Winter Reading: What's Hot!

The snow has been making it impossible for many to get around in the Northeast corridor. As for those of us in the Mid-Atlantic and lower Southern regions, we're now just experiencing the first real bite of winter and all it contains.

Snow, school closings, shoveling and getting that manual exercise we all despise.
Well, most of us...some have those high powered snow blowers and just get the job done.

Now, as for the books being released during this cold snap, that's something to talk about!

One of the hottest authors penning serial stories is Angelia Vernon Menchan. Known for writing stories based around grown folks love, issues, drama and lessons, Menchan delivers it with her voice in style all her own. If you haven't picked up a book by her, you're truly missing out on a good thing!

Another author making noise is the talented Nia Forrester. To know a series is to embrace the characters within; Forrester has her hand on the pulse of this forte.

To round up the spotlight on talent is Nikki Walker. Outside of her wonderful promotional support group on Facebook, Walker pens series that have readers wanting more! Do check her out.

In closing, yours truly has been hard at work as Embue to ready the world for its first full-length, stand alone novel. As much as my loyal readers loved the "No Other Love" series, I wanted to venture out to other places and tap into different things. I'm confident the bike world will do that in my forthcoming offering, "4.0 Club." Book cover credit goes to the ever-talented, Tanisha Y. Pettiford, also known in the book world as Kreative Solutions by Mahogani. I cannot wait to hold the final product in my hands soon!

Here's the synopsis for your enjoyment:

Jean Lee.   Kelsey Hewlett.    Bridget Fortune.

Three talented ladies in their own right, they’re done raising children. Empty nest syndrome has set in and it’s high time they start living for themselves.

An invitation to a party hosted by a mutual friend lures them into a world none of them ever fathomed:  the motorcycle life.

Curious, yet cautious, the ladies take a chance to see what life is like on the wild side…

Everything isn’t all that it seems in the bike world – from mottos, money and men, limits are never an option.

Can Jean, Kelsey and Bridget navigate their way around in this new world, or will they break all the rules instead?


Until next time, Beautiful Ones...RULE YOUR DAY!

Loretta R. Walls

Hot MAMA Hot Reads: With Special Guest, Sheryl Lister

Kianna, here, with the first in our 2015 Hot MAMA Hot Reads series, where each month, we'll feature a special guest author we love! We know that our readers are voracious, some of you have told me you can finish a good book in a single day. So in order to keep up with your amazing appetite for books, we'll be introducing you to some authors you may enjoy. After all, the nine of us can only write so fast :)

This week, our special guest is Kimani Romance author, Sheryl Lister. Here's her bio, via her website:

Sheryl Lister has enjoyed reading and writing for as long as she can remember. After putting writing on the back burner for several years, she became serious about her craft in 2009. She writes contemporary and inspirational romance and romantic suspense. When she’s not reading, writing or playing chauffeur, Sheryl can be found on a date with her husband or in the kitchen creating appetizers and bite-sized desserts. Sheryl resides in California and is a wife, mother of three and pediatric occupational therapist. She is a member of RWA, CIMRWA and is represented by Sarah Younger of Nancy Yost Literary Agency.

 

Thanks for coming on, Sheryl, and welcome to Hot MAMA Land.

First, I'd like to say thank you for allowing me to hang out on the Hot M.A.M.A. blog.

When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

I've wanted to write for as long as I can remember, but never thought I could make it a career. As a teen, I would often sit outside on the porch and write short stories. However, it wasn't until five years ago and I completed a full length novel that I knew for sure that it was something I wanted to do.

 
Name your top 6 favorite authors.

This is a tough one because I have so many. Beverly Jenkins, Francis Ray, Maureen Smith, Patricia Cornwell, Brenda Jackson, Leslie Esdaile. 

Describe your writing routine. Where do you write? What time of day? What are your writing tools/equipment of choice?

Because of my back, most of my writing is done on my bed using my laptop. I write in the morning and early afternoon before my daughter gets home and for two to three hours at night. Before I get started, I make sure to have my post it notepads, colored pens, R&B playlist, two bottles of water and raw almonds or plantain chips to snack on.

Tell us about your latest release, and where we can purchase it.

My latest release is All Of Me.

Declaring a “dating hiatus” was an easy decision for teacher Karen Morris. She intends to unwind and enjoy a luxurious Caribbean cruise without the presence of her cheating ex-boyfriend. But surprisingly all it takes is the deliciously sculpted form of chivalrous businessman Damian Bradshaw to turn Karen’s head and change her mind....

Damian’s friends are determined to save him from his widowerhood—and self-imposed celibacy. But no one is more shocked than Damian when Karen catches his attention and awakens his desire. Something about her ignites an insatiable need that neither of them can deny. The chemistry is inexplicable. But once back on dry land, real life awaits—along with their pasts. Will the promise of a bright future be enough to rehabilitate their reluctant hearts? 

It's available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the Harlequin website.

Where can readers find you online?

I love to hear from readers. Feel free to contact me any time.

Website: www.sheryllister.com

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

Twitter: @1slynne

Sheryl is graciously offering a $5 Amazon gift card to one lucky commenter! For your chance to win, answer this question in the comments: Sheryl  mentioned that her favorite writing snacks are raw almonds and plantain chips. What are your favorite snacks when you're reading or writing?

Be sure to follow the blog, and check back often to see what we're up to. There's always something on the burner in Hot MAMA Land :)

-Kianna

Road Trip to DC

Kianna Alexander and I hit the road yesterday and headed to Washington D.C.
We're in town for the What Is Love conference at the Library of Congress. Tuesday night started with a screening of the documentary, Love Between The Covers. And there I met Brenda Jackson for the first time in person.

What an icon and what a sweet lady.

The event is hosted by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Harlequin, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, is the lead sponsor. Additional support is provided by the Popular Romance Project; the Nora Roberts Foundation; the Romance Writers of America; and Berkley/NAL, imprints of Penguin Random House.

Romance fiction is the second-best-selling genre in the publishing industry, generating more than $1 billion in publisher revenues in 2013, according to Bookstats. Romance accounts for 21 percent of the adult fiction market.

What this conference has done is reinforced the notion that romance matters. I love how the various authors featured in the film, including that amazing Beverly Jenkins, talked about the importance of happily ever other and why readers are so drawn to genre.

We all want to be satisfied when we read. Romance is the only genre where the good guys actually win. And can we talk about romance readers?
You. Guys. Are. Awesome!
After the premiere it was dark and cold, Kianna and I had parked at Union Station and it was about a mile away from the Library of Congress. But a gracious reader offered us a ride back to the car because she didn't want us wandering around the streets of DC in the dark. That was so awesome.

And there's nothing like meeting the people who keep you writing, keep you on your toes and make you put butt in seat and hands on keys. Yep, I'm looking at you Johnathan Royal.

And I met Brenda Jackson! 
Check me out on Facebook for more pictures!
https://www.facebook.com/cheris.hodges
And don't forget to follow me on Twitter @cherishodges

Don't forget, #SpreadRumors!
Rumor Has It comes in April!

Liza Palmer couldn't be happier when her best friend and sorority sister, Chante Britt, and her closest guy friend, Robert Montgomery, hit it off. And she's beyond thrilled when they announce their engagement. Robert is an up-and-comer running for the North Carolina senate. Chante is a partner at a prestigious law firm. They're a power couple made in heaven--until Liza discovers Robert in a compromising position--with another woman. . .
Liza can't possibly continue to support Robert's campaign, much less let him marry Chante. But when she tries to reveal the truth, Robert pulls out every corrupt trick in the book--including turning Chante against her. Her only choice is to seek out his opponent, Jackson Franklin, and help him take Robert down. But to Liza's great surprise, Jackson won't play dirty--and Liza finds him irresistible. As sparks fly, personally and politically, Liza and Jackson may become a winning team in more ways than one. . .

If it's good enough for Harper Lee...

Hey kittens,

First of all, Happy New Year! Since this is the first post on the Hot M.A.M.A.s blog, I wanted to share my well wishes for a wonderful and prosperous New Year! Now, let's get down to some business!

So who's Harper Lee and what does that person have to do with me? For those who don't know, Harper Lee is the author who wrote To Kill A Mockingbird. A wonderful book and awesome movie. When that's your first published work and you knock it out of the park with it, where else can you go? I'm sure that's what Harper Lee must have thought. Or maybe she just wanted her privacy. If that's the case, she's ruined it for herself. She announced that she plans on writing a sequel to her book. Amazing, right? Yeah, it's a sequel 55 years later!

I know I'm a slow writer. But 55 years? And here I was feeling bad for planning to release the sequel to Love My Way, my contemporary BDSM Interracial erotic romance through Phaze Books, years after it was released.

Slave to Love is the long-awaited sequel. After I had released Love My Way, readers sent me messages asking me to do a sequel. I toyed around with the idea for years. I even started and finished a story several times. Readers wanted me to explore the story of one of the contestants, which sounds great. The bad part about that idea is that none of the contestants were "speaking" to me. I didn't feel the need to explore their story. What I really wanted to do was to delve into Eagan Morton's brother's story. I mentioned his brother, Christian (yes, I understand that his name matches the name of a hero from that other book), and talked about the tense relationship between Eagan and Christian, who now goes by his middle name, Jace.

As far as the heroine, I wanted her to be someone unafraid of the BDSM scene. She's a newbie but not a novice, if that makes sense. The story will center on another reality TV show. This time, a submissive is searching for her Dom...or Domme. You all know me. I like to push boundaries.

Here's the cover. Awesome, right?

So when will the sequel be released? If you're going to A.C. Arthur's Beach Bash in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in July, you can buy the book then. If not, the book will be out the week after the event, so the first week in August. And if you're registered for the event, you can sit with any author during breakfast. If you want to pick my brain about the book, pick me to sit with.

Okay, I need to get writing! Time is ticking!

Stay sexy,

BridgeT
www.BridgetMidway.com

A Superbowl Stunner!!!

Well the Superbowl is over- thank goodness! If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you know that I really got involved in this game. What you may not know is that I don’t follow football on the regular. Not via the NFL anyway. My son has been a student of the game since he was 6 so I follow the sport in that capacity for much of the year. I used to be a more avid viewer- the San Francisco 49ers continue to be my favorite team. Of course since I discovered a family that goes by the name of Ramsey I’ve been a big fan of the Seattle Seahawks as Seattle is where the Ramseys hail from.

I was asked to do a commentary on the game and must admit I am woefully unqualified for this job. My author buddy Cheris Hodges would probably be a much better commentator, but I’ll do my best to provide a little recap. I observe the game as a parent but otherwise infrequent spectator. However, I know enough about the sport to question the strange call made by the Coach during the final seconds of the game. Long story short, the Quarterback threw a pass when he probably should have run the ball into the end zone, my Seattle folks lost the biggest game of the year and I just about lost my voice yelling some pretty unsavory comments at the TV. And let's not forget the ugly brawl that took place moments after the Seahawks

realized all was lost- yeah...it was quite a night!

Overall, this year’s biggest game was one of the best I’d seen in years. Full of highs and lows, lots of occasions to cheer and a surprisingly good Halftime show. Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott came out to lend their talents to Katy Perry’s performance- it was very enjoyable not to mention all the delicious snacks I made sure were on hand to enhance the night.

Hopefully my 49ers will be next on the big stage to duke it out. ‘Til next year folks!