APOOO

Scandalous by Renee Alexis

Priscilla Johnson — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:16:09 +0000

Adrian Tobias-Stone is considered one the leading romance writers. If you asked her what inspired her writing, she would tell you it all comes from first-hand experience. So when she tells her twin, Dorian, that she is headed to England to meet Stuart Westlake, Dorian thinks she is out of her mind. Stuart is a notorious playboy and Adrian is about to start something she cannot finish. Renee Alexis’ Scandalous takes readers on an adventure thru England’s country as Dorian sets out to find what happened to her twin.

Alexis short story is intriguing and full of suspense. The description of England was breathtaking; however, portions of the story dragged and became redundant. Towards the end, I found myself reading only to finish the story and not in hopes of a happy ending.

This manuscript was provided by the publisher for review purposes.

Priscilla C. Johnson
APOOO BookClub

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Scandalous by Renee Alexis is a post from: APOOO

Virtual Blog Tour With Author Niobia Bryant

APOOO — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:37:26 +0000

Niobia Bryant

1 writer with

3 Publishers

15+ books

4 Genres

Celebrates 10 years of being an author with 2 award nominations and 3 new book releases in 2010

Message from a Mistress is your 15th novel since you started your career as a published author in 2000. What was the inspiration behind this book and its storyline of a woman sending a text message to alert her friends of her affair with one of their husbands?

My first book that was published ten years ago was a romance and I enjoyed–and still enjoy–telling these really great stories about the love a black woman and black man have for each other. But I always wanted to tell more drama driven fictional stories where there was no guarantee of a happy ending. Where people dealt with real meaty and complex issues in their lives. So I had to one day cross over into the commercial or mainstream fiction genre.

Message from a Mistress is my third mainstream work and it is a look at the dynamics of both marriage and friendship and how they can be affected by secrets, lies and betrayals. My main inspiration was not just to deliver drama and scandal but to really travel the road many marriages take that leads to that ultimate betrayal and then to examine the effects of it. More than my previous mainstreams novels, I truly believe that Message from a Mistress is the one that most captures the reason why I wanted to write more than just romance fiction.

Message from a Mistress was loosely inspired by the 1940’s film A Letter to Three Wives, and your Hoodwives series was inspired by the television show Desperate Housewives on ABC… it seems that you find inspiration in TV and film to influence your writing. Are you inspired to tell stories that share views of what women of color aka “sistahs” would do in particular scenarios?

Definitely. Although the vast majority of my books are completely original I have been influenced by my own desire to see “you know what would a sistah do in this same situation.”

For the Hoodwives series, my co-author and I were like “Desperate? Puh-leeze. Living in a beautiful subdivision in a great neighborhood? They want desperate? How about the wives in the projects? We’ll show you desperation.” The idea for the series was born and then we came up with four original storylines for the wives.

I loved, loved, loved the movie “A Letter to Three Wives”. I enjoyed the concept of three wives learning that their mutual friend has run off with one of their husbands and then have the entire day to ponder which one of them has been betrayed. It’s really clever and it intrigued on so many levels. So I wanted to modernize the story and give it some new perspectives– like adding the wives having secrets of their own. I really just wanted to see where I could go with it. Again the general premise is the same but the actual stories for each character are original and I had a lot of fun bringing those characters to life in Message from a Mistress.

You write in 4 genres… and are signed to 3 different publishing houses… very impressive…how did that happen for you?

I am definitely ambitious and very focused on living my dreams. The same way that I write in different genres, I read different genres. Black, white, whatever. From non-fiction by Cornel West to street-lit by Donald Goines. Sci-fi, young adult fiction, romance, commercial fiction, literary fiction and those like Tina McElroy Ansa and Gloria Naylor who have found a nice blend of commercial and literary fiction–I read it all. I wanted to try my hand at a lot of it. People always say to write what you enjoy. Well, I enjoy a lot of different things and it transitioned over into my writing.

I started out in romance because I did my research and discovered it was easier to get published without agent in this particular genre. Those books did well and I eventual got the agent. I had these different stories in me that I wanted in print so I came up with proposals over the years and my agent got to work making the deals happen.

This year you are nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best African American Romance for your 9th full length romance novel “Make You Mine” as well as the Best Steamy Romance in the 2010 Emma Award presented by Romance Slam Jam. Congratulations on those accolades. As a national bestselling author, how important are these award nominations to you?

The award nominations are great. They are testament that the hard work you put into a book is appreciated and respected. It’s a great way, besides having a great sell through percentage, to know that you’re getting it done; that people enjoy what you’re doing. I’ve been up for a lot of awards in the past ten years and I’ve won some, but I’m always just as excited as if it was my very first nomination because I have great passion and love for this writing game.

For someone who is celebrating her 10-year anniversary in book publishing and has over 15 novels of your own, what is your greatest achievement to date and what would you like to accomplish in the next 10 years?

I think the fact that I once dreamed of getting published and having just one book deal and to now have four is a great achievement for me. I’m a girl from a single-parent household from Newark, NJ who use to sit on the back of the public bus and tell stories to my friends and anyone who would listen. I used to write short stories in my notebook. I used to say I will have a book published before I turn a certain age. I did it. But I have even more dreams. I am a national bestseller which means I have hit some bestseller lists across the country but I definitely want to hit the New York Times or USA Today. Also, like any other author I would like to see one of my books turned into a major movie or television show. So in a nutshell, New York Times and a movie deal. Point blank, those two things are definitely on my to-do list.

Book trailers…your trailers for Message from a Mistress and Fabulous are really great. How important is this promotional tool to bringing awareness to your books? Where can we find other trailers from your previous books?

The book trailers are commercials basically. They are a more innovative way to let people learn about your book and see what it’s all about. The visual aspect of it is very important and it if done properly it can convey the tone of the book to the reader.

I do have a YouTube channel for all of my trailers. It’s:

http://www.youtube.com/user/niobiabryant. The trailers are also on my website www.niobiabryant.com and on my networking pages like MySpace and Facebook.

For those who have never read one of your books please suggest a book in each one of the categories that you write in for them to begin reading–

Let’s see for one of my “sexy, funny and oh so real” romances, I suggest my GIVE ME FEVER. It comes out in May of this year and its book 3 in a series centered on the Strong family.

For the teen fiction of course I recommend my debut book, FABULOUS. I am writing under the name Simone Bryant. It’s about a clique at a private school for children of celebrities.

For urban fiction, my solo book as Meesha Mink debut in January 2011 so I suggest starting with the book that kicked off the series, DESPERATE HOODWIVES.

For mainstream, I suggest MESSAGE FROM A MISTRESS. It really is a smart, well-written, emotional, drama-filled roller coaster ride in the pages of the book.

What writers inspire you and why?

I am most inspired by authors Tina McElroy Ansa and Gloria Naylor. Tina’s book, The Hand I Fan With and Gloria’s novel, Mama Day are two of my all time favorite works of fiction. What I love about them is the blend of literary and commercial fiction. They both write very smart, entertaining, character driven books that remained with me so many years after first reading them. As a writer I want to be able to create that kind of lasting connection between my books and readers.

Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Message of a Mistress?

I loved, loved, loved the 1940’s movie “A Letter to Three Wives”. I enjoyed the concept of three wives learning that their mutual friend has run off with one of their husbands and then have the entire day to ponder which one of them has been betrayed. It’s really clever and it intrigued on so many levels. So I wanted to modernize the story and give it some new perspectives– like adding the wives having secrets of their own. I really just wanted to see where I could go with it. Again the general premise is the same but the actual stories for each character are original and I had a lot of fun bringing those characters to life in Message from a Mistress.

With seventeen novels under your belt, how have you changed in terms of your growth in the book industry? Was Message of a Mistress easier to produce for you?

I’ve learned so much in the past 10 years as an author. My first book took me a year to write and now I can definitely complete a well written book in less time. Writing in multiple genres allows me to continuously work towards perfecting my craft as a storyteller too. I’ve grown in my business acumen. I am a knowledgeable author. I research the industry, who’s doing what, and I keep abreast of what sells, where and why… this all helps me stay fresh and relevant to what avid readers want from authors. Writing Message of a Mistress was a smooth and timely process. I concentrated on keeping it entertaining since the entire story takes place in one day. There are many character flashbacks, but overall writing the book was not difficult at all.

As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Message of a Mistress getting out to the public?

The internet has been such a fun way of promoting the release of Message from a Mistress and I’m sure will prove itself vital in the upcoming sales success as well. I have my Twitter pages, I have my Facebooks pages, MySpace and my personal blog www.niobiabryant.com; I use them all to keep my fans updated and to invite new ones. Tweetdeck is a must for me. I simply love the way it works.

As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Message of a Mistress?

Since I write in multiple genres it helps me stay organized by creating a synopsis and an outline for each of my books. I write a full synopsis of the entire story and the first chapter which I usually have to submit to the publisher. Afterward I begin writing with the use of an outline chapter breakdown. Message from a Mistress took a few months not including editing.

What’s next for Niobia Bryant?

I am working on promoting my three 2010 book releases, Fabulous my first teen fiction/young adult novel on Kimani Tru, Message from a Mistress on Dafina/Kensington and in May I will release Give Me Fever on Dafina. I’m doing my first virtual book tour starting March 1st. Readers can keep up with the itinerary on my blog and by following me on Twitter and Facebook.

Virtual Blog Tour With Author Niobia Bryant is a post from: APOOO

The Outlander by Diana Galbaldon

APOOO — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:06:40 +0000

In the Outlander by Diana Galbaldon, we first meet Claire Beauchamp Randall while she is on her second honeymoon in the Scottish Highlands with her husband, Frank. It is 1945, and after being separated during the war, while Claire worked as a combat nurse and Frank as a soldier, they both decided that this is a well-deserved vacation to renew their relationship. Frank is most interested in continuing his research on his relative, Captain John “Black Jack” Randall and Claire, a little bored decide to learn more about the medicinal value of the area plants. One day during an outing Claire touches a boulder and is transported back to 1743 and lands in the middle of a skirmish between English soldiers, let by none other than Black Jack, and a Scottish Highland tribe. What are they to think when they come upon Claire in what they consider a state of undress for their times? Is she a spy for the English, a bar maid, or a French lady who is separated from her group? Will Claire be able to return to 1945 and Frank, or will she want to stay in 1743, with a new husband, the dashing Jamie Frasier?

This book has been categorized as historical fiction, historical romance, military history, and an adventure tale. While I found the story full of history, battle details, sex, violence, betrayal, loyalty, love, revenge, tradition, and romance, none of these elements held my interest in the story. The story went on a little too long and became repetitive in parts. We learn early on that Captain Randall is out to get Jaime Frasier at any cost, but the story seemed to repeat the same capture and escape scene several times too many. Claire has her moments to shine in the story, but came up short on more than one occasion. There were some nice touches in the story, such as when Claire figures that a vaccination mark on another women means that she is also a time traveler. Jaime falling in love with Claire was touching but these highs were too few and far between for me.

This is a book series that has a large following, so for me this book illustrates the saying, every book is not for everybody but every book is for someone.

This book was provided by the publisher for review purposes.

Reviewed by Beverly
APOOO BookClub

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The Outlander by Diana Galbaldon is a post from: APOOO

Whiskey Gulf by Clyde Ford

APOOO — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:00:57 +0000

In Whiskey Gulf by Clyde Ford, Charlie Noble, a maritime private investigator, is asked by a local yacht club to investigate the disappearance of two of its members while on their sailboat, Rebecca Anne. The Rebecca Ann was last heard from while in Whiskey Gulf, a small waterway between the United States and Canada. While no official is able to provide an answer regarding the disappearance of the couple or the sailboat, rumors abound. Could it have been an engine malfunction, could it have been a sailing error, despite the couple being experienced sailors, or did they get caught in a “live-fire” naval exercise?

There are enough twists and turns in what started out as a routine investigation for the storyline to turn into a military thriller. The author’s love and knowledge of sailing and the Northwest come through in his writing. But, at times the details of boats/sailing protocols were a little too much and distracted from the story. I very much enjoyed the scenes that involved Charlie’s Native-American partner, Raven, an ex-Navy seal. Raven provided the necessary background on the Native-American culture and location names that are more in tune with the nature of the locations than the American names on the maps. As an added plus, if you go to the author’s Web site, he has provided a link to iGeo where the reader can click on locations mentioned in the book and be treated to a satellite image of the area.

This is the third book in the series, and while the mystery thriller stands by itself, it would have been helpful to read the prior books in the series to better understand the characters.

I recommend this book to fans of sailing, military intrigue, lovers of the Pacific Northwest, and fans of the Charlie Noble series.

The book was provided by the publisher for review purposes

Reviewed by Beverly
APOOO BookClub

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Whiskey Gulf by Clyde Ford is a post from: APOOO

The Ties That Bind by D. L. Sparks

Sharel Gordon-Love — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:52:53 +0000

Dealing with an unfaithful husband is not easy, and the repercussions of such can be devastating, but Dr. Teresa McCall finds a way to deal with it her way in D.L. Sparks, The Lies That Bind. However, is it all the good doctor’s intentions, or is another storm brewing to push her in the direction she goes?

Teri, a well-respected psychologist, could only empathize with the women who would come to her for counseling after their spouses cheated, but she was not prepared for the feelings that came when her husband, Donovan, cheated on her. Coming to terms with her emotions and trying to decide if reconciliation is the best for the couple was difficult, to say the least, for Teri.

With Teri and Donovan going back and forth with the decision to repair their marriage or let it go, Teri meets Dr. Sean Morris, a cardiologist at one of Atlanta’s hospitals, and fine as he want to be. Teri tried to deny the obvious attraction, but found herself in his presence and liking it far more than she anticipated.

Will Teri choose to reconcile with Donovan and repair their marriage, or will she leave Donovan for good and accept the proposition that Sean presents to her?

At first I thought I had the story line all figured out, but as the story unfolded, I was surprised at the story that was brewing underneath what was being shared through the main character. I really like the story because I could only speculate what I thought would be the ending. I recommend this book to readers who love a “who done it” and romance.

This book was provided to me courtesy of the publisher for review purposes.

Review by Sharel E. Gordon-Love
APOOO BookClub

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The Ties That Bind by D. L. Sparks is a post from: APOOO

The Cheating Curve by Paula T. Renfroe

Angelia Menchan — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:15:45 +0000

The Cheating Curve by Paula T. Renfroe

APOOO: 5
Amazon: 5
Cheaters and the Cheated
The Cheating Curve by Paula T. Renfroe is an entertaining and extremely frank look at cheating within marriage. The novel also tells the story from the perspective of both men and women and allows the reader to make his or her own decision about how they view what is occurring.

Aminah Anderson has been married to ‘Fame’ Anderson since she graduated from college. He owns a music production company and she is a stay-at-home mom. In their early thirties they have all that money could buy, however, Fame allows women to provide sexual favors for him. He does not consider it as cheating and Aminah has looked the other way for years. But, a series of radio references about her husband is causing her to rethink her position. Will she continue to live the way she has or will she decide she deserves better?

Langston ‘Lang’ Rogers is Aminah’s best friend of over 25 years and she tells her everything. Well, almost everything. She has not told Aminah that she is cheating on Sean, her husband of four years, and that she will probably never have the baby that Sean craves. Lang is convinced that Aminah would not understand and she is sure she can have her cake and eat it too. But can she and what will she do if her best friend does not support her?

Ms. Renfroe did a wonderful job of bringing us into the lives of Aminah and Lang and exposing us to the reasons that married people feel it is okay to cheat. I read through the book in one setting because I loved the voice of the author and the way she tackled a subject that has been written about many times. Nothing was tied up in a pretty little package and the reader was left to decide how they felt about the choices the characters made. The Cheating Curve was literary entertainment, pure and simple. I recommend it to all who love a page-turning, sometimes steamy contemporary novel.

The book was provided by the publisher for review purposes.

Angelia Menchan
APOOO BookClub

Visit amazon to pre-order a copy of The Cheating Curve.

The Cheating Curve by Paula T. Renfroe is a post from: APOOO

Our Family Wedding Movie Trailer

APOOO — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:00:35 +0000

Check out the movie trailer for Our Family Wedding featuring Forrest Whittaker and America Ferrara (Ugly Betty)…comes out on 3/12. Who’s going to see it?

MOVIE SYNOPSIS

“Our marriage, their wedding.” It’s lesson number one for any newly engaged couple, and Lucia (America Ferrera) and Marcus (Lance Gross) are no exception. In Fox Searchlight Pictures’ “Our Family Wedding”, they learn the hard way that the path to saying “I do” can be rife with familial strife. When they return from college and too suddenly announce their marriage plans, they soon discover that their fathers – two highly competitive over-the-top egos – can wreak a major amount of havoc on their special day.

With insults flying and tempers running high, it’s anyone’s guess if the alpha dads (Forest Whitaker and Carlos Mencia) will survive to make it down the aisle in one piece. Lucia’s mother (Diana Maria Riva) is busy planning the wedding of “her” dreams and the only levelheaded one in the bunch is Angela (Regina King), the groom’s father’s best friend and lawyer, who manages to keep her cool when the madness reaches a crescendo.

With only weeks to plan their wedding, Lucia and Marcus soon discover the true meaning of love and find there is truth to the saying – that when you marry someone, you marry their entire family.

Our Family Wedding Movie Trailer is a post from: APOOO

My Mother’s Child by Dwan Abrams

Donnica Copeland — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:36:31 +0000

In MY MOTHER’S CHILD by Dwan Abrams, Lyric Stokes wants nothing more than to produce a son for her husband, Michael. They have a daughter together, but Lyric wants Michael to have a son to carry on the family name. On the outside they appear to have it all. Michael is a doctor; they have the fancy home and luxury vehicles. But Lyric has been struggling to get pregnant again. Lyric starts to wonder what her purpose really is. Since Lyric is a stay-at-home mother, Michael suggests she start her own business to occupy some of her time. Innocently, Lyric takes the business card of a man she meets at a restaurant. Nigel Fredricks has been known to be a stalker. He stalked Dr. Skyler Little in the Abrams previous novel DIVORCING THE DEVIL. Nigel has now taken a liking to Lyric. She finally discovers she is pregnant, but only after a tragic event. Nigel believes they are meant to be together and will stop at nothing until he has her. How will the Stokes family handle the trials the face?

Abrams weaves a tale of suspense as well as love. I admired the way that Michael loved Lyric unconditionally. I loved the message of family. I thought the author did a great job with the end of the story. This is a sequel to DIVORCING THE DEVIL, but it stands on its own. I recommend this book for a quick read.

Book was provided courtesy of the author for review purposes.

Donnica Copeland
APOOO BookClub

Visit amazon to order a copy of My Mother’s Child and to vote accordingly for Donnica’s review.

My Mother’s Child by Dwan Abrams is a post from: APOOO

Do Unto Others by Marcia Wynn

Donnica Copeland — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:13:13 +0000

Jasmine Rodgers is shocked to find out her husband, Reginald, of 10 years is leaving her for another woman. In DO UNTO OTHERS by Marcia Wynn, we get a chance to also hear from the cheater. Reginald feels as though his wife is not attentive to his needs. After having two children and running a non-profit organization, Jasmine has put her focus on all but Reginald. Reginald does not talk to Jasmine about their problems: he allows her to go on thinking they are the happiest couple alive. Instead he confides in Yvette about his marital problems. Well, this is when the emotional affair begins. And this only leads to a sexual affair months later. Jasmine has to figure out how to pick up the pieces and move on with her life…without Reginald.

Jasmine’s best friend, Giana, also appears to be in a loving marriage. But on the inside she feels as though her husband, Patrick, has been cheating on her for years. They married when she was young and now more than 10 years later, she is no longer the young hot girl he married. Is Patrick really looking for the next hot thing? Or is it all in Giana’s mind? On top of her worry about Patrick she is faced to deal with some devastating news.

Wynn manages to give the prospective of both the husband and the wife. I enjoyed hearing both sides to each story. It seemed to be a self-help and a novel tied in one. This storyline was written in a narrative format and had too much telling vs. showing. It really could have been a short story. Wynn appears to have great knowledge when it comes to relationships. It is a possible good book for those marriages that may be on the brink of separation.

This book was provided courtesy of the author for review.

Donnica Copeland
APOOO BookClub

Visit amazon to order a copy of Do Unto Others and to vote accordingly for Donnica’s review.

Do Unto Others by Marcia Wynn is a post from: APOOO

Selling My Soul by Sherri Lewis

Jennifer Coissiere — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:45:13 +0000

Selling My Soul is the long awaited sequel of Sherri L. Lewis’s debut novel, My Soul Cries Out. Trina “Tree” Michaels has returned from Mozambique, Africa; where she has lived as a missionary for two years. Besides returning to a more fast-paced, technology dependent, and wasteful society, Tree returns to find all is not as she had left it. The first headlines she sees in the newspaper, right there in the airport, brings memories of an unhappy time for her best friend, Monica. She realized how much she had missed her friend, but most of all she had missed her mother and her sister, Tiffany.

Tree had kept in contact with her family as best she could while in Africa. However, her family could not say that they had always kept her abreast of everything that was going on in their lives. Tree was not only returning to an environment she no longer felt connected to, but she was also returning to changes in the lives of the people she loved. Her mother was diagnosed with cancer and Tree felt she needed to take care of her. She also needed to take care of get caught up in her own financial debacle. All the plans she had made in her mind before returning to Washington were crumbling before her. She so desperately wanted to head back to Mozambique, but that now seemed like a dream that would never come to pass. Tree’s life was slowly unraveling and she had to make certain decisions that might her soul. What price would she have to pay to put everyone’s life back in order? Could Tree live with her decisions?

I must admit the only book of Lewis’s I have not read is her debut novel. Now more than ever before, I want to read it. No, it has nothing to do with me feeling as though I was missing some thing. My desire to read it is so I can read more about the characters that I enjoyed and my curiosity of such a strong subject matter. Lewis wrote a story unveiling controversial issues within the church. I take my hat off to her for being so bold. I recommend Selling My Soul and any of Lewis’ previous works to readers of Christian fiction; this is not the preachy stuff but deals with real life issues.

I received this book for review purposes from the publisher.

Jennifer Coissiere
APOOO BookClub

Visit amazon to order a copy of Selling My Soul and to vote accordingly for Jennifer’s review.

Selling My Soul by Sherri Lewis is a post from: APOOO

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