thankfully!

Starred review from Publishers Weekly

“… Sizzling chemistry ignites between the main characters, developing from a slow simmer as anticipation and plot build to a full rolling boil. The book features sparkling dialogue, delicious romance, and a masterfully constructed story with a strong, well-developed cast of characters whose varying viewpoints provide depth and layering.”

Read the full review here!

4-star review from RT Book Reviews

“Ellis starts her new Gibbons Gold Digger Series, about a family of women who seduce men for money, in fine form… Be ready to laugh and cry with these new reality stars of Chesterton, Va.”

Read the full review here! (limited to RT Book Reviews subscribers)

Like the reviews? You can buy a copy of Can’t Stand the Heat!

Over three generations, the Gibbons women of Chesterton, Virg inia, have built their reputation as a family of shameless—but refined—gold diggers. They even have a strict set of rules by which they operate. But the reb ellious, youngest Gibbons is about to break them all…

Lauren Gibbons is committing the ultimate family betrayal: abandoning the tradition of seducing men for money. Nothing is worth the abuse she’s endured from her sugar daddy. Now a sous chef, Lauren is hoping to break from the past for good. And when she meets hot former NFL player Crisanto Weaver, she even lets herself imagine a future. But the small-town rumor mill—and her own sisters—aren’t ready for a new Lauren. Between her conniving relatives, her vengeful ex, a mountain of debt, and a whole lot of haters, can she escape her old life, and create something new?

Paying it forward…The Marlene Contest

I got my “big break” in publishing by entering the the First-Time Writers Contest held by then BET Books in 1999. (BET Books later became the Harlequin Arabesque line.) I was one of the top four finalist and the prize was having my short-story, multicultural romance included in the anthology, All That and Then Some. After that, the rest was history, folks!

So its great to see other aspiring writers get the same opportunity.  I was a preliminary judge in Washington Romance Writer’s annual Marlene Contest where several participants entered romance novels ranging in genres from historical romance to contemporary to paranormal. Past winners include Kimberly Kincaid, Jennifer McQuiston, and Valerie Bowman whose works were later picked up by publishers like Avon, Kensington Publishing, and St. Martin’s Press.

I judged 5 of this year’s entries and happy to say that one of my choices became the finalist in that category. (Though I’m keeping mum on what entry it is.) The entries are now being judge by respected industry editors like Leah Hultenschmidt of Sourcebooks (who I submitted to and was ultimately rejected, but hey, I’m glad I made it out of the slush pile), Latoya Smith of Grand Central, and many others.

I’m excited to see who wins in each category (and hope my choice makes it!)

Here’s the list of Marlene finalists:

Historical

Judge: Leah Hultenschmidt, Sourcebooks

Critique Author: Kieran Kramer

Frances Fowlkes, The Duke’s Obsession

Wendy LaCapra writing as Rebecca Lamb*, A Dangerous Desire

Suzanne Turner, The Lost Chord

Paranormal

Judge: Latoya Smith, Grand Central

Critique Author: Darynda Jones

Carmen Fox, Divide and Conquer

Christine Leo, The Sync

Heather Leonard, Spellbound

Tracie Stewart, Bound by Fire

Romantic Elements

Judge: Rhonda Helms, Carina Press

Critique Author: Mary Burton

Lauren Blake, Chasing Symmetry

Carrie Christie, Unforgettable

Arlene McFarlane, Murders, Curlers, and Canes

Series Contemporary

This category did not meet the minimum number of entries required to run in 2013.

Single Title

Judge: Esi Sogah, Kensington

Critique Author: Susan Donovan

Alana Albertson, Love Waltzes In

Rebecca J. Clark, Love or the Game

Cristin Harber*, Garrison’s Creed

Young Adult

Judge: Reka Simonsen, Harcourt Children’s Books

Critique Author: Alethea Kontis

Pintip Dunn*, Fit to Die

Gigi Orlowski, The Abolitionist’s Daughter

Darcy Woods, Summer of Supernova

*WRW member