Rhonda McKnight

Tyora Moody Virtual Book Tour

Rhonda — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:36:48 +0000

Welcome to my blog, Tyora! Tell my readers a little about yourself.

Thank you for featuring me today on your blog, Rhonda. I appreciate it.

Let’s see, I’m the typical introvert and also a workaholic. I’ve been schooled lately on doing too much though. LOL! I really enjoy what I do which consists of designing book covers, promotional materials and websites for authors. I love seeing people’s ideas come to life. My design and marketing work started as hobbies and have since become opportunities for me to work with authors going on about twelve years now. It’s a bit surprising an exhilarating to be on the other side as an author myself. I’m still a bookworm and a big fan of mystery and suspense novels. When I’m not working on something literary, I love watching animated films and big action movies. I also enjoy hanging and traveling with family.

List your published books.

When Rain Falls is my debut novel. Readers had their first introduction to my writing in a short story, Birthing Pains, in Home Again: Stories of Restored Relationships. The anthology was published November 2010.

Which book did you find the hardest to birth?

Since When Rain Falls is my first novel, I would have to say it’s been the hardest one thus far. I feel blessed that my debut novel is actually the first novel I’ve written. This didn’t happen overnight. I started writing When Rain Falls in 2006 and didn’t have a version I was really satisfied with until 2008. It has gone under a few more editorial changes since ‘08. Writing a book, especially a novel, is definitely a process.

Tyora, tell us about When Rain Falls.

Sure, you can check out the book trailer and synopsis below.

OR click here to view the trailer http://youtu.be/j3OV19T9Cx8

“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 Jacksonis 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.

How would you describe your writing style?

Well, I started out like most writers by writing what came to me. That didn’t work out to well for me. LOL! A few author friends described to me how they used outlines. With my analytical brain, an outline was the best thing for my writing process especially since I write mysteries. I spend quite a bit of time researching and developing an outline. Now just because I outline that doesn’t mean there is no flexibility. After I start writing the scenes, sometimes I will see visually how one scenes works better earlier or later in the timeline. It also helps me build in red herrings.

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind?

Sometimes I do. Depending on the mood, I listen to gospel, jazz or easy listening music.

Tell us anything about you as a writer that you think might be interesting or unusual.

I don’t know if there is anything unusual about me other than I’m just as passionate about my design work as my writing. I’m just a creative individual who really loves to see ideas grow and come to life.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

You need perseverance and patience. Whether you want to be signed with a traditional publisher or self-publish. This is not an easy journey. First, you have to be willing to put your manuscript through many types of edits so that the story really shines and attracts readers. Next, is the part that most authors don’t like, marketing. You have to be willing to stretch yourself so that readers are even aware of your book. Prepare yourself now by developing a platform. They recommend platforms mainly to nonfiction writers, but fiction writers also have to prove they have an audience. The best way to build an audience of readers these days is via social media. Social media platforms include blogging and social networks like Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Writers are often encouraged to write what they know. Have you found that to be the case with your writing?

I wrote what I wanted to read. I didn’t see enough mysteries and suspense with African American characters in the Christian Fiction genre. I stretched myself a bit with my main character Candace. She is a mother with two teens and I’m not a mother. I didn’t have to look to far when it came to writing about Candace’s profession. My mother is a cosmetologist so I grew up working and getting my hair done in her beauty shop. So, in those scenes I wrote what I knew.

About The Author

Tyora “Ty” Moody is an author and entrepreneur. Her debut novel, WhenRainFalls, 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.

Where can readers find you online?

Visitors can find me at:

Thanks again for having me on your blog today, Rhonda.

One Way Or Another by Rhonda Bowen

Rhonda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 06:01:38 +0000

Book Bloggers United presents:

Rhonda Bowen

new novel

One Way or Another

Dafina; Original edition (February 28, 2012)

***Special thanks to Dee Stewart of DeeGospel PR for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Christian Fiction Romance Author Rhonda Bowen writes for Kensington Publishing Corps (Dafina Books.) She has written two faith based novels Man Enough for Me and her current release One Way or Another. She is also an event planner and currently resides in Toronto, Ontario Canada.

Visit her at www.rhondabowen.com or her Learning the Ropes Blog at www.learningtheropes.wordpress.com.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Atlanta reporter Toni Shields will do whatever it takes to get a good story. So when she’s arrested for sneaking around the mayor’s house, she’s prepared. What she’s not prepared for is getting demoted–or her run-in with stubborn Adam Bayne, director of the local young men’s rehab center. . .

The first time Adam saw Toni, she was wrangling with the cops. Now she’s looking for a scoop at Jacob House. Adam has no intention of letting her near his
boys–yet as usual, her pushiness wins. And when she genuinely helps a teen in trouble, Adam sees a side of her that cares about more than just a headline. Soon, they become close–their attraction growing. But there’s more to both their lives than meets the eye. Toni has a haunting family secret, one that is taking a great toll on her. And when she uncovers that Adam has a devastating past of his own, not only their relationship, but their futures, and their faith, lie in the balance.

Praise for Man Enough for Me

“A sweet Christian romance.” –Publishers Weekly

“Enough drama, romance, and faith that keeps you turning pages.” –Tiffany L. Warren, Essence® bestselling author

Product Details:
List Price: $14.00

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Dafina; Original edition (February 28, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758259581
ISBN-13: 978-0758259585

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

ONE WAY OR ANOTHER
Rhonda Bowen

(February 28, 2012)

Chapter 1

The metal felt icy and unwelcome as the cuffs snapped tight around Toni’s wrists. She grimaced. This was not how she planned to spend her Wednesday night.

The burly police officer dragged her to the cop car, placing his hand on her head of long dark silky hair as he lowered her into the backseat. At least he was being civil. The same couldn’t be said for the one manhandling Afrika.

“Get your nasty hands off my butt, you perve,” Afrika snapped, shoving him away with her shoulder.

The short dull-looking cop stumbled back a bit, seemingly surprised at her force. Yeah, he didn’t know. Afrika might look tiny but you didn’t want to mess with her. More than once Toni had seen her friend take a chunk out of her pro-basketball-playing ex-boyfriend Tyrone. She was nobody’s victim.

For once though, Toni wished Afrika would take it down a notch. It was bad enough that the cops had caught them snooping around the mayor’s premises. No sense encouraging the Atlanta PD officers to find a creative way to actually charge them.

Toni’s mind scrambled for a solution as she sat in the back of the cop car on the way to the station. The clock on the dash said 10:34 p.m., leaving her with barely an hour to file her story and get out of this mess. She thought of all her possible lifelines, including her brother, Trey, and her sister-in-law, Jasmine. But none of those options were appealing. Her brother’s smug look she could deal with, but she would rather spend the night in a cell than get another lecture from Jasmine, who seemed to forget that at twenty-seven she was the same age as Toni and not in fact her mother. That left only one person. Unfortunately, said person was sitting beside her, just as helpless as her, and a lot less cooperative.

By the time they got to the mini-precinct, south of downtown Atlanta, Toni realized that she was on her own.

“So, Miss Shields, you want to tell us why you were in the area of the mayor’s residence tonight?”

Toni smiled at the large man who had been the one to handcuff her earlier. “Just taking a walk, Officer Powell.”

“I’m looking at your file here, Miss Shields, and you seem to like taking walks near the homes of well-known people in this city.”

Toni shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a fitness buff.”

She hoped Afrika was holding up okay. They had been separated, and the other officer was questioning her in another section of the station. Toni could see her, but couldn’t hear what was going on.

“And what about that camera you were carrying?” he asked, an eyebrow raised.

“I like photography too. It’s a new hobby.”

Officer Powell rubbed his eyes. “Where’s the memory card, Miss Shields?

“Memory card?”

“Yes,” he said. “You know, that little thing that records the pictures? There was none in the camera. And we didn’t find it when we searched your things.”

Toni shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Officer Powell sat forward, his forehead wrinkling. “Miss Shields, you were caught wandering near the mayor of Atlanta’s home in the dead of night with a very professional grade camera and a major zoom lens,” he said. “I personally think you might have even been on the mayor’s property but unfortunately there’s no way to prove it. Do you expect me to believe that there was no card in this camera?” he asked. “Now, either you produce the card on your own or we’re going to have to search you.”

“But you already searched me,” Toni said innocently.

The officer glowered. “A full body search.”

Toni pursed her lips. “You can’t do that. Full searches can only be conducted by someone of the same sex. And I’m looking around and all the officers I see on duty tonight are men.”

He rubbed a hand over his head tiredly. “Then you can be someone else’s problem.” He closed her file and stood. “My shift is over anyway.”

Toni looked at the wall clock. 10:45. Right on schedule.

“Okay, please tell me you have a plan to get us out of here,” Afrika hissed into Toni’s ear moments after Officer Powell seated them beside each other in the holding area.

“Sort of.” Toni turned her head left and then right as she tried to work the kinks out of her neck. The back of that cop car had not been good to her.

“Sort of? You’re gonna need to give me something better than that.” Afrika twisted around in her seat, giving Toni full access to her glare. “I can’t go to prison, Toni. I may act hard, but I ain’t no criminal. I can’t go down like this!”

The hysteria in Afrika’s whispers went up a notch at each statement, and Toni had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Afrika would definitely not see the humor. And with Toni’s hair looking a shaggy mess, she couldn’t afford to have her best friend and hair stylist not talking to her.

“Afrika, we weren’t caught doing anything wrong,” Toni said, hoping her even tone would mellow her friend out. “They have nothing to charge us with. All they can do is detain us for a couple hours.”

She left out the part about what could happen if they searched her and found the memory card in her bra.

Afrika narrowed her eyes at Toni. “How long is a couple?”

Toni shrugged and glanced away. “Maybe four or five.”

Or seventy-two, she thought.

“A lot could happen in four or five hours,” Afrika murmured.

Toni saw her friend glance out the corner of her eye at the thick red-skinned woman who had taken up the entire bench across from them with her size ten frame and size twenty attitude. The bottle blonde had skewered them with her bloodshot eyes when they first came in, before going back to the production of picking her nails, which were so long they seemed like weapons themselves. A darker skinned woman of indeterminable everything lay buried in multiple layers of clothing on the only other bench, snoring.

“Don’t worry. It’s usually pretty quiet this time of night,” Toni said, leaning her head back against the wall.

Afrika scowled but didn’t say another word. Toni knew her friend was still mad, but she was glad that Afrika had calmed down. It would be a long twelve minutes if she had to sit there and listen to her whine.

“Well, well. Looks like it’s ladies night up in here.”

“Mikey?” Afrika had a puzzled expression on her face. “What you doing here?”

“Hey, cuz.” Mikey chuckled and unlocked the door to the holding cell. “I work here. What you doing here?”

“Keepin’ bad company,” Afrika said, throwing a nasty look Toni’s way.

“Toni,” Mikey said. Her name on his lips sounded as oily as the chicken grease that had stained his uniform. There was no doubt he’d had a three piece for dinner.

Toni forced a smile even though she really wanted to gag. If he was any other cop on any other day, Toni would have given him a piece of her mind for the way his eyes were roaming all over her. But she needed this Good Times reject, and he knew it.

She got up off the uneven bench and followed Afrika out of the cell, feeling the heat of Mikey’s gaze on her behind. She scowled. She was used to guys raking their eyes over her five- foot-four frame, particularly her generous behind, but it still disgusted her.

“So it says here that you aren’t charged but you need to be searched,” Mikey said, a toothpick in the corner of his mouth as he flipped through Afrika’s and Toni’s files.

“Don’t even think of putting your nasty hands on me,” Afrika warned.

“Easy, cuz.” Mikey laughed. “The search would have to be done by another woman.”

He turned his eyes on Toni. “Unless you want to waive that right.”

Toni fought her gag reflex again. “Thanks, Mikey, but you can already see we don’t have any weapons. Plus, like you said, there are no charges. You’re gonna let us out in a couple hours anyway. Why not save yourself some time?”

Mikey raised an eyebrow and Toni sugared up her statement with a smile. He laughed again. She wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

“I guess you have a point there,” he said a moment later, stepping forward and removing the cuffs from Afrika’s wrists.

“It’s about time.” Afrika scowled. “Where’s my stuff?”

Mikey pulled a small plastic tray of items from behind the station desk and slid it over to Afrika.

Toni held up her wrists toward him expectantly

He glanced at her hands but didn’t reach for the keys. “You’ve been in here an awful lot lately. Maybe you need to sit in a cell a couple hours and cool off.”

Toni scowled.

“Or maybe you could help me change my mind,” he suggested. His eyes swept her frame again and she noticed his voice had ducked to a whisper.

“How about dinner again?” He leaned forward to drop the last words. “This time at my place.”

Toni resisted the urge to step back as the slightly rank smell from Mikey hit her. She would bet anything that homeboy had been rocking the same frowsy uniform all week. Nothing short of a gun to her head was putting her anywhere inside Mikey’s place.

“I don’t think so, Mikey,” Toni said, just as she heard the doors to the station open behind her.

He glanced up and nodded to the newcomer before moving around the desk and away. “Well then, I think I’m gonna have to take a little more time writing this release,” Mikey said stiffly. “I don’t want to miss anything important.”

He looked past Toni at the person behind her. “How can I help you?”

“I heard one of my kids was here. Rasheed Roper?”

“Oh yeah,” Mikey said, turning back to the desk and flipping through the stack of reports. “He got picked up with some other youngbloods near the old Bankhead Courts. Residents called it in–said they were a bit noisy. We found a little weed on a couple of them, but your kid was clean.”

Toni tapped her foot impatiently as she listened to the exchange. She glanced up at the clock–11:00. The Thursday morning edition would go to print in the next hour with or without her story. And if the latter was the case, all the crap that she had gone through tonight would be for nothing. She wasn’t having that–not after she’d had to beat out the other Metro section reporters for the front page.

“Let me get him and then you can sign him out.” Mikey turned away.

“Mikey”–Toni grabbed his arm before she lost him completely–“the cuffs?”

“Toni, we going or what?” Afrika asked from the door, a sour look plastered on her face.

“What did you say your kid’s name was?” Mikey looked past Toni as he started moving toward the back again.

“Rasheed Ro–”

“Come on, Mikey,” Toni whined, slapping the desk in frustration with her handcuffed palm. “You really gonna do me like this?”

“Like what? Girl, I never told you to get your behind locked up. You the shizzle up at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Tell your boss come bail you out.”

“Do I look like I have time for all that?” Toni shot back.

“Uh, hey, you think you could get Rasheed . . . ?”

Forget Rasheed.

“Can you just hold on? Your kid will still be a criminal in five minutes,” Toni snapped, swinging around to glare at the stranger who kept interrupting.

Her anger died on her lips when she saw exactly who was behind her. As she craned her neck to take in all of his six-foot-something frame, she couldn’t help but think of the fence she nearly broke her neck scaling less than an hour earlier. Now here was a brother who did not need a boost. And with his I-do-real-work-every-day arms he could have probably hoisted her over without breaking a sweat.

However, the expression on his gorgeously angular face told her he wasn’t inclined to do anything for her at that moment, except maybe help Mikey put her back in the holding cell. The slight downward turn of his full lips and the tightness in his strong jaw confirmed the irritation.

But, boy, did he make ticked off look good.

She was trouble personified.

Adam could tell before she even opened her pouty mouth. It was in her flushed cinnamon-toned skin, the dark inquisitive eyes, and the legs that he was mad at himself for looking at. Women with legs like hers shouldn’t be allowed to wear jeans that looked like they had been painted on. It was just wrong to mess with a brother’s head like that. Especially when he was trying to keep it PG-13 upstairs.

He felt bad for staring. But she kept looking at him with those huge eyes and he couldn’t turn away.

“You don’t look old enough to have grown kids,” she said after a moment.

“I think you got bigger things to worry about,” he said. “Like making it out of this place tonight. But it looks like you already have a plan for that.”

The big beautiful eyes turned into slits. “Maybe you shouldn’t be so quick to judge, seeing that I’m not the only one at the police station in the middle of the night.”

“Only one of us is wearing cuffs,” he shot back.

“It takes one to raise one,” Toni said. “In your case I’m sure the blunt wasn’t rolled far from the weed.”

“Whatever.” Her tongue was sharper than an army knife. He had nothing.

He didn’t even know why he was getting so riled. Maybe because he was ticked off that his day had had to end with him in a police station picking up Rasheed. But more likely it was because the woman in front of him was stealing more of his attention than he wanted to give. And the joker in the too-small uniform sexually harassing her was working his last nerve.

“All right, here he is,” Mikey said, returning from the back with a cross-looking Rasheed only a few steps ahead of him.

Adam felt the corners of his mouth drop into an even deeper frown. He saw Rasheed visibly tense when he saw him.

“Yo, Bayne, I wasn’t even doing anything!” he protested.

“I don’t wanna hear it, Rasheed,” Adam said, shaking his head. “Go sit over there, till I get through with this mess.

“You got something for me to sign?” he asked the sloppy officer.

Mikey nodded and began pulling together a sheet and clipboard for Adam.

“Toni, I’m calling a cab, and I’m leaving.”

So her name was Toni. Adam glanced back at the young woman standing at the door. She looked even more annoyed than he felt.

Toni turned back to the officer. Desperation and frustration fought for position on her face. “You really gonna make her leave me, Mikey? You know if I don’t get back and get this story in I’m done.”

Mikey shrugged as he handed Adam the clipboard.

“Say the word and you can be out of here right now,” Mikey answered.

Adam found himself hoping that Toni turned down whatever homeboy was offering. Instead, she stomped her foot, and uttered a word he used to use quite frequently before God put a noose on his tongue.

“Fine, I’ll do it,” she hissed through her teeth.

“Really?” Mikey said, sounding surprised. “I never actually thought–”

Mikey stopped short when he caught her glare. “So eight on Friday then?” He tried to whisper but Adam still heard him. Adam shook his head in disappointment.

“Whatever,” Toni said. “Just get me out of these.”

Mikey grinned as he fumbled with the keys and freed Toni’s hands from the restraints. With a look of pure annoyance, she snatched the release form from Mikey’s pudgy fingers and examined it. She probably wanted to make sure that whatever she had done didn’t end up on her record.

Adam frowned but began to scan the form in front of him. He just wanted to sign Rasheed out and be done with it. The night had gotten too weird. However, when Mikey leaned in a little too close to the woman, Adam couldn’t help but look up again. And when the rent-a-cop put his hand on Toni’s behind, Adam didn’t even think before he reacted.

“Brothah, you need to back up,” he said, stepping forward angrily. Who did this toy cop think he was?

But before he acted on his temptation to handle matters in a less verbal manner, the petite woman turned around and kneed the officer hard in a place so close to the groin that it made Adam shudder. Mikey hollered like a five-year-old and doubled over in pain.

“You think you feel something now?” Toni hissed at his bent over form. “You lucky I never put my foot where it really wanted to go.”

“Oh man, she got you!” Rasheed hollered with a laugh.

“If you ever put your hands on me again, you’ll be sorry you ever met me, you got that?” Toni snapped angrily in the officer’s ear.

Rasheed was still hooting in laughter as she stuffed the release into her pocket and grabbed her stuff out of the tray on the table. Adam stepped way out of her way as she stormed past him and through the door, pulling her friend behind her.

He glanced at the cop, still crouched over and holding on to the table for support, then at the door where Toni had just exited.

Yes. That woman was definitely trouble.

–End of Chapter One–

When Rain Falls Book Galore Giveaway

Rhonda — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:06:30 +0000

When Rain Falls Books Galore Giveaway
Virtual Book Tour – March 5 – 30, 2012

It’s raining books!

From March 5-30, 2012, a winner will be chosen each week to receive a gift pack from Tyora Moody. There will be four (4) chances to win an autographed copy of When Rain Falls by Tyora Moody. The winner will also be eligible to win the following books during the week they are offered. The winner may choose the paperback or ebook version (except in the last week which is all ebooks).

Week 1 - March 5-9, 2012
What Kind of Fool by Rhonda McKnight
One Way or Another by Rhonda Bowen

Week 2 - March 12-16, 2012
A Good Excuse to Be Bad by Miranda Parker
Broken by Patricia Haley

Week 3 - March 19-23, 2012
Coming Home by Stacy Hawkins Adams
Stepping Into the Good Life by Tia McCollors

Week 4 - March 26-30, 2012
Kayla’s Redemption by Wanda B.Campbell (ebook only)
The Playboy’s Redemption by Vanessa Miller (ebook only)
True Beauty by Shelia Lipsey (ebook only)

What do you need to do to win?

Simply answer the following question in the comments area of this blog post and REMEMBER to include your email address.

Have you ever asked a similar question to what Candace has asked. “Why does God keep taking away the people I love?” What was your why and what were your reasons for asking?

If not, how can you encourage someone who has experienced loss without sounding cliche? Remember loss can come in various forms (death, divorce, broken relationship, unemployment, etc.)

To qualify, please respond with a thoughtful answer.

DISCLAIMER: Drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer at http://tywebbinvirtualevents.com/contest-rules/

Marlene Banks – Virtual Book Tour

Rhonda — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 04:37:20 +0000

List your published books.

RUTH’S REDEMPTION,

SON OF A PREACHERMAN June 1

GREENWOODAND ARCHER October 1

Which book did you find the hardest to birth? Greenwood and Archer because it is a sequel requiring a continuation of one story while bringing in a fresh new plot so it wouldn’t be a boring rehash.

Which book is your current favorite? I like them all equally for different reasons.

How would you describe your writing style? My writing style is informal, natural, edgy and divinely inspired. My story telling is soap opera style. Although they are dying out now I grew up in the heydays of daytime soap operas and it’s evident in my storytelling style. My writing is psychology based, multilayered and can be quite edgy but most of the edgy gets edited out. It’s mostly character driven but I have written an occasional plot driven story.

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind? No, I have to write in quiet. Once in a rare while I listen to music that will help propel me into the mood for a scene when I find it hard to get there. I am a music lover though just not while I’m working. My musical tastes are as eclectic as my reading. I like Gospel, Oldies, Jazz, Blues, Spanish guitar, R&B, Show tunes, Big Band music, Classical, Chamber music, Harp music and Ragtime. Oh and I love those old torch songs like Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Nancy Wilson and Judy Garland sang.

Tell us anything about you as a writer that you think might be interesting or unusual. I have a very lofty goal for my writing future. I do not want to be pigeonholed like most authors and write one genre and that’s it. I want to be the Sammy Davis Jr of the Christian literary scene. That means [for all you young folks who don’t know who he was] I want to do it all and do it all well. Sammy Davis Jr could sing, dance, act, he was an impressionist, a night club performer, recording artist and Broadway stage star. He did it all and did it all exceptionally well; the consummate entertainer. That translates in the world of writing like this; I want to be known for writing different genres; romance, historical, mystery, contemporary, suspense etc. Also that includes fiction and non fiction. I want to write plays as well.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers? Hang in there and keep writing. Listen to GOD not your family and friends who know absolutely nothing about the writing profession or publishing business. They may be well meaning but they haven’t a clue. If you need advice talk to someone in the business, not Sha Na Na and your girls.

Writers are often encouraged to write what they know. Have you found that to be the case with your writing? Yes and no, in the beginning it’s best to write what you know but what you’ll find after a while is you don’t know enough to write that will help you break into the market with something fresh or different. Most of the time what you know is the same as thousands of other people. What use to be shocking or unusual is nothing new in our contemporary culture. So making yourself stand out from the crowd is getting much harder. That’s when your imagination needs to kick in. As your writing improves you can concentrate less on structure and let that imagination soar. That will be the unique part of your fiction writing. With nonfiction it’ in the delivery. Your book may be the same old rehash but if you plate it up different in a more reader friendly way or a manner that resonates better, you’ve got a winner. Non fiction should be what you know of course but how you disperse the information can be in a new unfamiliar method.

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.

About the Author

Marlene Banks is aPhiladelphia, PA native. She attended Westminster Collegein New Wilmington, PA and has an Associate’s Degree in Theology from the Rhema Bible Institute inKeysville,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.

Visit the author online at:

www.marlenebanks.com

http://www.ruthsredemption.com

View the blog tour schedule at :

http://www.tywebbin.com/blog-tours/authors-on-tour/2012-tours/

What Kind of Fool – Contest #2 – $100 Prize

Rhonda — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:51:25 +0000

Write a review and you could win $100!

Reviews are important, so I’ve decided this time I want at least 50 reviews of What Kind of Fool. Help me get there by taking the time to write and post a review on an Internet bookstore such as: Amazon, Barnes & Nobles or Black Expressions. To enter you need to copy and paste a copy of your review and email it to me at publicity@rhondamcknight.net with a list of places you posted the review. That’s it. Your name will be entered in a drawing to win $100!

Bonus Entries– Entrants who post a review on all 3 Internet store websites will have their name entered in the drawing 3 times. Entrants who post a review on Good Reads and/or Shelfari and/or an established Internet Blog/website (see note below) will receive extra entries for each place the review is posted.

Prize: $100 Gift Card to the store/restaurant of your choice (prize may also be taken as a Visa Gift Card or cash.)

• The review needs to be a minimum of 50 words. It CANNOT contain spoilers. (Please and thank you.)

Please note: It does not have to be a five star review. I want your honest review of my book. I am not attempting to bias the reviews. I am looking for volume because it is a marketing/promotion tool.

• Professional reviewers may participate.�
• All entrants must either like my Facebook Fan page or signup for my newsletter.
• Drawing will be held on about April 20th using random.org
• Drawing will be recorded in video format and uploaded to this blog and my Fan page.

The contest begins with reviews posted Feb 1st and ends April 15th. If you already wrote a review you may enter as long as it meets the word count and does not contain spoilers.

* Criteria for an “established blog/website” – active for 24 months with at least 4 updates a month.