Tuesday, July 23, 2013

BLOG TOUR: Sasha McCoy Freelancer with John Wooden

About John
John Arthur Wooden received a B.S. from Tennessee State University and Master’s from Webster
University. After serving twenty-one years in the U.S. Air Force, John retired as Major and now works as a Project Manager and Technical Writer with a defense contractor. He is a feature writer and columnist with the Perspective magazine in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
During his military career, John traveled the world—from the nation’s capital to Moscow; from Guam to Sicily; from Hawaii to the Philippines. As a young man, John wanted to see the world and now considers the world his stage for many stories of suspense and mystery.
During his junior year in high school, John was tasked to read and complete a book report on Richard Wright’s Native Son. After reading this classic literary piece five times within one month, his love and fascination with books began. Already a fan of comic books, John would branch out and read whatever he could get his hands on. Words and meanings, coupled with his active and creative imagination, forged a twenty-five year burning sensation in his heart—a sensation that didn’t cease burning until he wrote his first book, A Collection of Thoughts, in 2003. However, this was only the beginning. An avid reader of mystery and suspense thrillers, John set a goal to become one of the top mystery/suspense authors in the world.
In 2005, he released his second book, A Moment of Justice, A Lifetime of Vengeance, a novel that introduced the world to FBI Special Agent Kenny “KC” Carson and surprised many with his storytelling abilities. An Eye for a Deadly Eye, released in 2008, is John’s third novel and the second in the Kenny Carson series.
John is the proud father of two children, a son currently serving in the United States Air Force and a daughter who is currently studying at Georgia Southern University.

Contact John:
Website:          http://www.jwooden.com
Twitter:            https://twitter.com/jwooden61

About the Book
Misery. That’s what Sasha McCoy knew as a child. The streets were her first mother. Her birth mother was a coked out junkie who had no ideal which john fathered her daughter. Determined not to be like her mother, she got her hustle on while bouncing from one foster home to the next. That is, until the Queen B named Deana McWhorter rescued her from the streets and put her on a path of salvation.

THE PRESENT
Betrayal. A mission goes wrong. While assigned to take out three terrorists on the most wanted list, other Company operatives are killed. Is Sasha McCoy to blame? Death by ambush. The woman who saved a young girl and claimed her as a daughter is brutally killed in her home. Sadness. Someone must pay for the new misery in Sasha McCoy’s life. Vengeance.Now an assassin for the CIA, Sasha McCoy has a new task—clearing her name and seeking revenge for her mother. Was her last mission sanctioned or unsanctioned? Did her handler at the CIA set her up as a rogue agent? Was her uncle involved in her mother’s death? Are both cases related?

THE WOMAN
Sasha McCoy, Freelancer, will take you on a wild ride inside the mind of a female operative. Raised in a world of pimps, whores and players, she goes from orphan to CIA assassin to a woman out for vengeance and redemption. Classified as a rogue operative, she must now face her weaknesses and demons while simultaneously clearing her name and delivering those who killed Deana McWhorter to justice. The only justice she knows—death.

Purchase the Books:


Excerpt
A GOOD DAY FOR KILLING.
I was sure that’s what my horoscope said that morning. If not, that was what it should have said. From my viewpoint, it was a great day for killing, a better day for dying.
Partying late, waking up later. Nice swims, day and night. Damn, I loved this island. Nothing quite like Hawaii, except the beaches in Sicily, the Caribbean, Mexico and a host of other places to which I had traveled.
I wasn’t being disrespectful to Hawaii. I really did love the island. There was nothing like the morning, waking to the rising sun or feeling the drizzle of falling raindrops during monsoon season. Just before dawn on the main island of Oahu was heavenly, and certainly worth living for.
I also loved Hawaii because it seemed as if it was a million miles away from where I was born and raised—the original city of sin, Las Vegas. Always copied, never duplicated.
I sat in my Orange Pineapple taxicab outside the Honolulu airport in the pre-dawn light, waiting on my fare, Abdullah Azizi Mufar, son of a Saudi Arabian oil baron. My employer had arranged with the Orange Pineapple Cab Company that I would be the driver for our special guest. Mufar was an enemy of the United States. He was behind many acts of terrorism throughout the world. He had been connected to at least seven terrorist attacks within the past two years. The last two involved the bombing of American embassies in Peru and North Africa. He’d finally gotten what he wanted—enough national attention to put him on the Top Five hit list. He’d gotten the attention of the U.S. government and the attention of The Company—my employer.
I continued to chill in my borrowed taxi, snacking on fresh pineapples from one of the plantations on the island. As I waited, thoughts of my time on the island in the past and during this visit drifted through my head.
Driving, touring and exploring the island of Oahu brought me a certain peace, a serenity I never found in the continental United States.
The first place I visited every time I set foot on the island was the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial. A solemn site for many, it gave me a sense of pride. I proudly served my country, and just the thought of what those who had perished did to make it possible for me and others to serve the country filled me with pride and gratitude.
Sometimes I wondered about the eleven hundred plus sailors who’d lost their lives on that dreaded day in December of 1941. I could feel their spirit and soul whenever I visited the site. I thought about their families and hoped the wives and children they would never see again or the grandchildren or great grandchildren they would never meet visited the memorial every now and then to pay homage to the sailors’ sacrifices.
While here I also made my rounds to the six military installations on Oahu. And if I was fortunate enough to be in Hawaii on a Wednesday or Saturday, I always made it a point to visit the flea market held in Aloha Stadium—the home of the NFL Pro Bowl.
As thoughts of the things I’d done here before floated through my mind, I realized I wanted to spend some leisure time in Oahu after this mission. It was a mindless thought on my part. Maybe it was just wishful thinking. Even if I didn’t have another mission after this one, spending time in the city after the mission was frowned upon at the CIA, especially if that city was a small island called Paradise.
My phone rang, bringing me back to reality. It was my handler.
Codename: Cobra Blue.
I’d never liked my middleman. He was a parasite from the first day I met him. His beet red face gave him the appearance of permanent sunburn, he was short and a hamburger away from being pudgy. His hair was thinning up top, and his face always sported a five-day growth of beard. If his purpose was to throw off the bad guys by looking like something someone discarded, he was doing a great job of it.
Cobra Blue was calling from inside the Honolulu airport. Every blue moon, he supervised a mission in country. Meaning, he stepped away from his office in San Francisco and stepped out where the rubber met the road.
This time the road was in Hawaii, so he definitely wanted to be on the frontlines for this mission. The man was responsible for at least three other field officers that I knew of and I wondered if he was a pain in the ass to them as well.
He informed me the target was on his way out.
Mufar had briefed his partners in crime in Honolulu that he would be arriving in two days. We intercepted the call and coerced his small contingent of bad players into dealing with us. Of course, the coercion included killing three members of their group before the other two would cooperate.
Sometimes, we must do what we must do. I laughed at my own silliness. Death wasn’t funny to me, but destroying our nation’s enemies made me feel good inside.
I spotted the ambitious Abdullah Azizi Mufar as he exited the terminal. I could see why he fit in well in American culture. He was smooth shaven with a chestnut brown complexion, a neatly trimmed thick, black mustache and a combination curly and nappy mini-Afro. The only thing that distinguished him as a Middle Easterner was his mustache, but a casual glance at his appearance made him look more like an African-American man with a thick mustache.
I pulled up slowly by the curbside and parked. The man recognized the cab and its number. He had also been given my basic identity: Dodgers baseball cap, light brown complexion, short hair. Nothing extravagant, just blending in with the other cabbies.
He immediately jumped in with only a small carry-on bag in his possession. It was strange, but Azizi Mufar didn’t believe in traveling with an entourage. He believed in blending in and what better way to stay low key than flying on a commercial airliner by yourself.
He didn’t speak. I knew where I was supposed to drop him off. That was  if I was his real scheduled driver.
As soon as I turned onto the main drag departing the airport I looked in my rearview mirror and saw my passenger looking out the window. He started to yawn and I immediately surveyed my surroundings for other vehicles and pedestrians, then lifted my SIG Sauer P6 from the side of my seat and surprised my passenger with a point-blank shot to the head. The hollow point round exited his head and cracked the back windshield.
I pulled off the main drag at the next turn fifty feet away before anyone noticed the bullet hole or the brain matter splattered over the back windshield. I parked the cab in a back alley not far from the airport. I had been there before. Cobra Blue had already arranged for someone to pick up the car, clean it up, wipe it down and return it to the cab company. The bullet hole in the windshield could easily be explained away by our clean-up guy. Besides blood and brains, the clean up would be easy. I didn’t believe in leaving a mess. Because of the gloves I wore, no fingerprints or hair follicles would be trace back to me. And our guys were the best at cleaning up a mess, including ensuring no traces of Azizi Mufar were in the cab.
Mufar had pressing business in Honolulu. He had plans to meet with two other terrorist leaders—Jin Con Chen of North Korea and retired Army Brigadier General MacLean Baxter, U.S. born, and Army bred and raised.
My job was simple. Eliminate all three before the planned meeting. One down, two to go. Number two would certainly be easier.
Or so I thought.
The sunrise was so beautiful this time of morning. Damn, I loved Hawaii.


Friday, July 19, 2013

Feature Friday: Altonya Washington

AlTonya Washington is a South Carolina native and graduate of Winston Salem State University in North Carolina. She released her first contemporary romance with BET Books in 2003. Remember Love was nominated as Best First Multicultural Romance by Romantic Times magazine. In 2004 she was named Best New Romance Author by the readers of Shades of Romance magazine. Her second novel, Guarded Love, was labeled a Top Pick by Romantic Times magazine. Her third novel, Finding Love Again, won the Romantic Times magazine Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Multicultural Romance of 2004.
2005 marked the release of her first Historical Romance, Wild Ravens, released by Genesis Press. In 2006, her fourth novel, Love Scheme, was nominated for the annual Romance Slam Jam Emma Award as Favorite Steamy Romance. She released her sixth novel in January 2006 (A Lover’s Dream) for the Harlequin/Kimani Press label. The sequel, A Lover’s Pretense, was released in August 2006. Also in August, she released her eighth novel, In The Midst of Passion, with Dafina Books. In March 2007 she released the third title in the Ramsey series, A Lover’s Mask, which has been nominated for the Romance Slam Jam Emma Award. In November 2007, AlTonya released her tenth novel, Pride and Consequence,with Harlequin/Kimani. The title was rated a Top Pick by Romantic Times magazine.
AlTonya currently resides in North Carolina where she and her long time love Derric raise their son. AlTonya works for an academic library as a senior library assistant. She will soon begin teaching the third semester of her course, Writing the Romance Novel, for Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, NC. She released the fourth installment in the Ramsey series, A Lover’s Regret, in winter 2008, and her second Historical romance, Passion’s Furies, in August 2008, along with Rival’s Desire with Harlequin/Kimani. This will mark AlTonya’s thirteenth novel.
Provocative Passion 
Jul 2013, Miniseries: Kimani HottiesCategory: African-AmericanPaperback, ISBN: 9780373863150 (#340)
Detective Sophia Hail risks her life every day. But for over a decade the decorated
Philly cop has kept her heart under wraps. Now Santigo Rodriguez is threatening everything she has worked so hard to protect. With the city reeling from a scandal that touches her own family, Sophia is vulnerable…and tempted to give in to the passion her ex-lover is offering.

When Santigo falls in love, it's
for keeps, and the promise of a second chance with Sophia is more than he can resist. Once before she walked out, choosing her dangerous career over a future with him. Now Santigo has to find a way to keep Sophia safe in his arms…before a widening trail of sex and corruption blows the town—and their rekindled love affair—wide open.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

BLOG TOUR: Deep Fried Trouble with Tyora Moody

About the Author
Serving up a creative mix, flavored with FAITH. And whatever you do, whether in word
or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  — 1 Colossians 3:17 NIV

Tyora Moody is an author and entrepreneur.  Her debut novel, When Rain Falls, was released March 2012 (Urban Christian). This is the first book in the Victory Gospel series. The second book in the Victory Gospel Series, When Memories Fade, was released in April 2013 (Urban Christian).

Deep Fried Trouble, the first book in the Eugeena Patterson Mystery series will be released June 2013.

Tyora has coined her books as Soul-Searching Suspense.  She is a member of Sisters in Crime and American Christian Fiction Writers. She served as a judge for the Christy Awards for three years.

She owns and operates TywebbinCreations.com, a design and marketing company.  For over twelve years, she has worked with authors, small business owners and non-profit organizations to develop their online presence. For free tips, how-to guides and e-courses, visit DIYwithTy.com.

When Tyora isn’t working for a client or doing something literary, she enjoys spending time with family, catching a movie on the big screen, traveling and when the mood hits her, baking cookies. Visit the author online at TyoraMoody.com.

About the Book
Widowed and officially retired, EUGEENA PATTERSON throws herself into organizing the neighborhood association. This presents a great opportunity to re-connect with old friends and get to know new neighbors like recently widowed Amos Jones, that is until Eugeena stumbles upon her estranged neighbor’s dead body. Eugeena’s daughter is fingered as a prime suspect, but where is she?

Determined to find her missing daughter, Eugeena and Amos sort through a list of neighbors with shady or unknown backgrounds. The more she searches, the more Eugeena becomes unsure about this neighborhood association idea. Someone closer than Eugeena thinks, wants to keep it that way.


Purchase the Book Online at:
Amazon.com
BarnesandNoble.com

Book Trailer:
View the book trailer below.  





For More Information

Visit the author online at:

View the blog tour schedule at: 


http://tywebbinvirtualevents.com/2013/05/deep-fried-trouble-virtual-book-tour-with-tyora-moody/




Managing Diabetes Tip #2 - Plan Your Meals.



“My stomach started to flutter and it wasn’t because I craved my morning baked cheese grits. Now that recipe was worth finding. I’ve had a love affair with cheese all my life. Cheese crackers, cheese doodles, cheeseburgers... well at least my new food plan wasn’t turning out to be such a tragedy.”
 ~ Eugeena Patterson, Deep Fried Trouble
I’ve known about my diabetes for over a year now, but it doesn’t mean that I have my lifestyle of managing it under control. It takes some serious discipline to stay healthy and alive. Just in case you know someone or you have this disease yourself, I want to provide you with some tips I’ve learned over the last year.
You know what you can and cannot eat, right? Well, it is real easy to eat the wrong thing when you haven’t planned your meals properly. If you know you will be eating in a restaurant, check their menu for heart-healthy food and foods for diabetics.
Now that’s just one tip, child. You keep your eye on the Deep Fried Trouble Virtual Book Tour (July 15- 26, 2013) for more tips.
Take Care Now!
~ Ms. Eugeena


Book Giveaway! Are you ready to get into Deep Fried Trouble?
This contest is so easy! Do you want to win an autographed copy of Deep Fried Trouble? Stop by one or more of the blogs this week and leave your answer to the following questions.

You know I’m a retired social studies school teacher.  I kind of miss my students. I said kind of… Anyhow, I was curious to know, who was your favorite teacher and what subject did they teach?

Saturday, July 13, 2013

New Release: Nadia's Obsession by Charles D. Martin

Nadia's Obsession continues the story of a young Russian woman as told in Charles Martin's
first novel, Provocateur. A Brief prologue enables readers to jump right into the his second novel, if they have not read the first.  

Martin's fascinating protagonist was born an orphan and had a troubled desperate early life, but was blessed with superior intelligence and beauty.  She escaped her impoverished circumstances coming to America through a mail-order-bride program.  In America, she became involved with an ex-CIA agent named Olga and, as part of her unique enterprise, is catapulted into a thrilling and dangerous life filled with suspense, intrigue and sexual tension.

This second novel steps up the pace of intrigue and sexual intensity as Nadia and Russoff, the Russian oligarch, clash again in a battle of wits.  A new romance emerges and takes its twists and turns and the reader experiences new aspects of the gamesmanship between the sexes.  Charles Martin once again holds us spellbound and leaves us wanting more.

Be the first to read and review this novel for free by visiting NetGalley on July 16, 2013. We would appreciate the review. For more information about Charles Martin and Nadia's Obession, visit www.nadiasobsession.com

Friday, July 12, 2013

Feature Friday: Cassandra Durham

Cassandra is a minister, author and advocate for women. She received her Bachelor of Social Work degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (A& T ) ( Aggie Pride). She earned a Master of Science degree in Human Services with a specialization in Social and Community Services from Capella University. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry (M.A.C.M.) from Liberty University.  

Cassandra is currently the Program Coordinator of HIV/AIDS Services at a local AIDS Services Organization, where she is a strong advocate for African American women. She also teaches several Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions (SISTA- Sisters Informing Sisters on Topics about AIDS and SIHLE- Sisters, Informing, Healing, Living, Empowering) for the prevention and spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

The spiritual side of Cassandra is fed at her home church Temple of Prayer, Praise and Deliverance Ministries, where she sits under the anointed leadership of Senior Pastor; Apostle Louise Baker. 

Cassandra is also the author of the salt, light and witnesses’ blog, which seeks to encourage, uplift and motivate others to walk in their divine calling as children of God.
Cassandra recently published her first devotional book, Fully Persuaded : 30 Days of Encouragement in Times of Trouble. She is currently working on her first fiction novel from her seven deadly sins series titled:  A Summer of Wrath. 

Her book was selected as an Oprah’s Life Class Selection. Visit Cassandra on herwebsite at:
http://www.cassandradurham.com/salt-light-witnesses-blog.


The Summer of Wrath
Price: $3.99 USD. 47,330 words. Published on July 1, 2013. Fiction.
Wilson stopped believing in God a long time ago. Devastated after his father is killed in
the line of duty. He assumes the task of guardian and protector of his mother and two sisters. Tormented by the kidnapping of his baby sister he unleashes a caustic and damaging wrath that will lead him down a path of destruction and annihilation. Nothing is off limits, persecution, beatings, torture.

Fully Persuaded: 30 Days of Encouragement in Times of Trouble
Price: $2.99 USD. 66 pages. Published December 15, 2012. Non-Fiction.
Life is full of challenges. After enduring storms, tests, trials and tribulations: we can easily feel broken, dejected, and yes, even disconnected from God. You are not alone in this season of your life. This book is for those who have for whatever reason lost their ability to fight back against the enemy. If you need to feel encouraged, empowered, uplifted, and edified this is the key to unlock the door to your breakthrough. If you need your faith lifted, and your hope and trust in God stretched, this is for you! This book is for every person that has needed to feel renewed, refreshed, and restored by being Fully Persuaded that God can do anything, but fail!

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

REVIEW Marriage 101 for Men by Sherri Mills

Date:               6/12/13
Title:                Marriage 101 for Men: Why Taking Out the Trash is a Turn-On
Author:            Sherri Mills
ISBN 13:           978-1462112098
Pages:              142
Publisher:        Cedar Fort
Cover:              Paperback
Rating:             4 Stars


Sherri Mills, the author of I Almost Divorced My Husband, does it again. Marriage 101 for Men is
a humorous take on a woman’s need for their men to help with the household. For any man who still claims not to know what women want, specifically their wives, then this is the book for you.

In true Sherri Mills style, the author uses various stories of couple as examples and to inspire partnership.  Sherri does not disappoint with resources. The book comes complete with Householder Chore Lists for everyone in the family—including the kiddos, not to mention the Sherri Mills approved Fair Marriage Contract along with permission to photocopy.


In addition to thanking Sherri for this great title, I’d like to thank her husband Gerald for being a good sport for, what I’m sure of, being picked on. I can’t wait to see what Sherri comes up with next. 

REVIEW: The Mounds Anomaly by Phyllis Gunderson


Date:               6/26/13
Title:                The Mounds Anomaly
Author:            Phyllis Gunderson
ISBN 13:           978-14621119978
Pages:              207
Publisher:        Sweetwater/Cedar Fort
Cover:              Paperback
Rating:             4 Stars


This book reminded me of a slower paced Indiana Jones movie. Dr. Matt Howard, a female 
archaeologist at an Arizona University, gives lectures on Archaeology Anomalies. She stumbles upon a rare gold coin that holds more history than she could ever imagine and her research leads to a world of adventure.

Other archaeologist had previously dismissed the fact that there was a possibility of the existence of mound in the United States. In the process of discoveries in Illinois, Dr. Howard falls down a cliff, breaks her arm—, and nearly loses her job at the University.


During a conversation with her ten-year-old adoptive daughter, it is revealed to the great doctor that she loves what she does more than anything in the world. I could appreciate and admired her passion to find the truth. Although I’ve never been fascinated with archaeology  artifacts and such, I enjoyed the twists and turns of this novel. There was one adventure after another and Dr. Howard persevered even at the risk of being blackballed by her peers. It was an easy short read, and that was important for someone who is not necessarily into this genre. It was great for my first experience. 

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

BLOG TOUR: No Condemnation Virtual Book Tour with Dr. Vivi Monroe Congress

About The Book

The city of Tobe, a snowball's throw away from Buffalo NY, is known for its frosty climate...and its drama. Despite the chilling temperatures, love is in bloom for some of its residents while lowering the boom on others. Either way, getting the most out of love and life is largely based on healthy decisions because there are times when, simply put, love isn't always enough. 

Young, enterprising Trené Sloan is successful in business but not so much when it comes to relationships. Recklessly in love with Chaz Thomas, the philandering father of her children, Trené continues to dole out love and forgiveness in the face of his unrelenting quest for short-lived affairs with every woman that crosses his path.

But will she find the courage to make the hard decision to leave the toxic relationship and reclaim her misplaced faith before tragedy occurs?

No Condemnation (from the Just NO Series) is next level inspirational fiction; heartwarming, emotionally-engaging while keeping things real.

About The Author
Dr. Congress is a Best-Selling, Award-Winning Wordsmith, Literary Advisor, Publisher
and creator of C.H.O.C. Lit™ Flavored Books (Christians Having Ordinary Challenges).

She holds a BA in Human Relations, Masters in Theology, Doctor of Ministry degree in Christian Counseling and is a Certified Christian Life Coach.

Order your copy:

Amazon link
http://www.amazon.com/Condemnation-Just-Vivi-Monroe-Congress/dp/0974802026/ref=la_B006RXHOPI_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365382635&sr=1-1
Connect with the Author
Tour Schedule http://wnlbooktours.com/dr-vivi-monroe-congress/


Book Excerpt
New Beginning
The women sitting in the pew three rows ahead had glanced over their shoulders several times, whispering and exchanging sly, familiar, yet discreet grins in his direction. Even in church, Chaz Thomas knew what people—women, in particular—were saying about him. Not that he gave a king-sized flying flip one way or the other as long as the conversation gave him the front-and-center attention he craved. In feminine circles, he was hailed as The Perfect Ten. Although he was, in fact, a good-looking brother with strong, chiseled features and a body to match, those attributes weren’t exactly the reasons Chaz had gained the ‘title.’ It was more along the lines of his having fathered at least ten children, aged ten years old and younger, all within a ten-block radius. But, who was keeping count other than those he casually wrote off as trash talking women he’d rejected, full from drinking that bittersweet playa hater’s juice?

If it weren’t for Trené, his current baby mama, begging him to attend Friday’s Watch Night Service with her, he wouldn’t be here now subjecting himself to visual inspection—and temptation. Every man knew church was the place to find a woman engaged in inner warfare, surreptitiously longing to unleash the “other,” less-holier side of herself. Trené was aware of his weakness and should’ve known better than to bring him for that reason alone. Chaz was no different in his thoughts on the subject and like most so-called preachers he knew, he was more than willing to accommodate. Unlike a great many of them, however, Chaz was able to... in ways and for durations that only he and God would ever truly know.



What Others Are Saying

Vivi Monroe Congress writes with a rhythm and flow that prods the reader along for the ride. No Condemnation injects just enough grit and honesty for a dose of realism. Her multi-dimensional characters will have you turning pages with curiosity as she reveals their plight with literary prowess and wit. No Condemnation is a journey of faith that s not for the faint of heart. Essence Bestselling Author of the Brunch Series, Sweet Magnolia and other works --Norma L. Jarrett

The prolific wordsmith, Dr. Congress, entertains and counsels as she infuses inspiration into the chaotic realities of life in her debut novel, No Condemnation. Bestselling author of The Forbidden Secrets of the Goody Box TheGoodyBoxBook.com --Valerie J Lewis Coleman