Kennedy Ryan's Blog, page 2

March 13, 2018

LONG SHOT Chapter Reveal + Giveaway! (Signed PB & Candle)

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LONG SHOT releases so soon! Next Thursday, March 22!
Scroll down to read THE ENTIRE First chapter!
GIVEAWAY!
Signed LONG SHOT Paperback + a Special Edition LONG SHOT Candle.
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Published on March 13, 2018 18:00

February 28, 2018

LONG SHOT Cover Reveal & Giveaway!


Cover Reveal & Giveaway!

Coming March 22!


Kennedy Ryan takes sports romance out of bounds with LONG SHOT, a deeply emotional, thought-provoking standalone love story set in the exciting world of professional basketball.


Be Notified AS SOON AS Long Shot goes LIVE!  


bit.ly/LongShotAlert


Enter the giveaway for a $25 Gift Card & Signed LONG SHOT Paperback:  http://bit.ly/LSCRGiveaway


KRLongShotBookCover5x8_HIGH.jpg


LONG SHOT (A Standalone Basketball Romance)


Release Date: March 22nd


Cover Design: Letitia Hasser/RBA Designs


Photographer:  Dominique Spruch-Desired Spirit Photography


Model:  Kevin S


Add on Goodreads:


http://bit.ly/KennedysLongShot


“Satisfying and soul-gripping! — Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon Bestselling Author Lucy Score


Synopsis


A FORBIDDEN LOVE SET IN THE EXPLOSIVE WORLD OF THE NBA…


Think you know what it’s like being a baller’s girl?


You don’t.


My fairy tale is upside down.


A happily never after.


I kissed the prince and he turned into a fraud.


I was a fool, and his love – fool’s gold.


Now there’s a new player in the game, August West.


One of the NBA’s brightest stars.


Fine. Forbidden.


He wants me. I want him.


But my past, my fraudulent prince, won’t let me go.


Join the LONG SHOT March Madness Party for giveaways all month long!


http://bit.ly/LongShotParty


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Facebook Group | Like Facebook PageBookBubAmazonInstagram | Twitter |  Book+Main | Mailing ListPinterest


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Published on February 28, 2018 22:00

December 14, 2017

TEAM PLAYER Anthology is LIVE!!!

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Eleven authors. Eleven Novellas. This is one thick . . . book.
Christmas just became a whole lot merrier…


TEAM PLAYER, A Christmas Anthology featuring titles by LJ Shen, Kennedy Ryan, Adriana Locke, Mandi Beck, Emma Scott, Charleigh Rose, Ella Fox, Sara Ney, Meghan Quinn, Kate Stewart and Rochelle Paige is LIVE!

TeamPlayerBookCover6x9_BW_828.jpg


Publication Date: December 14th, 2017

Genre: Contemporary/Sports Romance

Hot jocks. We love them all.


Sexy baseball players. Intense footballers. Sweaty MMA fighters, and sizzling hockey hotties. Score!


The good news? Eleven bestselling authors have gathered to give you a set of stories focused on the men we love most—sports heroes. We bet you’ll love this thick…book.


The bad news? The men in these novellas don’t actually exist.


*This anthology does not contain calories, just eleven original, never-before-seen stories by the following authors: Adriana Locke, Mandi Beck, Charleigh Rose, Kennedy Ryan, LJ Shen, Meghan Quinn, Rochelle Paige, Ella Fox, Kate Stewart, Emma Scott, and Sara Ney. We aren’t responsible for melted devices.


 


Read Today!

(FREE in Kindle Unlimited)


Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2j7MCK1


Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/TeamPlayerAnthology


Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2iVSpFW


Meet the authors:

LJ Shen


L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.


Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets people’s birthdays and never sends Christmas cards.


She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.


Connect with LJ Shen


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorljshen/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/lj_shen


Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authorljshen/


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorljshen/


Stay up to date with LJ Shen by signing up for her mailing list:


http://bit.ly/2umcYPg


http://www.authorljshen.com/


Kennedy Ryan:


Kennedy Ryan is a Southern girl gone Southern California. A Top 100 Amazon Bestseller, Kennedy writes romance about remarkable women who find a way to thrive even in tough times, the love they find, and the men who cherish them.


She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son. She has always leveraged her journalism background to write for charity and non-profit organizations, but enjoys writing to raise Autism awareness most. A contributor for Modern Mom Magazine, Kennedy’s writings have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today and many others. The founder and executive director of a foundation serving Georgia families living with Autism, Kennedy has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other outlets as a voice for families living with autism.


Connect with Kennedy


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KennedyRyanAuthor/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/kennedyrwrites


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kennedyryan1/


Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KennedyRyanAuthor


YouTube: http://bit.ly/2gsAGkp


Amazon: http://amzn.to/2x0qCtC


BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kennedy-ryan


Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/681604768593989/


http://kennedyryanwrites.com


Adriana Locke:


A contemporary romance author running on coffee and sticky kisses from my rowdy four little boys.


From Indiana, I’m a true Mid-Westerner. Life, for me, is about family, faith, and food. When I’m not running my kiddos around or having a lunch date of fajitas with my husband (and high school sweetheart), you can find me outside. I love a good sunny day almost as much as I love candy, random quotes, and steamy bad boys in fantastic books.


I’m on nearly every social media platform. Please find me on the ones you frequent – I love chatting with readers.


Connect with Adriana


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoradrianalocke


Twitter: https://twitter.com/authoralocke


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoradrianalocke/


BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/adriana-locke


GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8379774.Adriana_Locke


Amazon Alerts: http://adrianalocke.com/release-day-notifications/


Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authoradrianalo/


http://adrianalocke.com


Mandi Beck:


Mandi Beck has been an avid reader all of her life. A deep love for books always had her jotting down little stories on napkins, notebooks, and her hand. As an adult she was further submerged into the book world through book clubs and the epicness of social media. It was then that she graduated to writing her stories on her phone and then finally on a proper computer.


A nursing student, mother to two rambunctious and somewhat rotten boys, and stepmom to two great girls away at college, she shares her time with her husband in Chicago where she was born and raised. Mandi is a diehard hockey fan and blames the Blackhawks when her deadlines are not met.


Connect with Mandi


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormandibeck


Twitter: https://twitter.com/authormandibeck


Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authormandi/


Newsletter: https://www.authormandibeck.com/newsletter


https://www.authormandibeck.com


Emma Scott:


I write romances with flawed characters, characters with artistic hearts: builders, poets, and writers of various makes and models. I love to write book lovers; those who have found refuge, companionship, and escape in books, much as we do in real life. I like realism, honesty, authenticity in storytelling. I love to write about enduring love, soul-deep love, in as real a setting as I can make, but with big smooshy HEAs. I believe in diversity, open-mindedness, and inclusion. I like sweetness mixed with steam, love conquering all, and above all, hope. Love always wins.


Connect with Emma


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmmaScottwrites/


GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10405165.Emma_Scott


Blog: http://emmascottblog.blogspot.com


Charleigh Rose:


We are a duo of an international best-selling author and a blogger who teamed up to write the taboo, thought-provoking stories we want our audience to have–without filters.


Both Charleigh and Rose are committed to giving you witty, sexy, intelligent novels that will leave you wanting more.


Connect with Charleigh


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charleighroseprose/


GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15569269.Charleigh_Rose?from_search=true


Ella Fox:


When she’s not writing, Ella indulges the gypsy in her blood and travels the country. Ella loves reading, movies, music, buying make-up, reading Tmz, Twitter and pedicures… not necessarily in that order. She has a wild sense of humor and loves to laugh. Her favorite thing in the world is hanging out with her family and watching comedy movies.


Connect with Ella


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EllaFoxAuthor


Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorellafox


http://www.authorellafox.com


Sara Ney:


Sara Ney is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the How to Date a Douchebag series, and is best known for her sexy, laugh-out-loud New Adult romances. Among her favorite vices, she includes: iced latte’s, historical architecture and well-placed sarcasm. She lives colorfully, collects vintage books, art, loves flea markets, and fancies herself British.


Connect with Sara


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saraneyauthor/


Amazon: http://amzn.to/2Ay8lT2


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saraneyauthor/


GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2g32hJO


Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/saraneyauthor/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaraNey


http://authorsaraney.com


Meghan Quinn:


A BLONDE AT HEART



Born in New York and raised in Southern California, Meghan has grown into a sassy, peanut butter eating, blonde haired swearing, animal hoarding lady. She is known to bust out and dance if “It’s Raining Men” starts beating through the air and heaven forbid you get a margarita in her, protect your legs because they may be humped.



Once she started commuting for an hour and twenty minutes every day to work for three years, she began to have conversations play in her head, real life, deep male voices and dainty lady coos kind of conversations. Perturbed and confused, she decided to either see a therapist about the hot and steamy voices running through her head or start writing them down. She decided to go with the cheaper option and started writing… enter her first novel, Caught Looking.



​Now you can find the spicy, most definitely on the border of lunacy, kind of crazy lady residing in Colorado with the love of her life and her five, furry four legged children, hiking a trail or hiding behind shelves at grocery stores, wondering what kind of lube the nervous stranger will bring home to his wife. Oh and she loves a good boob squeeze!


Connect with Meghan


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meghanquinnauthor


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormeghanquinn/


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2_j4HJ91yQLxZ0EC4p2PEA


YouTube: https://twitter.com/AuthorMegQuinn


Website: http://authormeghanquinn.com


Kate Stewart:


Kate Stewart lives in Charleston, S.C. with her husband, Nick, and her naughty beagle, Sadie. A native of Dallas, Kate moved to Charleston three weeks after her first visit, dropping her career of 8 years, and declaring it her creative muse. Kate pens messy, sexy, angst-filled contemporary romance as well as romantic comedy and erotic suspense because it’s what she loves as a reader. A lover of all things ’80s and ’90s, especially John Hughes films and rap, she dabbles a little in photography, can knit a simple stitch scarf for necessity only and does a horrible job of playing the ukulele. Aside from running a mile without collapsing, traveling is the only other must on her bucket list. On occasion, she does very well at vodka.


Connect with Kate


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkatestewart/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorklstewart


http://www.katestewartwrites.com


Rochelle Paige:


Rochelle Paige is the Amazon bestselling author of nineteen books. She absolutely adores reading and her friends growing up used to tease her when she trailed after them, trying to read and walk at the same time. She loves stories with alpha males, sassy heroines, hot sex and happily ever afters. She is a bit of a genre hopper in both her reading and her writing. So far she’s written books in several romance sub-genres including new adult, contemporary, paranormal and romantic suspense.


She is the mother of two wonderful sons who inspired her to chase her dream of being an author. She wants them to learn from her that you can live your dream as long as you are willing to work for it.


Connect with Rochelle


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rochellepaigeauthor/


Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1436132763270558/


Amazon: http://amzn.to/2n6RkMX


http://www.rochellepaige.com/home

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Published on December 14, 2017 23:16

October 29, 2017

GRIP Series Wear – Bangles, Candles, Hoodies & More!

The GRIP series has inspired a wide range of emotions in so many readers. I receive emails and messages daily about how it’s opened people’s eyes, changed many people’s perspectives and broadened their understanding of some of the toughest cultural issues we face today.  It’s so incredibly humbling and encouraging.


But it’s also inspired some fun things readers can wear and enjoy. Here are a few items I want to make sure you are ALL over!


STILL Bangles!


Available in sliver, gold and rose gold.


Email Allie Kramer at Allieshaf7@gmail.com for details on getting these gorgeous bangles engraved with lines from STILL (Grip #2)!


 


GRIP Series Candle!


Order the GRIP-inspired “On the Wind” candle here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/567584885/on-the-wind-4oz 


Get 10% off when you use the Coupon Code:   IMANI10 


GRIP Gear!

Get your GRIP Gear! T-Shirts, tank tops, hoodies, totes and mugs!


Order Here:  teespring.com/GetGripped


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Published on October 29, 2017 21:01

September 24, 2017

STILL (Grip #2) Is LIVE!!!


STILL IS LIVE!!
Click Here to Enter the $50 Gift Card Giveaway

STILL, the final installment of the GRIP series, is LIVE!


I’m so excited to bring you the rest of Grip & Bristol’s journey!


FLOW:  FREE


GRIP (Grip #1):  0.99


STILL (Grip #2):  $2.99 (Release Sale Price)

************************************************


➜FLOW, Prequel: myBook.to/FLOWAmazon


➜GRIP (Grip #1): myBook.to/GRIPAmazon


➜STILL (Grip #2): myBook.to/STILLAmazon


************************************************


***Read an exclusive STILL excerpt in USA Today HEA***


usat.ly/2jGf6Ov 


************************************************


“My favorite book of the year.”


— Adriana Locke, USA Today Bestselling Author


Still is a masterpiece of love, lust and human feeling.  Poetic and sexy beyond compare. Still will have you turning everything you know upside down and laughing, crying and panting through Grip and Bristol’s journey.


Five ‘bruising’ stars!”


— Sierra Simone, USA TodayBestselling Author


“Kennedy Ryan writes straight-up poetry…breathtakingly romantic and completely captivating. This book is not only good, it is important…I can honestly say it is my favorite Kennedy Ryan book to date.


Highly recommended.”


— LJ Shen, Amazon Bestselling Author


 “Take everything you’ve ever thought about follow-up books and discard it. Even deeper than what came before, Still is a love letter to soul-deep commitment. I adored Flow and Grip, but Kennedy took it to a whole new level with Still. Prepare to be blown away.”


–Ella Fox, USA Today Bestselling Author


************************************************


 


Win All these books & a Kindle Fire or Nook

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Published on September 24, 2017 21:33

August 8, 2017

GRIP & FLOW Audio Books – LIVE on Audible/ iTunes!

 


GRIP_FLOW audible_1


Finally! GRIP and FLOW, the prequel, are both live on Audible & iTunes!



GRIP:


➜ Audible: bit.ly/GRIPAudiobook


➜ iTunes: bit.ly/GRIPiTunesAudio


➜ E-Book: http://amzn.to/2qscPFV*


 


 


FLOW, the prequel, MUST BE READ before GRIP & is FREE!


➜ Audible: bit.ly/FLOWAudiobook


➜ iTunes: bit.ly/FLOWiTunesAudio


➜ E-Book: http://amzn.to/2lAhSSC*


 


**Make sure you download the FLOW e-book for FREE!


The whispersync price goes way down if you own the ebook! Or use your Audible credit! Free 30-day Trial!


*Both E-Books #FREE in #KU!

Click to Enter $10 Winner’s Choice Giveaway



Coming September 2017!


➜ Add STILL (Grip #2) on GR: http://bit.ly/STILLGrip2


Sign up to shout about the STILL Cover reveal on Sept 8 and the release later that month!
1. BLOGGERS: http://bit.ly/STILLBloggers

2. Non-Blogging Readers :http://bit.ly/STILLReaders
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Published on August 08, 2017 01:09

July 12, 2017

★✩★ FLOW Audiobook is LIVE ★✩★

FLOW audiobook_full text


 


“Flow is the intro to an epic love song. It’s that first beat that has you stopping in your tacks and turning up the volume. The perfect cadence to a must-read prelude. 5 on top of the world stars!”


MANDI BECK, Bestselling Author of the Caged Love Series & Stoned


The FLOW audiobook is LIVE!!!


There’s a $25 Winner’s Choice Gift Card Giveaway on my Facebook Page to celebrate!


Buy It: http://bit.ly/FLOWAudiobook


**Make sure you grab the e-book for FREE!

The whispersync price goes from $20 to $7 if you own the ebook! Or use your Audible credit! Free 30-day Trial!


**FLOW, the prequel, MUST BE READ before GRIP & is FREE!

➜Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lAhSSC (ebook)

➜WATTPAD: http://w.tt/2kUo8Yk


➜ GRIP: http://amzn.to/2qscPFV


Coming this Summer!

➜ Add STILL (Grip #2) on GR: http://bit.ly/STILLGrip2


There’s TWO exclusive excerpts of STILL in my book group! Search #STILLSnippet to read them both!


Join the group here:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/68160...


 


 


 

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Published on July 12, 2017 22:22

June 15, 2017

My June Recommendations

These are the books that have been rocking my world for the month of June, or books that I cannot wait to dive into!


My friends Adriana and Mandi stepped into Kendall Ryan’s Kindle world to do what they do best. Addy’s book, BATTLE OF THE SEXES, is a scorching hot office romance. Mandi sets love to music in TWISTED. You can never go wrong with these two. They are go-to for me.


BATTLE OF THE SEXES by Adriana Locke


battle of the sexes cover


TWISTED by Mandi Beck


twisted cover


I read BALANCE in ONE night. I never do that anymore. I stayed up until 4am. It was that consuming, and I was under deadline and had no business reading anything that I wasn’t writing. But it was that good. I love taboo, and this truly is. A gymnast, who is only 15 when the book begins, and her coach…who is 32 years old. So forbidden and soooo incredibly intoxicating. And on sale for only 99c since book 2, EXECUTION, is coming soon!!!


BALANCE by Lucia Franco


balance cover


I love Pam Godwin’s style so much. Her writing is sublime. Her student-teacher music romance DARK NOTES was one of my top reads for 2016. So I jumped on this complex love triangle, ONE IS A PROMISE, as soon as it released. Grieving the love of her life, the heroine finally embarks on a second chance romance…only to find her first love is still ALIVE! It is a cliffie, and there are two more books coming soon. Totally worth it!


ONE IS A PROMISE by Pam Godwin


one is a promise cover

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Published on June 15, 2017 09:41

April 3, 2017

LIFT 4 Autism 2017!

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LIFT 4 Autism Online Auction:  Monday, April 24 – Friday, April 28


Enter the GIVEAWAY celebrating LIFT!


Autism.


A mystery to some. A way of life for others. A cause for all since it is now the fastest growing and most common disability in the US. 1 in every 68 children are diagnosed with Autism. Many of these kids will rely on their parents to some degree, depending on severity, all their lives, with estimated costs between 5 to 7 million dollars in services and care over their lifetime. Many of the services  those living with Autism require are not covered by insurance. It is an expensive and difficult lifelong diagnosis to navigate.


Authors Ginger Scott and Kennedy Ryan started LIFT 4 Autism a few years ago as a charitable initiative rallying the romance reading community in April, which is Autism Awareness/Acceptance month. All proceeds go to this year’s charitable partner Kulture City, who is doing amazing things for Autism families. Discover more about them at kulturecity.org. Specifically, LIFT will benefit Kulture City’s lifeBOKS program, which provides families with free kits to curtail wandering, a common and potentially life threatening challenge. Proceeds will also benefit Kulture City’s tablet program, which provides iPads to improve communication for non and limited verbal children on the spectrum to families who cannot afford them.


HOW WILL WE RAISE FUNDS?



Online Auction, featuring many of your favorite romance authors!

Find the full list here:  http://lift4autism.com/contact. If you are an author and want to donate, sign up here.


Browse all the amazing items up for bid here:  charityauction.bid/lift4autism


The auction will be LIVE and open for bidding Monday, April 24 – Friday, April 28.


 



1-Click the YA Fantasy Anthology Ever In the After for 99¢

insta 6


Amazon: http://buff.ly/2kM0D2j


Nook: http://buff.ly/2kM83SX


iBooks: http://buff.ly/2kLTS0j


Kobo: http://buff.ly/2kM2J2f


*All proceeds go to LIFT 4 Autism!


 



Buy LIFT Wear! (t-shirts, mugs, totes, etc…) 

https://teespring.com/Lift2017


LFIT 2017 t-shirt



Make a financial donation through the LIFT Campaign.

DONATE here:  https://www.kulturecity.org/lovewithoutwords/lift-4-autism/#lwow-donate


 


Don’t miss a thing this month!

*Subscribe to the LIFT mailing list at lift4autism.com.


*Join the LIFT Facebook group:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/1705524696326889/

*Support the LIFT Thunderclap Campaign:   https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/54946-lift-4-autism-auction


*Follow us on Instagram:


https://www.instagram.com/lift4autism/


*Follow us on Twitter:   https://twitter.com/LIFT4Autism

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Published on April 03, 2017 02:30

March 23, 2017

“Bruise” – Behind the Original Piece from Kennedy Ryan’s GRIP

Bruise


Kennedy Ryan shares a special post on the inspiration behind “Bruise,” the original piece written for her latest release Grip.


(Scroll to the end for the full poem & a signed paperback giveaway.)


“Am I all of your fears, wrapped in black skin?”


The cursor flashed a warning at the end of the line I’d just typed. Read on its own, the words seared the page, an incendiary challenge. A jagged line in the sand that could shove half my readers to one side, and half to the other. I needed to be careful. I wanted to be fearless. I had to be honest.


The hero of Grip, my latest release, Marlon James (Grip to his fans), is a rising hip-hop star, but he’s more than that. He’s a lyricist and a poet. He’s a black man, concerned about black men vulnerable to cops who should be protecting them. He admires officers who run toward danger when most of us run away.


He wonders what he can do to bridge the gap between the two.


I took several risks writing Grip, confronting, in the context of a love story,  prejudices that are often blatant, but sometimes remain hidden even from ourselves. No issue weighed heavier on my mind than that of black v. blue. In the story, Grip gets stopped DWB. Driving While Black, for those unfamiliar. Probably somewhere else in mainstream romance, readers have sat behind the wheel in a black hero’s perspective, glanced in the rearview mirror, seen those blue lights flashing, and wrestled with the fear, frustration and anger born from years of being stopped for no reason…but I haven’t read it. And as I wrote it, I remembered my own husband’s accounts of being stopped most of his life; of him and his friends lying on their stomachs on the ground while their cars were searched. I recalled the first-hand accounts I’d read of black and Hispanic men, even in the last few months in LA, Grip’s hometown, stopped and searched so much more than their counterparts. But I also thought of my friend’s husband, a good cop, a good man who faced down fear every day to protect people like me. Of her anxiety when tragedy strikes, when travesties happen. Incidents that I watch on television from the safety of my couch while her husband wades knee-deep into danger.


I wanted to tell both sides of this story. I didn’t want to debate or persuade. I wanted readers to listen; to hear the other perspective. To consider. To understand. To empathize. These are the building blocks of resolution. Our country is more divided than we’ve been in a long time, and many of those divisions still, sadly still, fall along the lines of race. I don’t know how we resolve anything in this current climate. I don’t think we do unless we exchange perspectives; manage to communicate with one another in lower decibels, in reasonable thoughts, in something besides shouty caps on Facebook and Twitter.


In Flow, the prequel to Grip, Bristol, the heroine says, “...before we say our words, they’re ammunition. After we’ve said them, they’re smoking bullets. There seems to be no middle ground and too little common ground for dialogue to be productive. We just tiptoe around things, afraid we’ll offend or look ignorant, be misunderstood. Honesty is a risk few are willing to take.”


And yet it  requires honesty, and giving each other grace to speak with candor and respect, even if sometimes ineloquently. It requires that we step into the other’s shoes. Usually, we are not all right or all wrong. We are more nuanced than that; the issues more complex than black and white.


Or in this case, black and blue.


This story models that, I hope. In my small corner of the world, with the only tools at my disposal, my pen and my voice, I hope I demonstrated that. I hope someone on one side of that jagged line in the sand understood the person across from them a little better after reading GRIP. This wasn’t about my personal outrage; my indignation as I watched black men gunned down this summer during traffic stops. It wasn’t about my horrified grief as I watched cops in Dallas ambushed, killed. It wasn’t just about either, and it was completely about both. One of my favorite communicators says sometimes we choose between making a point and making a difference. I really hope, in some small way, the words to “Bruise,” the original piece I co-wrote with a spoken word artist for this book, volley right past just making a point, and manage to make a small difference, even if the only difference is that one person chooses to listen and tries to understand. There are so many other things I could say; so many statistics I could cite to sway you to one side or the other. But instead, I’ll let “Bruise” speak for itself.


And for those on both sides of that jagged line in the sand.


For more on the role of race in Grip, check out Mara White’s piece in The Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/58b96fd5e4b0fa65b844b200


Signed paperbacks of GRIP & FLOW, the prequel, are up for grabs on Kennedy’s Facebook page!
ENTER HERE
https://www.facebook.com/KennedyRyanA...

“BRUISE”


Copyright (c) Kennedy Ryan, 2017


Am I all of your fears, wrapped in black skin,


Driving something foreign, windows with black tint


Handcuffed on the side of the road, second home for black men


Like we don’t have a home that we trying to get back to when


PoPo pulls me over with no infractions,


Under the speed limit, seat belt even fastened,


Turned on Rosecrans when two cruisers collapsed in


Barking orders, yeah, this that Cali harassment


Guns drawn, neighbors looking from front lawns and windows


I know cops got it hard, don’t wanna make a wife a widow


But they act like I ain’t paying taxes, like your boy ain’t a citizen


They think I’m riding filthy, like I’m guilty pleading innocence.


They say it’s ‘Protect & Serve’, but check my word


Sunny skies, ghetto birds overhead stress your nerves,


They say if you ain’t doin’ wrong, you got nothin’ to fear,


But the people sayin’ that, they can’t be livin’ here . . .


We all BRUISE,


It’s that black and blue


A dream deferred,


Nightmare come true


In another man’s shoes,


Walk a mile or two


Might learn a couple things


I’m no different than you!


 


You call for the good guys when you meet the bad men,


I’m wearing a blue shield and I still feel the reactions


When I patrol the block, I can sense dissatisfaction


There’s distrust, resentment in every interaction,


Whether the beat cop, lieutenant, sergeant or the captain


We roll our sleeves up and we dig our hands in


I joined the force in order to make a difference,


Swore to uphold the law, protect men, women and children,


These life and death situations, we make split-second decisions


All for low pay, budget cutbacks and restrictions


We’re ambushed in Dallas, now where’s all the chatter


Gunned down in Baton Rouge, don’t blue lives need to matter?


Not just a job—it’s a calling, a vocation,


My wife’s up late pacin’, for my safety—she’s praying,


And yet you call me racist? You wanna trap me with your phone?


I’m just a man with a badge trying my best to make it home.


We all BRUISE,


It’s that black and blue


A dream deferred,


Nightmare come true


In another man’s shoes,


Walk a mile or two


Might learn a couple things


I’m no different than you!


Buy GRIP


Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2lKfZVt


Amazon Universal: myBook.to/GetAGrip


Free in KU!


Join the Discussion Group once you’re done: http://bit.ly/2m8xEqf


Check out the TEESPRING Campaign: https://teespring.com/GetGripped


Listen to the playlist on iTunes: http://apple.co/2lWI9ur


Listen to the playlist on Spotify: http://bit.ly/2lWrHdS


 


“The story reads like a movie . . powerful and intoxicating … and sinfully sexy. GRIP has everything—dynamic characters, soulful plot, and a lesson at the end that will change the way you look at life. One of my favorite reads this year. Maybe ever. 5 massive, gripping stars from me!”  Adriana Lock, USA Today Bestselling Author


 


About GRIP:


Resisting an irresistible force wears you down and turns you out.


I know.


I’ve been doing it for years.


I may not have a musical gift of my own, but I’ve got a nose for talent and an eye for the extraordinary.


And Marlon James – Grip to his fans – is nothing short of extraordinary.


Years ago, we strung together a few magical nights, but I keep those memories in a locked drawer and I’ve thrown away the key.


All that’s left is friendship and work.


He’s on the verge of unimaginable fame, all his dreams poised to come true.


I manage his career, but I can’t seem to manage my heart.


It’s wild, reckless, disobedient.


And it remembers all the things I want to forget.


Download Flow, the prequel to GRIP, TOTALLY FREE!


Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lAhSSC


Read on WATTPAD: http://w.tt/2kUo8Yk


About FLOW:


In 8 years, Marlon James will be one of the brightest rising stars in the music industry.


Bristol Gray will be his tough, no-nonsense manager.


But when they first meet, she’s a college student finding her way in the world,


and he’s an artist determined to make his way in it.


From completely different worlds,


all the things that should separate them only draw them closer.


It’s a beautiful beginning, but where will the story end?


 


FLOW is the prequel chronicling the week of magical days and nights that will haunt Grip & Bristol for years to come.


Add STILL (Grip #2) to your TBR:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34642932-still


 


About the Author:


Kennedy loves to write about herself in third person. She loves Diet Coke…though she’s always trying to quit. She adores her husband…who she’ll never quit. She loves her son, who is the most special boy on the planet. And she’s devoted to supporting and serving families living with Autism.


And she writes love stories!


Facebook:  http://facebook.com/KennedyRyanAuthor


Book Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/681604768593989/


Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kennedy-ryan


Amazon:  http://amzn.to/2jTjDuU


Twitter: @Kennedyrwrites


Instagram:  @kennedyryan1


Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/author/show/7429243.Kennedy_Ryan


Google +:  http://plus.google.com/u/0/+KennedyRyanAuthor/posts


Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/kennedyryan/

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Published on March 23, 2017 06:50