Blog Tour: Love at Any Cost By Julie Lessman

The Gilded Age is brought to life in the new Heart of San Francisco Series.  Fans of bestselling author, Julie Lessman, will join her on a journey to the West Coast for romance, passion, and surprising revelations found in Love at Any Cost.

Jilted by a fortune hunter, cowgirl Cassidy McClare is a spunky Texas oil heiress without a fortune who would just as soon hogtie a man as look at him. Hoping a summer visit with her wealthy cousins in San Francisco will help her forget her heartache, Cassidy travels west. But no sooner is she settled in beautiful California than Jamie McKenna, a handsome pauper looking to marry well, captures her heart. When Jamie discovers the woman he loves is poorer than he is, Cassidy finds herself cheated by love a second time. Will Jamie discover that money can't buy love after all? And can Cassidy ever learn to fully trust her heart to a man?

Julie Lessman is an award-winning author whose tagline of "Passion with a Purpose" underscores her intense passion for both God and romance. Winner of the 2009 ACFW Debut Author of the Year and Holt Medallion Awards of Merit for Best First Book and Long Inspirational, Julie is also the recipient of 14 Romance Writers of America awards. Chosen as the #1 Romance Fiction Author of the Year in the Family Fiction magazine 2011 Readers' Choice Awards, Julie was also awarded #1 Series of the Year in that same poll. She resides in Missouri with her family and is the author of The Daughters of Boston series and the Winds of Change series whose first book, A Hope Undaunted, ranked #5 on Booklist's Top 10 Inspirational Fiction for 2010.

SORMAG’s REVIEW

Cassidy McLaren is visiting San Francisco for the summer to get over a broken engagement and heart.  She’s done with men.  She literally bumps into the man who will steal her heart. Jamie McKenna wants the best for his mother and sisters and thinks marrying a rich woman will get them all they need.  Unfortunately the woman he falls for is broker than he is.  Can these two love birds move past their fears and trust in the love they have?

As a fan of Julie’s books I was sad to see her The Daughters of Boston series and the Winds of Change series come to an end but happy to know she was starting a new one, The Heart of San Francisco. 

I enjoy Julie’s writing because she draws you right into the pages.  I felt like I was in San Francisco, I could hear the trolley and see all the descriptions she wrote.  Cassidy was a cowgirl at heart but she knew how to be a lady.  Jamie has relied on himself so long, he hasn’t learned how to lean on the Lord.

Julie throws in a few secrets, lots of romance and shows you the true meaning of God’s love.

-          LaShaunda C. Hoffman

This book was provided for review by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

“Available April 15, 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: A Little Bit Naughty by Farrah Rochon

Sometimes a girl can't help being a little bit naughty...

Jada Dangerfield was living her fairy tale—married to her high school sweetheart and working in her dream job—until it all came crashing down. Struggling to make ends meet, the unemployed divorcée stumbles upon a decidedly naughty new income stream, selling erotic toys to the women of her small hometown. And when Jada gets the chance to host a "Naughty Nights" party at the home of her uptight life-long nemesis Mason Coleman, she realizes it’s the perfect way to get under the skin of the one person who has always made her feel as if she wasn’t good enough.

Mason Coleman relishes his career as a high-powered tax attorney, but his most important job is keeping the promise he made to his father to watch out for his baby sister...even though she hasn't been a "baby" in thirty years. When he learns that his sister may be in trouble, Mason is forced to call on the one person he's never been able to abide, her brash and sexy friend, Jada Dangerfield. There's just one problem...how does he stop Jada from corrupting his sister with her kinky new business?

When this unlikely pair is forced to work together, things get a little bit naughty.

Website address

www.farrahrochon.com


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BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Dare to Love by Yahrah St. John

Sassy fashion buyer Lexie Thompson has had a series of no-strings relationships, which suits her just fine. That’s until her best pal Nia suggests a blind date with her fiancé’s best friend: charismatic William Kennedy, owner of the hot nightclub Millennium. Sparks certainly fly, when they meet…but they burn a bit too hot – Lexie thinks sexy, confident Will is arrogant, while he’s convinced she’s gorgeous, but shallow. When Lexie’s put in charge of her company’s fashion show and needs a venue, Will offers Millennium. Lexie reluctantly agrees, but as they work together, she realizes she misjudged him. Can Will convince the love ‘em and leave ‘em Lexie that they’ve got what it takes to last a lifetime?

Website address: www.yahrahstjohn.net


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BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Losing My Soul

Belinda thought she was losing her man, but she was really losing her soul.

Mrs. Belinda Taylor is familiar with outside women trying to ruin her lackluster marriage to noted dermatologist, Dr. Desmond Taylor. However, she has been successful at halting their feeble attempts to fill her expensive pointed toe shoes using diabolical schemes.

When her latest confrontation lands her in prison on an attempted murder conviction, she has to face her darkest fears. By the time Belinda is released on parole, Desmond has disappeared with their two teenagers and started a new life with a new wife in parts unknown.

What will the future hold for Belinda? Will she lose her soul trying to win back her man or has she lost it all forever?

“Thanks for the opportunity to read Losing My Soul. Wow! It was definitely a page-turner!” Tracy L. Darity, Author of Love…Like Snow in Florida on a Hot Summer Day

Prologue

“I’m telling you, the Lord can bring you from a mighty long ways. I was lost in a world of sin. Y’all don’t hear me!” Belinda Taylor shouted, holding the microphone in her right hand. She was in front of the podium at a modest-sized, non-denominational church in Dallas, Texas, pacing back and forth in a gold-textured, two-piece skirt suit with a pair of matching leather high–heeled, pointed-toe pumps. The congregation was on fire this morning, and every member present was standing on their feet clapping for the newly ordained minister as she delivered her first sermon.

Belinda paused for a second, wiping the perspiration from her brow, gathering her thoughts before continuing. Placing one hand on her hip, she straightened her back, and looked out over the crowd of almost three hundred people. Smiling at their happy faces, she said, “This time two years ago, I was married to a doctor, and we had two fine children. I had a three-story, seven-bedroom house. I had a maid to do the cleaning and the cooking. I drove a brand new Mercedes Benz. I owned the finest clothes, jewelry, and perfume money could buy. I traveled to all the exotic places I wanted to visit. But how many of you know today that I was drowning in sin! How many of you know today that sin was suffocating me, and I was slowly losing my soul! Hallelujah! God delivered me! Yes, He did!” Belinda shouted, pumping a fist in the air. Tears were streaming down her face like water from a broken faucet, but that didn’t stop her from praising Him.

The applause was too loud for Belinda to continue. She stopped, listening to the praises coming from the Abundantly Blessed Church members shouting out to her from every corner of the building. Leaning to one side, she said, “You see, I had low self-esteem because I didn’t know Jesus. I thought that having a successful man validated my existence. I thought that being wealthy would bring me happiness. But all it brought me was a twenty-year marriage filled with pain. Yes, I lived with heartbreaking hurt for all that time simply because I didn’t know any better. It was all because I didn’t know Jesus!” Belinda shouted, returning to the podium. She opened the Bible resting on the stand and turned to one of her favorite passages, Genesis 1:1-3, and read:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light;” and there was light.

“Amen. I’m so thankful for the light today! You see, when I first accepted the Lord as my Savior, I picked up this Bible and this was the first verse that I read,” she stated, shaking her head in disbelief. “Y’all just don’t know how much I’ve been through. My marriage almost killed me because I wanted to hold on to a man who didn’t even know how to love, let alone be married. While he was running around sleeping with other women, I was running behind him trying to destroy every woman that he touched. Then, I was happy when he came home to me. I was grateful for the crumbs and the leftovers. And I could keep on keeping up with the Joneses. But all of that eventually changed. All of that changed about two years ago after a devastating turn of events. You see, some of you know that I’ve served time in prison, but most of you don’t know how I got there or how I got out,” she said, pausing to look at the concern on many of the members’ faces who had returned to their seats. Belinda closed her eyes and recited a silent prayer. This wouldn’t be an easy story to tell, but she had to get it out…

http://www.barbarajoe.webs.com

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Woman of Substance by Annette Bower

For all the right reasons, she deceived him. She needs him to forgive her for love."


"You will never understand what it means to be fat.” With those words, grad student Robbie Smith begins the Fat-Like-Me project. In order to support her thesis, she puts on a fat suit to measure people’s reactions to the new her. Accused of embezzling funds, Professor Jake Proctor returns home to spend quality time with the only father he has ever known. There, he meets an intriguing overweight woman who reminds him of his late grandmother. She’s witty, charming, and cares deeply for those around her, including his dying grandfather.

When Robbie meets Jake while she’s in disguise, she deceives him for all the right reasons. But how long can she maintain the deception before Jake discovers that she is not who he believes her to be?

Soul Mate Publishing: ISBN: 978-1-61935-110-3

Available at: Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/btuqcvo, Barnes and Noble: http://tinyurl.com/dyxjguk , Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/cmcc5me

Soul Mate Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/c3s23ns

http://www.annettebower.com

BLOG TOUR: The Knife In My Back by Stacey Covington-Lee

Brook Mansfield was born into a life of privilege. She had a family that loved her and all of the advantages that came from being rich, smart and beautiful. She also had friends, one of which was Tameka Williams.

Brook Mansfield was born into a life of privilege. She had a family that loved her and all of the advantages that came from being rich, smart and beautiful. She also had friends, one of which was Tameka Williams.

Tameka was a desperate woman looking to gain fortune, fame and love at any cost. Despite the warnings from others, Brook took Tameka in and tried to love her as a sister. However, after taking the one thing that meant the most to Brook, it was time for the tables to turn. Tameka had used and betrayed her for the last time.

Excerpt:

Wayne held Tameka while she sobbed. He was so confused as to how to handle or comfort her. He had never seen someone so obsessed with someone else’s life. He could not understand why she couldn’t be happy with the life that she had made for herself. Couldn’t understand why she couldn’t be happy with the life that they could build together. And as he held her, Tameka came to the realization that he didn’t know and would never understand her. She would never be able to get him to see things from her point of view. So she decided to dry up and let him believe that he helped her feel better and that her little tantrum was over. She would keep her feelings to herself from now own.

“Tameka, I promise you that together we will make a great life for ourselves. We will have our own family and a beautiful home. You’ll be proud of the life we make together. I promise.”

“I know, baby, I guess I just had to get all of this off of my chest. Jealousy is an ugly thing and I hate that I let it do this to me,” Tameka said with an ugly smirk on her face.

She didn’t mean a word of what she was saying and Wayne should have realized that. But instead he chose to believe what made him feel better about his beloved, Tameka. He would learn soon to see her for what she was and not the woman he wanted her to be. But for now, he held her in his arms and held on to the dream that he had of the wonderful life he wanted them to share.

Stacey Covington-Lee is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. She has written multiple manuals and training guides for various companies and local government. However, it was her love for literature that led her to pin her first novel in 2009. Since that time, Stacey has written several short stories and two additional novels. Her first published novel, The Knife in My Back, was re-released by Delphine Publications November 2012.

Stacey continues to live in an Atlanta suburb with her family and is currently working on her next novel. Visit her at www.staceycovingtonlee.com for a full chapter excerpt of The Knife In My Back and a sneak peek at her second novel, The First Cut Is The Deepest.

Get to Know Stacey:

Q. How old were you when you first started writing and what motivated you?

A. I was around eleven years old when I read a book by Judy Blume called Are You There God? It’s Me Margret. Something about that book lit a spark in me and set me on a journey to write my own pre-teen novel.

Q. What inspires your writing?

A. I am inspired by the people around me. I love watching how folks interact with one another , how they speak to each other and what angers them or brings them joy.

Q. Your novel, The Knife In My Back, primarily focuses on the relationships between female friends, why is that?

A. There are numerous books that discuss the male/female relationship. However, the relationship between girlfriends can be so complex and at time so difficult that I felt it deserved to be highlighted.

Q. Does the book primarily focus on the negative aspects of friendship?

A. While the relationship between characters Tameka and Brook is a very volatile one and dominates the storyline, there is also the loving and supportive friendship between Mia and Brook and it celebrates the kind of friendship we all long for.

Q. Was any part of this book based on real life experiences?

B. I think that we have all had to deal with a troubled friendship at some point in time, but fortunately I’ve not had a female in my life that has presented me with the evil and deceptive ways that Tameka possess.

Q. Would men also find your novel interesting or do you think they would view it as a “chick novel?”

A. Men would absolutely find the novel entertaining. It’s a great story with wonderful male characters. The men in this book are strong, successful men that support and love their women. There’s no male bashing here, but plenty of lust, love and drama.

Q. Can we expect to read more from you in the near future?

A. Yes, you can look for my next novel, The First Cut Is The Deepest, to hit bookshelves early 2013. It is the follow up to The Knife In My Back and begs the question, are some people beyond redemption?

Contact Info/web links: www.staceycovingtonlee.com; Twitter @covingtonlee; Facebook/StaceyCovingtonLee1; email lee27495@bellsouth.net

Book Available:

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http://www.barnesandnoble.com


https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/252011

BLOG TOUR: Split Image by Anna Black

Best-selling and award winning author Anna Black is a native of Chicago and has done her duty to deliver page tuning romance novels, with a urban spin. Her first release Now You Wanna Come Back, released under Delphine Publications in 2009, earning Anna her title as best-selling author and she didn’t stop there. Her follow up novels Luck of the Draw, Who Do I Run To, Now You Wanna Come Back part 2 and Who Do I Run To Now, has also top the charts on Amazon, coming in at number one for Amazon Kindle. Anna is not only a writer, but she is a radio personality for AAMBC Radio and she writes for her local community for their local monthly new. Soon to release her sixth novel Split Image, Anna is working on the final installment for her hit series Now You Wanna Come Back. The third and final novel is due to release April of 2013 and Anna doesn’t plan to hang her writing shoes on the shelf anytime soon, so readers keep your ears and eyes open for more to come from this romance queen. Anna currently resides in Groesbeck, Texas with her husband Chris and her daughter Tyra. She is currently the GM for a hotel in her area and hopes to one day have a publishing company of her own.

Please tell us about you and your book(s).

My latest book is titled Split Image and it is about a woman from a small town that pursued her dreams of being a singer against her southern Baptist minister father’s wishes and ends up in a very bad situation with a man she should have never gotten involved with. She lies about where she is from and her family and hides the fact that she has an identical twin sister, who will suffer for her sister’s bad choices. Tell us why we should read your book(s)? Well my books are categorized as romance, but they offer realistic story-lines that average people go through. Since I don’t write fantasy romance more readers can relate, because the story lines are based on scenarios that could really happen.

Get to Know Anna:

1. What inspired you to write it?

A dream actually. I dreamed it and woke up looking for my pad and pen.

2. What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?

Spending time with my family. We are close and we do a lot together. We are very competitive and we always have some type of game going on.

3. Do you have a motto?

Yes, it is you get what you put in. If you put in much work, you get much success, if you put in a little, you get a little.

4. What are your pet peeves?

Be a man or woman of your word. Do what you say you’re going to do. 5. If you had a chance to have a dinner date with anyone-dead or alive- who would it be? Why?

Christ, because I have a million and one questions for him.

6. What is one word that describes you?

Funny.

7. What is the best advice someone gave you?

You can’t hold on to someone who wants to go. You should never have to convince someone to stay with you.

Web-Links:

www.annablack.net
www.twitter/annablack72
www.facebook.com/anna.black.790256
Email address: annablackreaders@ymail.com
www.amazon.com, www.b&n.com, www.smashwords.com, www.annablacknet/books.html, www.delphinepublications.com/home/component/rokquickcart/:view=rokquickcart

Juliana Valentine had it all, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy her thirst for love from the one and only man that she couldn’t have, Reginald Towers. She thought giving him the one thing that his wife Lisa couldn’t would make him leave and marry her, but instead it made the situation worse and Reginald went to the extreme to cover his infidelity and secrets. Putting her identical twin sister Julia who no one knew of into a situation she’d never thought she be in. Unwilling at first to go along with Reginald’s evil scheme, he is forced to threaten the lives of Julia’s loves ones to keep his secrets hidden and Miles, her twin sister’s other lover is the only one who can help Julia escape the snare that Reginald has her trapped in.