Tyora "Ty" Moody is an author and entrepreneur. Her debut novel, When Rain Falls, will be released March 2012 (Urban Christian/Kensington). This is the first book in the Victory Gospel series. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and American Christian Fiction Writers. She owns and operates TywebbinCreations.com, a design and marketing company. Her company’s niche is assisting authors with branding and developing an online presence.
Listen to Tyora's Exclusive Interview with The Author's Hideaway
About the Book
“Why does God keep taking away the people I love?”
This is the lamentation of widow CANDACE JOHNSON when her best friend is brutally murdered. Ensnared by a deep-rooted bitterness, seeping her faith day by day, Candace is determined to seek justice.
Detective Darnell Jackson is in need of clues fast. The police captain is coming down hard on him and his partner to find out who murdered Pamela Coleman, the daughter of a high profile judge. Darnell confers with Candace to get the inside track on events leading up to the murder. As the investigation heats up, his growing attraction for Candace plays havoc on Darnell’s judgment.
Little does she know, Candace’s quest to find the truth has led her straight to the killer. She’s already lost loved ones. Now Candace must choose to completely trust God with her own life.
Review
Date: 2/22/12
Title: When Rain Falls
Author: Tyora Moody
ISBN 10: 1601628226
ISBN 13: 978-1601628220
Pages: 372
Publisher: Kensington
Cover: Paperback
Reviewer: B. McClendon – Literary Wonders!
Rating: 5 Stars
When Rain Falls by Tyora Moody held my interest from the first page until the last. The main character, Candace Johnson, is a strong woman who persevered even though life pulled the rug from under her numerous times.
From the murder of her mother as a child, and the recent murders of her husband and best friend, she has managed to reclaim her faith in God with the help of Detective Darnell Jackson.
Tyora Moody did a good job with When Rain Falls. It was well written and I am looking forward to the next chapter in the series. I highly recommend this book. Great Job Ms. Moody.
Marlene Banks is a Philadelphia, PA native. She attended Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA and has an Associate’s Degree in Theology from the Rhema Bible Institute in Keysville, VA. She is the director of ministry at Lifeline Mission of the Gospel. Through her writing ministry, Marlene’s desire is to promote the gospel and serve the needs of her community.
About the Book
Set in the 1800s, Ruth’s Redemption, depicts slave life in the south. Bo, the main character who was educated while a slave is a freedman who now owns a farm and buys slaves for the purpose of giving them their freedom. Bo is also a widower whose life is destined to changed when he meets the stubborn, proud and hard-hearted 20 year old slave girl, Ruth.
Ruth has known nothing but harshness and brutality since being separated from her mother at age thirteen. Purchased and sold primarily for breeding and the enlargement of her master’s slave stock, Ruth struggles to understand the way of her new master. Bo is unlike any master she’s known and what she experiences in his care will leave her forever changed.
A gripping pre-Civil War slave era novel, Ruth’s Redemption is a story of forgiveness, acceptance and redemption. Set against the backdrop of the Nat Turner Rebellion in Tidewater, Virginia, this novel shines the light of God’s unconditional love in the darkness of the evils of hatred and acts of inhumanity.
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Book Review
Date: 1/30/12
Title: Ruth’s Redemption
Author: Marlene Banks
ISBN 13: 978-0-8024-0217-2
Pages: 304
Publisher: Moody
Cover: Paperback
Reviewer: Tamarra Bryant – Literary Wonders!
Rating: 5 Stars
RUTH’S REDEMPTION by Marlene Banks combines historical information, during slavery in the 1830’s, with a romantic plot and keeps the reader engulfed with anticipation of the next twist.
The book’s namesake, Ruth, is a slave and is thrust into the world of Bo Peace, a free slave. Bo is faced with continuous issues from both the white and slave worlds, but Bo’s faith in God is what sustains him in each incident he faces.
Ms. Banks’ writing style flows smoothly and she is descriptive with her depiction of the living conditions, attitudes and even the landscape of the two cultures. Ms. Banks was able to keep the reader interested in wanting to know more about the characters and what makes them who they are. Her ability to insure that Christian values are portrayed throughout the book is commendable. I would definitely recommend this novel.
In The Season of Sin by Stacy-Deanne, Nadia Hollister is loved by her family friends—so it’s no surprise that they’d be upset to find out that she’s been murdered. As Detectives Kemp and Morris delve into the investigations, the list of potential suspects begins to grow; including her lesbian lover Shannon and her daughter’s forbidden boyfriend. Nadia’s daughter, Dylan, soon finds that her mother has kept many secrets from her and her world is turned upside down.
This book was a slow read for me as I often found myself confused as to who was talking to whom as well as under developed scenes. The story has potential; it just missed the mark for me.
STEPHANIE PERRY MOORE is the author of many Young
Adult Christian fiction titles, including the Payton Skky series, the Laurel
Shadrach series, the Perry Skky Jr. series, the Faith Thomas Novelzine series,
the Carmen Browne series, and the Beta Gamma Pi series. She is also the
co-editor for the impactful BibleZine, REAL. Mrs. Moore speaks with young
people across the country, showing them how they can live life fully and do it
God’s way. Stephanie currently lives in the greater Atlanta area with her
husband, Derrick, a former NFL player and author, and their three children.
Visit her website at www.stephanieperrymoore.com.
About the Books
The Morgan Love Series is a chapter book
series written for girls, 7 – 9 years old. The series provides moral lessons
that will aid in character development.
It will also help young girls develop their vocabulary, English and math
skills as they read through the stories and complete the entertaining and
educational exercises provided at the end of each chapter and in the back of
the book.
A+ Attitude
Morgan
is sad and mad at the world because things are not going the way she
wants. Why does my daddy have to leave
again to save the country? Why do I have
to go live with mommy and her new husband? Why does my mommy have to have a new
baby? Why do I have to go to a new school?
Why do I have to make new friends?
Why? Why? Why? Though she is
having a hard time adjusting to all the new things in her life, especially her
new baby brother and stepdad, Derek, Morgan makes up her mind that no matter
what is going on, she is going to have an A+ attitude.
Speak Up
When
Morgan discovers that Antoine and Alec, the new kids on her block are big
bullies she doesn’t know what to do. When she goes back to school, she finds
out that Alec is the also the new kid in her class. When her friend Trey, stops
hanging out with her and the others and hangs out with Alec instead, she is
worried. She doesn’t want Trey to get into trouble nor have the other kids
think she’s a tattletale. Morgan is having a hard time knowing what she should
do. Should she continue to keep quiet or
is it time to speak up?
Something Special
Morgan,
wanting to fit in with the crowd, teases a large girl and a special-ed kid at
school. When she is caught she has to go
to the principal’s office. When she
finds out how much her teasing hurt her classmates she feels bad. Later, while
playing together, Morgan and her cousins all share a secret wish. Morgan wants to be prettier. Drake wants to
be taller. Sadie wants longer hair. When
she goes to vacation bible school Morgan learns that God made each person just
the way they are for a reason, even those kids she laughed at and teased. Just
the way they are, is okay and they are all something special to God.
Right Thing
When
Morgan lets her best friend, Brook talk her into doing something her mommy
tells her not to do, she gets into trouble.
But that does not stop Morgan from disobeying her mommy again. When she ignores her mommy and takes her iPod
to school, she not only gets in trouble but is badly hurt by one of the older
girls. She learns that when she doesn’t
obey her parents she is not only letting them down but God too. The next time
Brook tries to talk Morgan into doing what she knows is wrong; Morgan decides
to do the right thing.
No Fear
Don’t be afraid. Have no fear. That’s what Morgan’s parents and
grandparents were always telling her.
But she was having a hard time doing what they said as she thought about
the big test coming up and wondered if her daddy was on the navy shipped that
was recently attacked. When Morgan shares her fears with her mommy, her mommy
tells her about the good news from God and about Heaven, Morgan begins to
understand why her parents and grandparents are always telling her to have no
fear.
Purchase the Books Online at:
Amazon.com
BarnesandNoble.com
Book Trailer:
Book Review
Date: 2/10/12
Title: A+
Attitude (Morgan Love Series – Book 1)
Author: Stephanie
Perry
ISBN 10: 0802422632
ISBN 13: 978-0802422637
Pages: 144
Publisher: Lift
Every Voice
Cover: Paperback
Reviewer: Yolanda M. Johnson-Bryant– Literary
Wonders!
Rating: 4
Stars
Morgan Love is a sassy little second grader
who is not happy about her father’s military travels. She’s not happy that her
parents are divorced and living separate lives either. What she is happy about,
is that her grandmother and grandfather, whom she affectionately calls Mama and
Papa. To Morgan, Mama and Papa cares about how she feels about things, unlike
her mother, who decided to have a new baby, with her new husband, without
asking Morgan. To top things off, Morgan has to attend a new school.
The Morgan Love Series, by Stephanie Perry Moore, is great reading
for young children. In addition to life lessons that lie within the stories, Mrs. Moore has highlighted vocabulary
words throughout the book and ends each chapter with an education activity—and letters to her father.
The
Morgan Love Series is both entertaining and educational. Kudos to Stephanie
Perry Moore.
Pat Simmons is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth. She is passionate about digging up the dirt on her ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her novels. She has been a genealogy enthusiast since her great-grandmother died at the young age of ninety-seven years old. Pat has won numerous awards for her novels which include: Talk to Me, Grace and Humility and Still Guilty, which was voted the Best Inspirational Romance for 2010. Pat is best known for her Guilty series: Guilty of Love, Not Guilty of Love, and Still Guilty. She is continuing the series through the Jamieson Family Legacy trilogy: Guilty by Association, The Guilt Trip, Free From Guilt. Pat has recently been nominated for the best Christian fiction award by the African American Literary Awards for her latest release, Crowning Glory. Pat and her husband live in Missouri and have two children. Visit Patricia athttp://www.patsimmons.net.
About the Book
The Jamieson Family Legacy series follow the lives of two Jamieson brothers in Boston, Kidd and Ace, and their cousin, Cameron, from St. Louis. The older brother, Kidd, is struggling with anger and resentment issues toward his absentee father who never married his mother. Yet, he had the audacity to demand his illegitimate sons carry his Jamieson name. Ace, on the other hand, is on his collision course to be a chip off the old block when it comes to women. Their highly MIT educated cousin, Cameron Jamieson, is all about saving family from self-destruction. Through genealogy research, Cameron's mission is to show his cousins their worth as the eleventh generation descendants of a royal African tribe and to give them a choice: live with the stereotypical "angry black men" syndrome or to crush any obstacles that try and stop them to become strong successful black men.
There are three books in the Jamieson Legacy series: Guilty by Association (Kidd's story), The Guilt Trip (Ace's story), and Free from Guilt (Cameron's story). Each of the three Jamieson men have to accept that their past and present are in God's hand, and without Him they can't advance to their future blessings. The bonus storyline in Guilty by Association is one that progresses the story of the much-loved character in the previous three book Guilty Series, Grandma BB. This time, she picks up a sidekick Mrs. Valentine.
Guilty by Association is the story of Boston bad boy Kevin "Kidd" Jamieson. His gripe is with his father who dared to insist that his two illegitimate sons carry his last name. To add insult to injury, the man never bothered to stick around to provide love and guidance as his boys matured into men. Kidd's anger overflows into every area of his life. As his animosity festers, Kidd becomes as a roaring lion, seeking whatever and whomever he can devour. He's as gritty as his cousin in St. Louis, Parke Jamieson VI, is polished. The two strong-willed men clash when Kidd relocates to St. Louis where his cousin assures him it's a land of milk and money in job opportunities. Where is lands a job is far from it.
Through a series of events that involve Grandma BB, her dog named Silent Killer and her Stacy Adams shoes, Kidd meets two women who recognize his hostile tendencies and immediately begin to administer CPR to his soul. LPN Eva Savoy eventually becomes his "Eve," a woman God created from the underlying goodness hidden in Kidd's own heart.
Reluctantly, Kidd allows Parke to divulge information about their royal family heritage. While everyone's care and compassion begins to smother Kidd, he struggles to keep up the bad boy attitude as his walls start to crumble. Kidd learns it's not his association with the name that identifies him, but the man he becomes that defines him.
Purchase the Book Online at: Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com
Book Trailer:
Book Review
Date: 1/29/12
Title: Guilty by Association
Author: Pat Simmons
ISBN 10: 0802403689
ISBN 13: 978-0802403681
Pages: 353
Publisher: Lift Every Voice Books
Cover: Paperback
Reviewer: Yolanda M. Johnson-Bryant– Literary Wonders!
Rating: 4 Stars
Guilty by Association, by Pat Simmons is the first installment of the Jamieson Legacy. Kevin Jamieson, affectionately nicknamed “Kidd”, has been struggling with abandonment issues. And, like many black men, he’s angry at the world and his father. If it were up to him, he wouldn’t have his father’s last name. The Jamieson meant everything he never wanted to be.
Kidd is soon sought after by Jamieson descents, and Kidd is none too happy about it. After much thought, Kidd finally gives in to the Jamieson plea for him to learn more about his family history, Kidd heads to St. Louis, Missouri for a better life, love and revelations of his African heritage.
The book was slow at times, and I found myself having to put it down on occasion, as I could not read it in one sitting. Nonetheless, it was a good book. I enjoyed the way Simmons weaved genealogy and ancestry into the storyline. I am interested in the other installments of the Jamieson Legacy and am equally interested in following Kevin and Eva through their journey.
INTRODUCING THE ALEC LONDON SERIES The Alec London Series is a series written for boys, 8 – 12 years old. Alec London is introduced in Stephanie Perry Moore’s previously released series, The Morgan Love Series. In this new series, readers get a glimpse of Alec’s life up close and personal. The series provides moral lessons that will aid in character development, teaching boys how to effectively deal with the various issues they face at this stage of life. The series will also help boys develop their English and math skills as they read through the stories and complete the entertaining and educational exercises provided at the end of each chapter and in the back of the book.
Making the Team
Alec London is a fourth grader whose have a tough time. His dad is the new assistant principal at school; his classmate Tyrod is bullying him; his brother, Antoine is mad with him and his mom is going away for a long period of time because of her job. Through the game of football, lessons from his dad and a story about a man named Joseph, Alec learns that God cares about him and will help him out when he is struggling.
Learning the Rules
Alec feels abandoned by his mom. Now his brother Antoine and their cousin Little P are mad with him. At school when his tries to take up for a new kid in school he gets into trouble. Alec is trying to do his best but he just can’t seem to get things right. When he goes to church on Easter Sunday, the pastor shares a message that helps him to look at everything a different way.
Going the Distance
The school year is ending. Alec is looking forward to sleeping late and no bullying. But dad and mom have other plans for him this summer. Dad wants him to play baseball and mom puts him in an acting camp. He doesn’t want to do either but decides to try anyway. Alec hates baseball but dad won’t let him quit. He loves acting but mom won’t let him continue when he gets a part in a Disney show. Alec is upset with his parents but he learns that even when things don’t go his way he must still obey God by honoring his parents.
Winning the Battle
The summer is over and Alec is back in school. Tyrod has a new friend Zarrick who also bullies Alec and mom is still away. In response to all that's going on in his life Alec begins to act out in school, sleep in class and hang around with the wrong crowd. And, to protect himself, he starts taking karate lessons. With the help of his karate instructor, parents, old friends, Alec learns that being disciplined and learning to respond to things in a way that pleases God are important when it comes to winning the battle.
Taking the Lead Alec is voted class president and joins the track team. Though Tyrod continues to bully him, Alec tries to become friends. Everything is going well for him until he loses his grandmother. Alec becomes sad and gets off track but running track and working with the Special Olympics kids helps him work through the things happening at home and school. When his team wins the county title Alec thinks about how proud his grandmother was of him for learning how to take the lead.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
STEPHANIE PERRY MOORE is the author of many Young Adult Christian fiction titles, including the Payton Skky series, the Laurel Shadrach series, the Perry Skky Jr. series, the Faith Thomas Novelzine series, the Carmen Browne series, and the Beta Gamma Pi series. She is also the co-editor for the impactful BibleZine, REAL. Mrs. Moore speaks with young people across the country, showing them how they can live life fully and do it God’s way. Stephanie currently lives in the greater Atlanta area with her husband, Derrick, a former NFL player and author, and their three children. Visit her website at www.stephanieperrymoore.com.
DERRICK MOORE is a former NFL athlete who played for the Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, and Arizona Cardinals following his successful college football career. Since his retirement from the NFL in 1998 he has been in demand as a motivational speaker for professional teams, civic groups, churches, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He is on staff with FCA, serving as the chaplain of the football program at Georgia Tech. Derrick is the author of The Great Adventure and the general editor for the Strength and Honor Bible.
BOOK REVIEW
Date: 1/29/11
Title: Making the Team (Alec London Series)
Author: Stephanie Perry Moore and Derrick Moore
ISBN 10: 0802404111
ISBN 13: 978-0802404114
Pages: 160
Publisher: Lift Every Voice
Cover: Paperback
Reviewer: Yolanda – Literary Wonders!
Rating: 5 Stars
I am always glad when I can find something positive for our young children, our African-American children, especially African-American boys.
Making the team is about an AA boy named Alec London. Alec endures adolescent issues that are expected when a child is displaced from one area and school to another. In addition, Alec witnesses his parents in several arguments and eventually his mother moves across the country to pursue an acting career. In addition, Alec is having troubles in school while missing his mother dearly.
The Moores’ have done a swell job in showing African-American boys in a positive light. Not all young black males, do drugs, join gangs and other mischievous activity that media has made them known for.
I love the letters Alec writes to his mother at the end of each chapter, along with the various types of puzzles and quizzes. In my opinion, this breaks up the monotony for its readers and challenges them not only to read, but also to think. So many children’s and young adult titles are geared towards females; it’s refreshing to see literature for boys.
I recommend this book, and the entire series, to any young boy, of any culture.
Reviewer: Yolanda M. Johnson-Bryant – Literary Wonders!
Rating: 5 Stars
The Essential Handbook for Buying a Home by Karen Rittenhouse is a great tool for first-time homebuyers, those who have previously owned a home and those who currently own a home.
In the current down turn in the housing market, homeowners and potential homeowners need to be armed with as much information as possible to help them decide if owning a home is really for them and if now is the time to own one.
Rittenhouse’s book includes information that most real estate agents and lenders won’t necessarily tell you. For instance, there are opportunities available that will allow a buyer to lease a home before they buy, but many potential buyers may not get this information unless they know to ask.
The Essential Handbook for Buying a Home will arm its readers with valuable information such as the differences between pre-qualification and pre-approval, things that will hurt a potential buyer’s chance of getting a mortgage, the importance of credit, and buying options such as short sales, foreclosures and REOs.
This book is chock full of information that is imperative to a potential buyers ability to obtain and maintain a mortgage. I wish this book were around when I bought my first house.
Kudos to Karen for putting what can be a grueling and complicated process, in simple, laymen terms.
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