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A CHRISTMAS PRAYER 
by Kimberla Lawson Roby

Alexis Fletcher hasn't had a merry Christmas in five years-not since her mother passed away. Every December she remembers the joy her mother brought to everyone during the holiday season and feels the pain of her absence, even more so now that she and her sister are barely speaking. More than anything, Alexis wishes her family could be whole again.

However, with her wedding fast approaching, Alexis might just be ready to make some holiday memories with a new family of her own. Alexis's fiancé, Chase Dupont, is everything she ever dreamed of. He's kind, handsome, fully supportive of Alexis's career, and the CEO of a large company. But outside forces threaten to derail this happy couple from ever reaching the altar.

As tensions rise, a dramatic event causes Alexis to question everything. Will fate give her what she needs to finally embrace the season that has brought her so much pain? Will Alexis get her wish for a happy holiday? Or will her Christmas prayer go unanswered? 


Chapter 1 - A Christmas Prayer 


It was Black Friday, and while millions of folks were out chasing some of the most colossal deals of the century, all Alexis wanted was for this whole Christmas season to be over with. There were times when she wished she could feel differently, but ever since her mom had passed away five years ago, she hadn’t wanted anything to do with it. Of course, she did still recognize and mentally rejoice at the beautiful birth of Christ, but when it came to huge family celebrations and festive gatherings, she wanted no parts of them. What she did instead, mostly, was pray that New Year’s Day would come as quickly as possible so she could get on with her life.

Alexis curled her body into a tighter ball, picked up the remote control, and looked toward the flat-screen television on her bedroom wall. It was shortly past one in the afternoon, yet she still lay in her dark mahogany sleigh-style bed with her pajamas on. She just didn’t feel like doing anything, and the fact that almost every news channel she turned to showed massive shopping crowds and footage of customers and workers being trampled, well, that made Alexis want to turn off the TV altogether. As it was, she had already been trying her best to avoid every one of those sappy Hallmark Christmas card commercials, and she’d certainly been staying clear of one of her personal favorites—the Hallmark Channel itself, since they were doing what they did every year: airing those depressing Christmas movies day in and day out, twenty-four seven .

If only her mom were still here, Alexis would be so much happier. Even now, she couldn’t help thinking about how much her mom had loved, loved, loved Christmas. It had been by far her favorite holiday, and she’d adored it so much that she would immediately begin decorating the day after Thanksgiving. She would celebrate in various other ways, too, the entire month of December, including playing some of her favorite Christmas carols, such as “Silent Night,” “Away in a Manger,” and “The First Noel.” Then, on the twenty-fifth, she would host a huge family dinner. She bought gifts for everyone, she baked and cooked and baked and cooked some more, and on Christmas afternoon, she would say, “I almost hate to see the sun go down, because Christmas will be just about over.”

This was how it had always been, and it was because of these kinds of sentiments that Alexis was full of happy childhood memories. She even had fond memories from her adult life…that is, until her mom had passed. Now her heart was consumed only with sadness.

Alexis flipped through more channels, sighing heavily. But then she came upon one of her favorite movies, This Christmas, starring Loretta Devine, Regina King, and Idris Elba. She could tell the movie had been on for a while because Chris Brown was already walking toward the front of the church, preparing to sing…“This Christmas.” Alexis watched and listened, though she wasn’t sure why she tortured herself this way, because not once had she ever watched this scene without breaking into tears. It was such a reminder of her mom and the way she had loved and doted on her family. It also reminded Alexis of how her mom had taught her children exceedingly strong Christian values. She’d raised Alexis and her younger sister, Sabrina, to treat all people the way they wanted to be treated and to keep God and family first in their lives. The two of them had been very blessed to have such a loving, caring, and compassionate mother—and it meant everything.

Alexis watched Chris Brown singing from the depths of his soul and then saw family members standing and walking into the church aisle, embracing one another. It was after this that Alexis’s eyes welled up with tears, and she cried uncontrollably. She missed her mother so tremendously that her chest ached. Then, to make matters worse, the next scene showcased the entire family gathered around the dinner table. They looked as though they couldn’t be happier, and Alexis couldn’t help thinking how this was the way she’d once felt, too.

But as the saying went, that was then and this was now. Her mother was gone, and as far as Alexis was concerned, there wasn’t a single thing or person that could make her feel better about it, not even the people Alexis loved. Paula, her best friend since childhood, had been trying to lift her Christmas spirit for years, and so had Alexis’s fiancé, Chase, for the time he’d known her. But if anything, Alexis seemed to feel sadder with each passing year. In fact, this year she’d begun dreading the whole idea of Christmas as early as September. She wasn’t sure what had set her off, exactly; all she knew was that not long after Labor Day, the thought of Christmas had entered her mind and she’d become depressed. It was as if the simplest anticipation of it all had been enough to ruin Alexis’s day, which was the reason she’d taken that particular afternoon off. This hadn’t been hard to do, since she was self-employed as a motivational speaker and her hours were flexible, but she still hated that mere thoughts of Christmas affected her so gravely.

It also didn’t help that she and her sister, Sabrina, were usually at odds about one thing or another. Alexis and Sabrina had never gotten along the way sisters should. They were just too different, she guessed. But at least when their mom had been alive, they’d worked harder at it and tolerated each other more. Now, Alexis practically had to beg to see her niece, Courtney, and there were times when Sabrina still told her no just to be spiteful. The two of them had a lot of bad history, but that was a whole other story and one Alexis didn’t want to think about because it was far too distressing.

As one thought after another raced through her mind, Alexis wept like a child. She was miserable, and she wished she could sleep for the next week. She knew this wasn’t logical, but she just wanted this awful pain to go away. She wanted to be at peace, and before long, she glanced over at the bottle of amitriptyline on her wooden nightstand. Her doctor had prescribed it for insomnia, and although she only took one ten-milligram pill at bedtime, and sometimes only half a pill, she contemplated taking much more. Or maybe all she needed to do was take two of them, because she knew one woman who took twenty-five milligrams for unexplained abdominal pain and another who took more than that for depression. 

 

 

 


Christmas Greetings by Pat Simmons

For every bad holiday memory, there are good ones waiting to be created. And maybe, just maybe, all it takes is a greeting card to mend broken hearts.

Saige Carter loves everything about Christmas: the shopping, the food, the lights, and of course, Christmas wouldn’t be complete without family and friends to share in the traditions they’ve created together.

Daniel Washington is no Scrooge, but he’d rather skip the holidays altogether than spend them with his estranged family. After one too many arguments around the dinner table one year, Daniel had enough and walked away from the drama. As one year has turned into many, no one seems willing to take the first step toward reconciliation.

Saige is extra excited about her line of Christmas greeting cards hitting store shelves right before the holiday. As Daniel reads one of her cards, he’s unsure if words are enough to erase the pain and bring about forgiveness. Daniel and Saige’s story will stay with you long after the tree is taken down and the Christmas lights are turned off.

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11:28-29


Sneak Peek from Christmas Greetings by Pat Simmons


“Okay, ladies, remember, we’re all are going undercover,” Saige Carter reminded her accomplices with glee at the thought of being scandalous. From her home computer, she stared at her five friends that were in the video chat room with her, one of them her childhood and closest—Maxi Winters.

They all had pledged their allegiance to her cause—staking out their area retails stores to spy on customers. “Remember, be subtle. Whatever you do don’t bring attention to yourself or our mission.” They were to target three cities, more if she had more commitment, but still Saige would take any volunteers she could get. At thirty years old, she was about to see her dream come true.

The covert operation would take place at three retail stores within the St. Louis area; the other two in their respective cities of Indianapolis and Kansas City. Saige noted the time, “We better get to our locations. Let’s get our party started!” She grinned and raised her arms in the air like a cheerleader.

“Let’s not get arrested,” Maxi countered.

This was the day she hoped to make her mark on the art world like Brenda Joysmith had with her figurines, Annie Lee with her paintings, and Harriet Rosebud with her stylish hats on miniature mannequin heads. True, Hallmark’s Mahogany greeting card line was one of the first choices for African-American cards, but she wanted her cards to have such a personal touch that people could pick them out in a line up, or in a bin with hundreds of others.

But this was more than about her. It had been the Lord Jesus who nudged her in this direction. Bowing her head, she whispered a quick prayer, “Thank you for this is a talent You’ve given me, but in the end let my work be a blessing to someone in need, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Shutting down her computer, Saige stood and surveyed her attire in her bedroom mirror. She had to dress the part just right. She wanted to look like any other consumer walking in off the street, so as not to draw attention to her subtle methods of persuasion. The black turtleneck always complemented her high cheek bones on her brown sugar skin tone whenever she brushed up her hair into a ball on top of her head. Saige smoothed down her long denim skirt, then slipped her stocking feet into leather boots that added a couple of inches to her five-feet-seven inch height.

With her car keys in hand, she put on her black jacket and wrapped a colorful scarf around her neck. “Ready.” She took a deep breath and left her second floor, two bedroom apartment that was twenty minutes from her parents’ spacious home in Hazelwood, Missouri, a suburb in St. Louis County.

Crossing Whispering Cove’s parking lot, she climbed into her Elantra. Although she loved living on her own, Saige hoped to be married one day and fill her home with children—three to be exact. Maybe it was wishful thinking as an only child. But the man-picking was in God’s hands. Until then, she had a mission.





Purchase Christmas Greetings 
Link: http://amzn.com/B00OZ0KYWU 


Meet the Author

Pat Simmons
is the multi-published author of several single titles and eBook novellas, and is a two-time recipient of Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance. She has been a featured speaker and workshop presenter at various venues across the country.

As a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth, Pat is passionate about researching her ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her novels. She describes the evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost as an amazing, unforgettable, life-altering experience. God is the Author who advances the stories she writes.

Currently, overseeing the media publicity for the annual RT Booklovers Conventions, Pat has a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts.

Pat has converted her sofa-strapped, sports fanatic husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, GPS-guided chauffeur, and her administrative assistant who is constantly on probation. They have a son and a daughter.

 

 


His Last Wife: A Southern Scandal Novel
by Grace Octavia

“This latest Southern Scandal book is a great story with Octavia’s usual twists and turns, full of unexpected surprises, mama-drama, and treacherous Atlanta politics. Loved it!.”–RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars

In Essence® bestselling author Grace Octavia's most exciting, volatile novel yet, charismatic bad boy mayor Jamison Jackson has finally taken a spectacular fall. But that doesn't mean he's going down alone.


Since the night Atlanta mayor, self-made millionaire, and womanizer Jamison Jackson plummeted from the top floor of a downtown hotel, everyone seems to have profited, from vicious criminals to corrupt politicians. Everyone except his jilted first wife, Kerry. Once a socialite, she's now the prime suspect in Jamison's alleged murder. Dhe swears she's no killer—and surprisingly, Jamison's widow, Val, agrees. For all they know, it was Coreen, the mother of Jamison's secret love child. After years of extortion, Coreen's cash flow has come to an end. The reality is, Jamison had a murky past and a legion of enemies old and new who’ll do whatever it takes to cover up the truth…and it's even more scandalous, unexpected, and filled with secrets than anyone suspects.

Praise for Grace Octavia

"His Third Wife kicks off with a murder and a mystery. And if that's not enough to hook you, there's also sex, politics, shady characters and plenty of 'mama drama' to be had. A must-read!" --RT Book Reviews 


Read an Excerpt His Third Wife by Grace Octavia

CHAPTER 1

"His Next Wife"


Everything started when a mother came to town. Quiet and all alone, she got off a Greyhound bus across the street from a conveniently placed strip club. Had on fake pearls and a red lace-front wig. Her daughter picked her up in a shiny new Jaguar with two seats and the top down.

After maybe thirty minutes of silent riding, the mother was standing at the window in the big house—there were pillars out front and all. She was looking away from everything beautiful behind her. Clutching her purse like she wasn't staying. Thinking. Trying to decide how she should tell her smiling baby girl, who always wanted more than she could hold in her arms, that she ought to get on the next bus and go back to Memphis with her.

"I don't know why you didn't accept the tickets I sent you. First-class flight? I thought you'd like that," Val, her daughter, said. Maybe she was sipping her mimosa or waiting for the maid to pour her another glass.

"Memphis ain't but a stone's throw away," the mother mumbled. Her name was Mama Fee—everyone had always called her that, even before she'd had children. "Takes more time to get on the plane and fly than it does to get on the bus and ride. And I don't do big birds. Like to see the earth."

"That's old talk. This is a new world."

"Is it? Is it really, Val? You tell me."

"Yes, Mama Fee. You still act like flying is just for white folks. Or rich folks—"

"Ain't said nothing like that."

"Well, that's good, because it isn't. As long as you can pay, you can play. That's the Atlanta way." Val chuckled and looked at Lorna, the maid holding the pitcher of mimosa to her glass, to support the comedy of her play on words with laughter. "I'm just saying, it's 2012—not 1902!"

"What does that matter?" Mama Fee asked. "Po' folks still the same. Rich folks still the same."

Lorna was only able to produce a half smile before Val shooed her away with a tired wave. As soon as Lorna stepped over the threshold, the mother turned and looked at her daughter.

"Seems like you shouldn't be drinking," she nearly whispered before turning back to the window. "Not in your condition."

"Condition? Please! What do you know about it?"

"Plenty. Had you and your sisters. Doctor says it's bad."

"No. Doctor says it's good. Helps to relieve stress. A little won't hurt the baby at all." Val downed the last of her drink. There was an audible gulp that resonated with pangs of short nerves or anxiety. "And I need it today—with it being my wedding day and all." She looked at the big blue diamond on her ring finger. She'd purchased it a week ago with her fiancé's credit card and full blessing. "I need to relax."

Mama Fee was still looking out the window and thinking. The shiny Jaguar was resting in the middle of a circular drive that was filled with perfectly shaped creamy stones and purple pebbles that made the whole world outside the house look like a giant fish tank.

"Maybe you should've waited until the baby was born," she said. "At least until we could've had a proper wedding—your family come. You know? Like Patrice and Rhonda did. Still don't see why you couldn't invite your own sisters to your wedding."

"Would you stop it? I didn't invite you hear to go drilling me about everything."

"I ain't drilling you. They're your sisters. You were in their weddings."

"Yeah, and they married big fat losers. Is Patrice's husband out of jail yet?"

"You watch your mouth," Mama Fee said, finally turning to look at her daughter again. But she needed no confirmation that it was Val who could bring up such a thing. Her youngest child had been born spitting fire at anything that didn't seem to pick her up in some way that she deemed acceptable. This might've been considered gross ambition or maybe even unapologetic drive if it weren't for the fact that sometimes Val's desire for uplift went beyond frustrated tongue lashings and straight to unmitigated evil—well, the kind of evil a girl from Memphis who'd barely graduated high school could spin.

When Val was fifteen, Patrice had just finished beauty school and her prized graduation gift was a beauty box filled with emerald and sea foam and lavender and canary eye shadow. Lipsticks of every shade of red and pink. After Val had begged to sit and try just one shadow, paint her lips in one red, Patrice balked and hid the box beneath her bed. The next morning, the rainbow of shadows and lipsticks were floating in a river of bleach on the bathroom floor. Mama Fee nearly killed Val with her switch in the backyard after that incident, trying to teach the girl a lesson. But Val didn't cry one tear.


His Last Wife by Grace Octavia


Series: A Southern Scandal Novel Series 




Meet the Author
Essence bestselling author Grace Octavia has published ten contemporary African American novels with Kensington Publishing. Her witty, insightful fiction, which presents wicked humor and spunk has garnered her sparkling reviews in Essence, Publisher’s Weekly, The Romantic Times, Booklist, Rawsistaz, APOOO and the Urban Reviewers.

Her first novel, Take Her Man, was a selection at the 2007 Zora Neale Hurston Literary Conference in Tulsa, Okla. and she received a best new author’s award from the national Real Ladies Read Book Club. A frequent book club selection, it earned her invitations to speak to thousands of readers at the 2008 South Carolina Book Festival and the Delta Sigma Theta national convention. Her second novel, His First Wife, was the first reading selection for the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN), a Black Expressions Book Club selection, May 2008 Essence Magazine bestseller and the winner of the National Readers' Choice Award for the Romantic Times in 2008. Of her fourth novel, Playing Hard to Get, a review in Publisher’s Weekly proclaimed, “Octavia gives Sex and the City a smart Afrocentric update.”

Her 2011 release, Should Have Known Better, was selected as a featured read for the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System 2012 adult summer reading program and will be read by groups throughout the public library system. The noted novel was also nominated for the Romantic Times’ 2011 top multicultural fiction novel award.

She’s presented papers about her writing and read at Georgia Tech University, the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, and the University of Texas at the African American Women’s Language Conference in 2008. Her work has also appeared in Sisterfriends by Julia Chance, numerous journals and anthologies.

A native of Long Island, Octavia is a graduate of New York University, she completed her PhD in English at Georgia State University. A proud sister of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, she is also a member of the Sigma Tau Delta National English Honor Society. The former editor of Rolling Out Urbanstyle Weekly, she lives in Atlanta, GA. She enjoys international travel, hiking, cooking, and being with her girlfriends. She currently teaches writing at Spelman College


 

 


The Pleasure Trap 
by Niobia Bryant

Introduced in Niobia Bryant's bestselling Mistress series, he's the ultimate irresistible temptation, and he's always in control.  Until now…

Pleasure is his name, one that women whisper—and scream—with desire. As a popular exotic dancer and top escort, he strokes his clients' deepest longings and fulfills their every sexy fantasy. His climb has taken him from the streets' most lethal ride-or-die ladies to the even more dangerous world of wealthy, powerful women. All along, he believed leveraging his chiseled body for a life of luxury would help him outrun his tormented childhood and bitter distrust.

Now a mysterious woman has him at her mercy, determined to punish him for reasons he doesn't understand. Saving his own life means Pleasure must figure out which of the women from his past has a deadly obsession, brought on by either the insatiable passions he ignited, or the pain he caused. When a long-buried secret arises, will he be able to survive, or will facing it completely destroy him?


RT Book Reviews on THE PLEASURE TRAP

“The Pleasure Trap is another testament to Bryant’s awesome imagination. She takes us inside the head of Pleasure as he transitions from tricking for a madam to scheduling his own appointments. Shockingly, this installment opens with him drugged and bound in his own home. He’s literally tied to his past as we struggle with him to learn why and by whom. Flashing back to his relationships, we are swept off our feet during the climatic reveal.”  –RT Book Reviews, 4.5 Stars


BOOK EXCERPT:  THE PLEASURE TRAP


Pleasure looked up and shifted his eyes to look around as much as he could at the living room of his Jersey City penthouse apartment. The rich black and charcoal gray décor. The floor- to- ceiling windows that overlooked the Hudson River and showcased the New York skyline across the water. However, it felt almost surreal as he struggled to remember just how he came to be naked and tied to a chair.  'Think, man, think.'

But his thoughts were clouded and varied. He couldn’t get a firm grasp on anything. 'What’s wrong with me?'

His eyes drifted closed and his body slackened, with just the ties at his wrists and ankles to keep him in the chair.

“Do you remember me, Pleasure?”

A firm brown hand roughly grabbed his chin and jerked his face up. He opened his eyes to a woman as she stood before him dressed in all black with her face covered by a black ski mask and her hands in leather gloves. He shook his head yet again to clear it.

WHAP.  He winced from the pain. She’d used the back of her hand that time and her knuckles dug into his cheek with the blow.

“Well, I remember you,” she said snidely into his ear, from behind him now.

She lightly bit one of his broad muscled shoulders. Slowly she deepened the bite.

“Sh*t,” he swore sharply, his tall and muscled frame jerking.

She laughed and smacked the back of his head before coming around his body with her hand trailing across his chest. “Not bad at all for a man-whore,” she said, leaving him.

He eyed her as she moved about his living room and touched things that apparently caught drew her eye.

“Who is she? What does she want?”


(  Continued...  )


© 2014 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Niobia Bryant.  Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author's written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.

The Pleasure Trap by Niobia Bryant



Meet the Author

Niobia Bryant is the national bestselling and award-winning author of more than a dozen “Sexy, Funny & Oh So Real” novels. As Meesha Mink, she’s also the co-author of Desperate Hoodwives and Shameless Hoodwives. A proud native of Newark, New Jersey, Niobia currently writes full time and splits her time between New Jersey and South Carolina.


 


My Wife's Baby: I Am Not A Murderer 
by RM Johnson



Does the love for a wife and the jealousy for an infant, warrant murder? 

After ten years of bad dates and worse relationships, Stan is in heaven for he has finally found his soul mate, Erica—a beautiful, caring woman who shares all his beliefs, to include not wanting children. They discussed this over bottles of red wine the night they met and promised, if ever they became a couple, they would remain childless and forever the other’s priority.

One year after being married, Erica tells Stan she’s pregnant: news she’s very happy about. Stan considers talking Erica out of it, but that would mean aborting her child, something he knows Erica would never do. 

Two months into the pregnancy, Stan notices changes: times he and Erica enjoyed as a fun-loving childless couple are no longer; Erica’s attention is occupied with all things related to the forthcoming baby, and Stan has gone without sex for months.

The child arrives and things get even worse; Stan feels like an outsider: a stranger living among his wife and her son. Erica gives all her time, attention and love to the infant, leaving none for her husband. Stan becomes envious; he looks at the newborn as a threat, tells himself something must be done—but what? He fights his jealous thoughts, knowing horrible things would happen if he were ever to act on them. But one night while drunk, Stan attempts to make love to his wife but is once again rejected. His pride hurt and feeling disowned, Stan stumbles into the baby’s room with intentions of eliminating his problem once and for all, knowing there can only be one man in Erica’s life. That is the promise his wife had made him on the night they met, and it is the promise he intends to make her keep. 


AMAZON READER REVIEWS


5.0 out of 5 stars written by Paula Wheeler
This book will have you on the edge of your seat like all of his books. RM Johnson you did it again. This book make you reflect on relationships, marriages and most of all promises that was made but never kept.


5.0 out of 5 stars written by Amazon Customer 
Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

Wow!! Mr. Johnson you truly got me with this story! I was so upset with Stan, through out the entire book, and then...you got me, I never saw that coming! I can't believe you wrote this story the way you did! Readers, you just HAVE TO read this book! Just get ready, and hold on tight, you will be in for a real SHOCK!!

I don't like to give away any parts of a book, but just this one time, I am really tempted! I feel like reading it again, now that I know what happened!! Great job Mr. Johnson!


Excerpt—My Wife’s Baby: I Am Not A Murderer


Twenty stories up, the harsh, cold wind swept across my face, tested my grip, tried to rip them from my hands. Sweat spilled from my brow in large round beads, plopped into the eyes of my wife who dangled from one of my arms. From the other, my thirteen year old daughter clung, crying, begging, “Daddy, daddy! Please don’t let go!”

I can’t remember how we found ourselves here—me hanging, waist deep out the window of our high-rise condo, the two people I loved most in the world, swinging from my ever loosening grasp. My palms were coated with hot sweat, the tendons in my shoulders felt as though they were on fire, would be ripped from their sockets if I didn’t free myself of the weight pulling on them.

Squinting against the pain, so far below us, like tiny diligent ants, I saw the men file from the fire engine—red lights flashing on its roof, attempting to extend some giant ladder, rig a safety net, proposing to catch my wife and child as they plummeted toward the hard concrete. The thought comforted me only momentarily, because I knew those men could not make it happen, that ladder would never reach, the net would never open, at least not in time; a decision had to be made now.

I loved my daughter from the day she was born, from the moment her mother smiled in my face, pressed her warm cheek to mine, whispered in my ear that we were pregnant. I never thought I was the father she deserved, that she was worthy of, but she triumphed in spite of me, always telling me I was her hero, snuggling up to me nights when we watched TV, as though I were her favorite blanket. She made me the best man I could be, forced me to never stop trying to be better. Now hanging from my arm, my little girl glanced down, screamed then turned back to me, wind whipping her hair into her face. I saw the certainty in her eyes; she knew she’d die. I cursed God for putting me here, for making me chose. 

“Stan…” my wife moaned, her hands wrapped tight around my wrist, her nails drawing blood from my skin; I saw the red lines crawling down, spiraling around her forearms, but her eyes were calm, she was content, ready to face what she knew was inevitable. “…I’ll be fine. Just let me go.”

My daughter heard her mother, cried out, begged her mom to stop talking like that. 

“Dad, you can’t! You have to pull us back up!” My child said. But there was no way that was going to happen, and her mother had to have known the decision I was going to make. 

It had taken me a lifetime to find my wife, and when I did, I felt as though I was freed from a search filled with frustration and disappointment, loneliness and uncertainty. After meeting her, I no longer looked back at my mistakes, looked forward to the good I could do, the wonderful life we would have, the beautiful child we would make. We did that. 

I kept telling myself we could do it again. The love my wife and I shared could produce another example of our undying devotion to one another, and in that child, we’d see glimpses of the one I had to sacrifice in order to hold onto to my soul mate, to that one in a million I could never recreate or replace. This line of reasoning occurred in a fraction of second, my wife staring up—and knowing me better than anyone alive—she surmised the decision I had reached. Her eyes flashed wide with horror and in her attempt to save our child, she released her hold on me. But I caught her wrist before she fell, held her tighter than I had before. 

“No, Stan! No!” My wife cried, begged. “Let me go! Just let me go!”

I turned to my daughter blinking against the tears that practically blinded me. “I love you so much,” I told her.

“Dad?” My little girl said. 

“I love you, baby,” I bawled, staring into her eyes, trying to imprint her face forever onto my brain. “I love you so much! God, please forgive me,” I said, shaking my daughter lose, and as punishment for not being strong enough to save them both, forced myself to watch her sink to her death, her eyes filled with terror, one hand stretched out to me, as though I wasn’t the coward that released her, but the hero she had always mistaken me for, that would save her.


( Continued... )

© 2014 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, RM Johnson. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author's written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. 


Purchase My Wife’s Baby: I Am Not A Murderer 

http://www.amazon.com/My-Wifes-Baby-Not-Murderer-ebook/dp/B00P3CHSWI 


MEET THE AUTHOR

RM Johnson
is the author of twenty novels to include, The Harris Men, The Million Dollar Divorce, and the soon to be released, Hate the Air series. He holds an MFA in creative writing, is the recipient of the African American Arts Alliance Award among many others, and he resides in Atlanta, GA. 

 

 

 



Celebrate Black Speculative Fiction (#BSF)


FREE: Click to Read Three Episodes of The Last King

The Last King by A. Yamina Collins 

The Last King has already made been in Amazon’s Top 100 Bestseller List in no less than four separate genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Christian Women’s Literature/Women's Fiction Literature. Told in fifty-page volumes to be released over the course of the next year and a half, the book is a trilogy, and it is packed with enough drama and suspense, so far, to keep readers engaged for the long haul.  Yes, at the at its heart is a love story, but one that spans the cosmos, traces itself through history, and will leave your heart pounding in the arms of modern day New York. You can now read 320 pages, the first 3 episodes, of The Last King for free!  All the author wants is honest reviews posted on Amazon.  Go here to read the PDF file for the ebooks.


Twenty-eight year Emmy Hughes has never quite fit in---she's six feet tall, dark-skinned, and daydreams of being Galadriel from Lord of the Rings. But when she is badly injured in a car accident that kills her mother, Emmy does not dream of fantastical worlds anymore---she just wants her shattered life to be normal again.

Unfortunately, normalcy is the last thing in store for her once she meets Lake George's newest arrival, Dr. Gilead Knightly. Granted immortality from a line of people whose Great Ancestor marched into the Garden of Eden and ate from the Tree of Life, Gilead has been alive for centuries and has met everyone from Nubian kings to Napoleon.

But Gilead and his eccentric family are also hunted beings because God considers the Edenites' possession of immortality to be theft. And for thousands of years He has dealt with their transgression by sending each of them a "Glitch" ---an unsuspecting human meant to retrieve this stolen "property" of immortality and kill them off.

When Emmy discovers that she is Gilead's Glitch, she is not only thrown into a world of immortals who eat bone marrow, panthers who read minds, and a family whose blood is made of pulsing gold, but she finds herself the target of Gilead's vengeance: he must get rid of her before she gets rid of him.

Easier said than done. Because Glitches are not only an Edenite's greatest threat---they're also their greatest love. 
Check out a new excerpt from Episode 5 of this fantasy/romance novel, The Last King:
http://www.yaminatoday.com/2014/10/12/excerpt-from-episode-5-of-the-last-king/ 


PRAISE FOR THE LAST KING


The Last King by A.Yamina Collins, a Science Fiction Romance, is a marvelously layered story filled with drama, suspense and memorable characters. The author, a masterful storyteller, brings to life a story about a line of people who cannot die because their ancestors marched into the Garden of Eden and ate from the tree of life. God, however, considers this act, and the subsequent immortality that came with it, to be theft. God wants their immortality returned and he deals with their transgression by playing a cosmic sort of chess game with the Edenites!

The Last King is part fantasy, romance, religion and history. What an interesting mix for an 11 part series. This was my first time reading a serial novel and I have to say this one was excellent! I can't wait to read the other chapters to this phenomenal storyline. I highly recommend this serial novel to the readers. 
--Reviewed by Ella Curry, publisher of Black Pearls Magazine Online



Sankofa Literary Society Book Review

Historical Fantasy set in Science Fiction modern day. In everyday America, this book takes place in contemporary 2014 in fictional Glen Falls New York. Emmy Hughes is being loved on by her family while she recovers from an accident. Emmy Hughes age 28 lives in Lake George, NY with her father. Emmy is a regular girl living her life who takes sick and is under the auspices of her dad until she gets better.  

The Last King is riveting in terms of the author releases a chapter at a time to give you a tease and keep you coming back for more. She leaves unanswered questions which in turn is impulse to keep you wanting more. The dialogue between the two rather odd doctors in their gothic home is classic of a ragged twist as they look into their atypical past. I gave her first two chapters a five star rating for excellence. Collins goes straight for the African American literary community’s heart for a viable Science Fiction novel. 

“Colorism is the most unaddressed issue of mental health in our community.” Classist systems still exist in American and Collins makes a great point to show the different classes and how we look down upon each other because we think we live better than the poor class. Homeless man was walking down the street and noticed a man spread his wings thirty feet high by twenty feet in length. He imagined it was his alcohol and surmised that he was delusional after all “who would miss a drunk?”

In the 20th century anything is possible. Check your neighbors out and know who and what goes on next door to you. On a cold winter’s night surrounded by a fire place this is a great book to read. If you are a scary cat like me, leave your lights on. 
This book is worth reading if you are into historical fantasy and science fiction. I would recommend this book to Star Trek and Sy-Fy friends to deliberate and dissect. 
--Reviewed for the Sankofa Literary Society by Marilyn Diamond. Book provided by the author.


About the Author

A. Yamina Collins
is the author of the quirky short story collection The Blueberry Miller Files. A graduate of New York University, she lives in Manhattan. The Last King is her first novel, and it has already been in Amazon’s Top 100 Bestseller’s list in Fantasy, Science-fiction, Women’s Fiction Literature and Christian Women’s Literature. Check out her blog at Yaminatoday.com.  Readers can now explore 320 pages, the first 3 episodes, for free!  All the author wants is honest reviews posted on Amazon.com.  Go here.

The Last King: Book I, Episode #1
Link: http://amzn.com/B00HJZVMJW 
The Last King: Book I, Episode #3 
Link: http://amzn.com/B00K1QFKSK  
The Last King: Book I, Episode #2 
Link: http://amzn.com/B00IC0M8HS 
The Last King: Book 1,Volume #4 
Link: http://amzn.com/B00M9AU9QE 


 

 


Introduction to the Order of the Seers Trilogy 
by Cerece Rennie Murphy



What would you do if you held infinite power in the palm of your hand?


The Order of the Seers trilogy poses this question within a story that fuses action, mystery, romance, and adventure in a science fiction novel that keeps you at the edge of your seat.


Order of the Seers begins with the journey of Liam and Lilith Knight, a brother and sister who are hunted by The Guild, a ruthless world organization that seeks to capture and exploit Lilith’s unique ability as a Seer to envision the future. Soon after they are forced to leave their home, Lilith and Liam discover that she is not alone. Other Seers like Lilith are routinely kidnapped and enslaved by the Guild for the purpose of consolidating wealth and power around the world. But from within the organization, Marcus Akida, a captured Seer with powerful visioning capabilities, quietly plots his daring escape with the help of a beautiful and tortured Seer named Alessandra. When the escaped Seers are drawn to the same remote commune in Iowa as Liam and Lilith, they each find a place where they can rebuild their lives and rediscover their passion for life and love. 

As the Guild’s efforts to find them intensifies, the Seers ban together with outlaws from the commune to fight back against the organization that threatens their lives – setting off a chain of events that will unleash the full power of the Seers and change everything we know about the true potential that lies dormant in each of us. 

The Red Order - Book II  in the Order of the Seers Trilogy continues the epic battle for freedom which began in Order of the Seers, revealing the secret motives behind an organization that exists to exploit and a renegade movement that seeks to usher in the next phase in human evolution. 

So begins The Last Seer - Book III  in the Order of the Seers Trilogy - When the fall of one nemesis unleashes an even greater danger into the world, Lilli, Joel and the Lost Seers must stand against a new enemy with the means and the will to destroy all of mankind, starting with those they hold most dear. As the Seers mobilize to confront this new evil, the Guild tries desperately to uphold the crumbling world order on which it depends. When their attempts to manage the crisis fail, the members of the Guild are forced to place themselves at the mercy of an unlikely ally. 

But the Guild isn't the only one interested in maintaining control. An agreement made in secret threatens to destroy any hope of a peaceful alliance before it can be made and as the betrayals unfold, no one is safe against a power that will stop at nothing to get what it wants. 

To defeat this threat and ensure the survival of the human race, the Seers must push the boundaries of their abilities beyond any limits they have known and risk crossing the line between life and death. How far would you go to protect what matters most?


Purchase The Last Seer (Book 3 in the Order of the Seers Trilogy)

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Order-Seers-Last-Seer-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00MQZRXL6 


About the Author

Cerece Rennie Murphy
fell in love with science fiction at the age of seven, watching “Empire Strikes Back” at the Uptown Theater in Washington, D.C., with her sister and mom. It’s a love affair that has grown ever since. As an ardent fan of John Donne, Alice Walker, Kurt Vonnegut and Alexander Pope from an early age, Cerece began exploring her own creative writing through poetry. 

She earned her master’s degrees in social work and international relations at Boston College and Johns Hopkins School for Advance International Studies, respectively, and built a rewarding 15-year career in program development, management and fundraising in the community and international development arenas – all while appreciating the stories of human connection told in science fiction through works like Octavia Butler’s “Wild Seed,” Frank Herbert’s “Dune” and “The X-Files.” 

In 2011, Cerece experienced her own supernatural event - a vision of her first science fiction story. Shortly after, she began developing and writing what would become the “Order of the Seers” trilogy.

Cerece lives just outside of her hometown of Washington, D.C., with her husband, two children and the family dog, Yoda. 


Books by Cerece Rennie Murphy: 
B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/cerece-rennie-murphy  
Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Cerece-Rennie-Murphy/e/B008G6XXBS 

 

 

 

 


What If It Feels Good 
by D.J. McLaurin

In this story of love, betrayal, and revenge, bonds are tested, friendships are challenged, dark secrets surface and an epic romance blossoms amidst a media circus.

Michael Bagley, street savvy and beautiful, learned the art of the con and sleeps with older women to survive. When an accidental shooting sets off a citywide manhunt and thrusts Michael into certain danger, his mother, a stripper at a local nightclub, is finally forced to confront the biological father who didn’t know Michael existed. Soon, Michael finds himself whisked off the streets of Detroit and into a world of champagne dreams with more money at his fingertips than he ever thought possible.

But Michael’s life takes a bizarre turn as he bonds with his newfound father’s best friend. Chachi is a charming, down-to-earth ladies’ man, who awakens sensations Michael can’t explain, throwing him into identity turmoil. When the dust settles, Michael learns that neither riches, fame, nor age has anything to do with love.

As Michael struggles to find his place in a new world, he hopes the streets have toughened him enough to hold on to a secret relationship that may be against the odds and out of his league, and win the fight for the love of his life. 


Book Review Written by Minnie E Miller


Looking for love, wherever!


In “What If It Feels Good?” D.J. McLaurin makes it clear in her opening that Michael Bagley is not your typical teenager. McLaurin’s skillful mapping of Michael’s life would seem to some “unspeakable.” Conversely, to Michael it was a matter of survival. Michael runs head-on with his mother’s boyfriend because of his abuse, which leads to a near fatal conflict between the two, causing the 14-year-old kid to escape into the streets, and live among the homeless. Legal trouble lands Michael into a home for adolescent boys. A friend of Michael’s biological father begs and threatens him into rescuing his bastard son, and taking him into his established family. Michael goes from rags to riches under Joe’s roof. The mixture is not mixing well, however. 

Young Michael’s needs overpower his logic, and he falls in love with an older man, who is fascinated by the young boy’s wit and wisdom, feels he is 14 going on 30. The odd couple receives constant blows to the stomach about their relationship, especially from an ex-girlfriend. This novel makes it even more evident that the need for love does not go away unless it’s satisfied, no matter the age. As I sat glued to D.J.’s novel, my emotions were on a roller coaster ride. I felt fear, anger, happiness, and sadness for Michael.

D.J. McLaurin is a professional author with undeniable talent, depth, and perception. She made a believer out of me, a seasoned woman, and author. I give the novel 5 stars.

Review written by Minnie E Miller, Author

http://msminerva.wordpress.com 
minnie247@sbcglobal.net
minniemiller247@gmail.com

Book Excerpt: What If It Feels Good 


The phone rang. Michael ran to it.

“That little fool!” Sarah screeched. “He hung up on me!”

“Who?” Michael asked.

“I called the number you gave me and respectfully asked to speak to Joe, right? Why did that little prick ask me how I got the number? Like it was any of his business!”

“Who, ma?”

“I oughta hop a plane right now and go beat the crap out of him! I see what you mean now, honey! I don’t want you there anymore!”

“Ma, what are you talking about? Who hung up on you?”

“David! I asked to speak to Joe and he told me he couldn’t take my call, and just hung up on me--”

Michael dropped the phone and headed for the door.

“Uh, Oh,” Eric muttered. He and Leah scurried after him.

“What’s going on?” Leah asked as they descended the staircase. Michael ignored the both of them.

“Look man, this is just ridiculous!” Eric put his hand on Michael’s shoulder but, with a shake, Michael sent him sailing down several stairs before Eric was able to stop his fall by grabbing hold to the banister railing. 

Michael searched rooms, kicking doors open, until he found David in Joe’s study, reading an investment magazine. David spun around in surprise.

“You hung up on my mother, you little prick?” Michael growled.

“Wha….?” 

Michael’s fist made contact with David’s jaw, knocking him backward out of his chair.

“Daaaad! Daaaad!” Leah shrieked. 

Michael grabbed David by his shirt collar and punched him over and over again. 

Eric made a fruitless attempt to separate them before Joe and Dominic came rushing from the adjoining office.

David’s shirt was already splattered with the blood oozing from his nose and mouth when Joe reached them. 


 

 

 


Meet the Macro Literary All-Stars 


Congratulations M-LAS on the release of 6 new titles!  Black Pearls Magazine is proud of you all!


Macro Literary All-Stars (M-LAS) is an author support group of Macro Marketing & Promotions Group clients which was founded by Naleighna Kai in May 2014. Our main purpose is to grow, learn to write new genres, and cross-promote each other. Their books have went on to rule Amazon's bestsellers list and other lists in just a few months! 

Their mission is to build a broad base of mainstream readers and travel the country to events that will connect us with book clubs and avid readers. Their ultimate goal is to land on the national bestsellers lists—together. The group features: national best-selling author, Naleighna Kai, award-winning authors, J. L. Woodson, Janice Pernell, Susan D. Peters, and L. A. Lewis, bestselling authors: Joyce A. Brown and Candy Jackson, Martha Kennerson, D. J. McLaurin, Valarie Prince, and debut author, Tanishia Pearson-Jones.  Find out more about M-LAS members and upcoming projects on www.macrompg.com 

Check out All 6 New Book Releases from M-LAS
Was it Good for You Too? by Naleighna Kai
Link: http://amzn.com/B00NBA6Q8G 
What If It Feels Good by D. J. McLaurin
Link: http://amzn.com/B00NC9KFEC 
Consequences​ by Martha Kennerson
Link: http://amzn.com/B00NC92T1E 
Getting Away with Everything by Joyce A. Brown
Link: http://amzn.com/B00NC8PBOW 
Broken Dolls by Susan D. Peters 
Link: http://amzn.com/0982712510 
The Virus: When Love Turns Deadly by Valarie Prince
Link: http://amzn.com/B00N145EJE 

 

 

 


A Vision of Angels: The Battle Begins 
by Alexandra Lane (2nd Edition)


What happens when you’re born into a world of darkness where there are no choices? Where the undercurrents of evil are so strong you can’t fight your way out. What do you do?


Minty, a slave, was born into a world that offered no solace, no happiness but more than anything, no hope. But on a cold, bitter night, Minty will be forced into making one of the hardest decisions of her life; to leave everyone that she knows and loves behind. Her decision will bring forth an evil that will stop at nothing to keep her from reaching her destiny. For it knows, it sees what Minty does not.

Jack, a loner with a dark past, and a few men will pursue her in the dark swamps of Maryland, along with Red, a sinister gray-eyed man who is the perfect embodiment of evil.

Unaware of what’s waiting for him at Little Canyon, Jack will be faced with unbelievable events that will cast him into some of the most frightening experiences of his life. A weary search, wrought with unexplainable happenings, will begin to take its toll. Fateful choices will be made. Choices that will bring about an unimaginable outcome.


This story is a looking glass into the world of angels and the incredible feats they performed for the sake of these two lives. To understand why, you will have to read the story. This is about hope in the face of hopelessness and redemption when one feels there is none.



Chapter Excerpt: The Beginning


Minty has just suffered a horrific beating by one of the slave masters who believed she and a few other slaves were trying to escape. She's lying on the ground unconscious because the pain was unconscionable. Zacharius, one of the young male slaves picks her up and takes her to her mother, Old Rit. This is a pivotal moment in the book. 
(Readers, please keep in mind these are slaves, so they will speak differently.)



Zacharias quickly carried Minty to her mother’s quarters and stood before the door, kicking it and yelling for Old Rit to let him in. Old Rit opened the door with concern etched in her face. When she saw her daughter’s flaccid body draped in the young man’s arms, her eyes immediately reflected the fear that rose up inside her.

“She ain’t dead! She jus’ passed out,” said Zacharias.

Old Rit looked up at the young man to make sure she heard him correctly.

“She ain’t dead,” he repeated.

“Take her and lay her in dah bed.”

Old Rit scrambled around the room looking for salve and clean rags.

Zacharias gently laid Minty on the bed and then turned toward Old Rit with the front of his shirt soaked with her blood.

“I’s kin fetch some water from dah well fo’ ya, but den I’s gotta go and work dah fields befo’ old man

Brodess finds out where I is.”

Then Zacharias grabbed a small tin bucket on the floor and ran out the door.

As many times as Old Rit had seen her daughter like this, it never got any easier, for tears would still well up in her eyes, but this was the worst she had seen.

Almost immediately, Zacharias returned with the bucket, and with water spilling everywhere, he fretfully placed it on the floor in front of Old Rit then quickly left out running toward the lumber yard.

As she sat cleaning Minty’s cuts, she began to think about her daughter’s plight and what her end would be on this earth. Minty thought she had a right to humanity and to freedom, and because of that very thought, she was subjected to many beatings. She knew Minty’s stubborn nature, along with her illness, would either get her killed or sold, for she was as rebellious as a wild stallion.

However, some of the younger slaves didn’t agree with her ways. They said she was a twenty-seven-year old married woman, and she should know better. They never quite understood why she just wouldn’t humble herself and simply follow the master’s rules as they did.

After regaining consciousness, Minty realized she was lying on her mother’s bed, naked and bleeding. With her jaws tight and her face stern, she secretly promised herself and God that Ben would never beat her again.

“Ouch!” Minty yelled as her mother sat by her side spreading salve on the open wounds. But the constant writhing from the sting of the herbal ointments was making it difficult for Old Rit to apply.

“Now you’s gotta try and lie still why I’s fix yo wounds ‘cause you’s got quite a few of dem dis time,” she said.

“It hurts, Momma!”

“I’s know, baby, but you’s gotta go through dah pain to get to dah healin’.” Then silence filled the room as Old Rit worked on her daughter’s body like a skilled doctor.

“I’s had enough, Momma,” Minty suddenly said, breaking the silence. “I’s can’t take no mo. Two days ago, Zacharias told me ’bout a white man, a abolishnist that was helpin’ slaves scape ta dah North. So ’bout three months ago, I’s went to ’im, and he gave me a map showin’ me how ta get ta dah river where’s a boat would be waitin’ that would take me up north, close to a place called a safe house,” she explained.

“Is that what got ya like dis? Minty, ba—”

“No, Momma!” Minty shouted. “I’s got no choice.”

“Minty, you’s can’t trust ‘im, baby. You’s don’t know nuttin’ ’bout ’im.”

“If I stay, I’s gonna die.” Minty paused. “I’s gonna die, Momma. And I don’t wanna die. Not like dis… not like dis.” Then Minty broke down and began to cry.

Old Rit tearfully looked at her daughter then reached down to embrace her, but she quickly let her go when Minty screamed out from the painful touch.

Then she leaned back and looked at Minty’s body. She saw the deep bloody cuts, her bruised and busted lip, and the welt marks that were grotesquely displayed on her body. She realized that her daughter survived, once again, but the day would come when she would not. She gently rubbed Minty’s head and began to slowly shake her head in agreement.

Old Rit could see that Minty’s once vibrant spirit was slowly fading, not only from the beatings but from the struggle to be free. She knew that it was out of her hands and that it was now in God’s.

Then suddenly the door to Old Rit’s quarters violently flew open. Minty’s husband, John, burst into the room. Minty raised her head. Then she strained a little harder, looking into his eyes. Her face quickly changed.

John, a tall, average-built man, stood in the doorway breathing heavily with his chest visibly heaving up and down. He had run all the way from town when he heard the news of Minty’s savage beating. Seeing her battered body and her blood-soaked clothes lying on the floor next to the bed was more than he could take. He was neither happy nor thrilled at the fact that Minty was still alive. Instead, he was furious.

“I’s told you you’d get a beatin’ if you didn’t learn ta shut yo mouth!” he said. “Sneakin’ round here, always talkin’ bout escapin’. Where’s ya gonna go? You’s need ta stop thinkin’ you’s better than everyone else. Thinkin’ you’s kin say or do whateva you’s want. Have ya forgot that you’s a slave?” Then he slammed his fist against the door, making a small dent. “Well, let me help ya! You’s a slave, dammit!”


Purchase A Vision of Angels: The Battle Begins
Historical Fiction, Suspense, Inspirational, and Christian Fiction

Barnes and Noble.com 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-vision-of-angels-alexandra-lane/1108912950  

 

 


Living the Empty Carriage Way of Life: Childless By Choice 
by Marian L. Thomas 



Author Marian L. Thomas delivers a hilarious, yet candid discussion of why she made the life-long decision to remain childless. This chapbook has the perfect blend of non-fiction and fictional elements that make it the perfect recipe for a delightful read.

According to a recent article in the Huffington Post, “Millennial-focused media is just beginning to recognize this emerging mindset and celebrities are popularizing and glamorizing this path, too, with powerful women like Chelsea Handler, Zooey Deschanel and Cameron Diaz leading the charge.”

Thomas said it’s a myth that she just doesn’t like children. “It’s like saying, I don’t like ice cream. I don’t want to make it, but I certainly enjoy it on occasion. Similarly, I don’t want children, but I certainly do love children...I don’t want to babysit them either (just in case any of my friends are reading this book). I’m okay with being childless!”

Another article from the Huffington Post reported the happiest couples are those without children-- at least, that's according to research out of the United Kingdom's Open University. The study titled "Enduring Love?" found that childless married and unmarried couples reported being more satisfied in life and feeling more valued by their partners than did pairs with kids. Unmarried parents were found to be slightly happier than married parents.”

Thomas was also quoted as stating: “Being childless, is not a revolution. Being childless can be a good decision for you. Your decision to remain childless doesn’t need validation from others.”


Pre-orders for this entertaining new book started on November 7, 2014 and the official release date is January 20, 2015. For more information on how to order the book, please visit the website: http://www.theemptycarriagelife.com 




Order on Kindle: 
http://www.amazon.com/Living-Empty-Carriage-Way-Life-ebook/dp/B00P16OFYA 

Print Edition: 
http://www.amazon.com/Living-Empty-Carriage-Life-Chapbook/dp/0984896783 


 

 



ShoozyQ and the AB Crew in Bully on the Playground 

by Michelle Spady (Author) and  Bradford Spady (Illustrator)

Written by Michelle Morgan Spady and illustrated by her son, Bradford O. Spady, ‘ShoozyQ and the AB Crew in Bully on the Playground’ is an unusual and creative new book about a topic on everyone’s minds: bullying, and what to do about it. 

Sometimes, the road to success is not a simple one – and no one knows that truism better than Michelle Morgan Spady. A former educator, Spady has endured hardships beyond many people’s wildest nightmares – including the death of her firstborn son to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, an event that devastated her, and changed her life forever. It was only many years later that the light began to shine once more – when Spady and her husband welcomed their son, the man she now calls “a visual storyteller”.

With the formation of their company, ‘B’Artful’, dedicated to promoting emerging artists and writers and the release of their second book together, the duo are on a roll. Michelle Spady and Bradford O. Spady co-produced the anti-bullying tale, titled: ‘ShoozyQ and the AB Crew in Bully on the Playground’. 

Written in poem format, the book uses vibrant illustrations, and a good dose of positivity to encourage children to look at bullying from another perspective. ShoozyQ and her “crew” persuade a schoolyard bully to change his behavior without being mean and abusive themselves – something that is often overlooked in books with an anti-bullying message.

“I’ve witnessed many children being bullied over the years,” says Michelle Spady. “Normally, when we discuss this with children, we don’t emphasize how vital being positive is – ShoozyQ doesn’t need to be cruel or ‘tough’ to stop the bully. She also doesn’t just ignore it and hope it will stop. Instead, she uses her powers of persuasion to intercede and change the bully’s mind about his actions. It’s a compelling message of love, gentleness and compassion.”


ShoozyQ and the AB Crew in Bully on the playground 

Sometimes you can find a bully on the playground. This story about a bully on the playground is written in poem format. It is about a little girl named ShoozyQ and a group of her friends who call themselves the "AB Crew" which stands for anti-bully. They are against bullying and there is one on their playground who has been harassing them and their friends. One day ShoozyQ and her AB Crew walk to the playground to confront the bully. You'll be surprised at the tools that they use to talk to the bully. There is a surprise ending. In the back of the book are activities for parents and teachers to use to talk with students about bullying; vocabulary; role plays, and discussion questions. The colorful drawings and simple, effective language all tie together to make ShoozyQ an exciting read for kids, and a learning tool for parents and teachers.

“We include activities so that educators can get the discussions going with children,” says Michelle Spady. “It’s important to keep the ball rolling after the story is over, and really get to the root of what the kids have learned from ShoozyQ’s experiences.”

After the successful release of their first book, ‘An Artist and His Obsession’, Michelle Spady and Bradford O. Spady are hard at work on their company ‘B’Artful’ and on further projects. “Working with my son is just a joy. He is 100% an artist and a visionary. He’s an inspiration to me, and others and he shows himself through his work.”

Continuing: “Currently, my son and I are working on a comic book and the story is about bullying on another level - hazing at a college. The comic will be titled, ‘7 Days to 2 Tell’. The students will make a moral judgment as to whether they should tell what they saw. Obviously, this subject is close to our hearts and it’s something we feel passionate about communicating to others. If we preached kindness more often, I think it would change the lives of our children.” 

 

 

 

 


Growing into Greatness with God
7 Paths to Greatness for Our Sons & Daughters
by Janet Autherine 




"Every child matters. Every child was born with greatness!" -- Janet Autherine

Author, attorney Janet Autherine, is on a mission to empower children to see themselves as unique and amazing—already blessed with what they need to succeed in life and to achieve their dreams.

On a daily basis, children are bullied into feeling “less than.” “The truth is every child matters. Every child is unique. Every child has been created with greatness.” says Janet Autherine, Author of Growing into Greatness with God: 7 Paths of Greatness for our Sons and Daughters.

Kids love superheroes. But, how many kids believe that they themselves are heroes? With all the mixed messages kids are bombarded by on a daily basis—about looks, intelligence, athletic ability, and more—it can be hard for them to believe that they are special.

The book, Growing into Greatness with God teaches kids to recognize the greatness they were born with and to nourish the love, faith, courage, leadership, happiness, gratitude, and confidence planted within them as they learn to become their best selves. Referencing biblical heroes, and through actionable wisdom, offering practical ways to “grow into greatness,” this easy-to-read guide ignites hope in young readers and sheds light on their path to a bright future.

Parents are excited to find a book that will inspire and empower their children. Moms are saying the following: “I use Growing Into Greatness With God for quiet reading moment with my children. There are steps at the end of each section that you and your children can discuss and reflect upon. Growing Into Greatness With God provides the applicable tools by which children can live by. It reminds children that they are children of God and destined for greatness. Great book!”


Purchase Growing Into Greatness with God: Seven Paths to Greatness for our Sons and Daughters
by Janet Autherine.  Amazon Link:  http://amzn.com/0991200004 



An Elderberry Fall 
by Ruth P. Watson
 

This sequel to the historical bestseller Blackberry Days of Summer reunites the people of Jefferson County, Virginia, with yet another murder and the resurrection of an evil thought to be dead and gone.

As she adjusts to a new beginning in Richmond, Virginia, Carrie Parker finds herself juggling motherhood, work, school, and increasing strains on her new marriage to Simon. Carrie and Simon are happy parents, but sometimes Carrie feels there’s something dark and evil about her little baby’s eyes, and it scares her. She vows he will not be anything like his real father—a beady-eyed womanizer now long gone.

But the past has a strange way of creeping back into the present…


Just as the dust is settling on the murder of Carrie’s stepfather, Herman Camm, everybody in Richmond is shocked to find out his memory is not yet gone. Did he really die? And what part did Carrie play? Soon she is forced to answer questions and return to a past ridden with abuse, corruption, scandal, and deceit. Will she be able to move on with her life, or will the past follow Carrie and her family wherever they go?

An Elderberry Fall - Chapter 1

On February 4th, 1921, I gulped a breath of fresh air before I took the last step down the train steps onto solid ground. The brisk wind caressed my skin, and alerted me to a new reality. “So this is Richmond, Virginia,” I said to myself, gazing around at the cobblestone sidewalks and cars. My six-month-old son, Robert, had his head resting on my shoulder as I struggled with my overloaded suitcase, straining every muscle in my body, but I could not have cared less. Who would have believed a young girl like me would be here—in the big city, with streetcars and tall buildings and with colored people strutting around in fine, fashionable outfits, like the kind white folk wore in Jefferson County on special occasions? The coloreds appeared proud, like they owned the town. It felt good, and I fought to slow my heart down from the rush of anxiety. It was certainly different here. Most of the folks I knew probably thought I would live forever in Jefferson County amongst the sour memories and shame from the child I bore out of wedlock. But I was not so ready to stay there. When Simon asked me to come to Richmond, Virginia, my real transformation began.

• • •

My child, Robert, is beautiful. He is almost flawless. Each day I study the ridges around his little fingers, waiting to see if his tan color and fine features and that innocent, charismatic smile will remain. He favors me for the most part. However, there are times when his eyes seem dark and mysterious, and it sends chills throughout my body.

Robert, Simon and I live in a small apartment on the west side of Richmond—Jackson Heights, they call it. It’s the colored section of town. It is a fine neighborhood, with shrubbery and flowers planted tastefully in front of well kept tenement houses and single-family row homes. Our place is a small, brick, two-story house with a cast-iron fence around it. Alongside the yard is an elderberry bush, which reminds me of the sweet jam Momma made in the fall. Most of the neighborhood residents are colored and oblivious to the surrounding communities. Everything seems to be within walking distance—the grocer, tailor, the cobbler, and the feed and seed store. The corner store has everything we need. Farmers are unloading crates of vegetables every day, and hanging inside are hams, and there is a meat counter where slices of select meat can be packaged. It is well stocked, and I am overwhelmed that I no longer have to work in a field with the hot sun beaming down on me. Simon has a rooster and two hens in the backyard, mainly for eggs. But, I can imagine them on the table stuffed with cornbread dressing.

We share our backyard with a couple downstairs. They are on the front porch every day sitting in a porch swing with wide smiles swept across their faces as if the stresses of life had floated past them even though they are different from others in the neighborhood. Most people stare transfixed by their difference. The lady is white, very pale, and the man is colored. Most feel their living together is a disgrace to everyone around them. It is alright with me because they seem happy. And from where I come from, happiness is the center of life and satisfaction. 




 


Signed, Sealed, Delivered … I’m Yours


Written by Naleighna Kai, Tanishia Pearson-Jones, L. A. Lewis, 
Joyce A Brown, D. J. McLaurin, Candy Jackson, Valarie Prince, 
Martha Kennerson, and Susan D. Peters 

M-LAS, nine authors, including national bestsellers and award-winners, bring the romantic heat with stories featuring leading men who are at your service from the military, law enforcement, and civil service. The leading ladies, professionals who are successful in their own rights, are all posing the type of challenge that means love won’t come easy—these men are going to have to work for it. Will they succeed in winning their woman's heart? 

These nine stories are a little bit naughty and a little bit nice, but we hope you’ll find them every bit of enjoyable. Most women can appreciate a man in uniform … perhaps even more when it comes off.


Excerpt from Signed, Sealed, Delivered … I’m Yours



“When did policemen start looking like that?” Elise Payne gasped, putting a tighter grip on the steering wheel.

She had been pulled over for speeding but she couldn’t believe that someone as breathtaking as Officer Friendly had stepped out of the cruiser. The man had expressive, dark brown eyes and smooth golden features—a proud nose and sensuously curved lips—carved into a ruggedly handsome face that was damn pleasant to look at along with a muscular body that was nothing but pleasure to watch. Elise normally enjoyed milk chocolate, but maybe it was time to give vanilla bean some consideration. 

The fact that this delay would probably make her miss the train slipped her mind as she became totally smitten by the most handsome male since Jesus turned water into wine. She could picture those gorgeous lips doing wicked, forbidden things to her—the kind of things that made a woman start speaking in tongues, the kind of things that made a woman leave religion at the altar and dive headfirst into temptation, skinny dip in an overdose of sin, and— 

“License, insurance, and registration, ma’am.”

Her fantasy circled the bowl and flushed right down the drain with those words. She let out a long, slow breath and said, “May I take my hands off the steering wheel?”

He nodded, grimacing as he did so. 

Elise inched her hand into her satchel and produced a license, then leaned toward the glove compartment and froze at the thoughts whipping through her mind. Registration, no problem. Insurance, huuuuge problem. Expired. Five hundred dollars. 

She tried to keep the despair from showing on her face as she slid the documents to him. Elise watched his every move as he snailed a walk back to his cruiser.

Seriously? Can’t you go any faster?!

Several minutes ticked by before he returned. She quickly put her hands on the wheel before he made it all the way to the driver side window. 

This time, he sighed with impatience. “It’s safe to take your hands off the wheel, Ms. Payne. I’m a Burnham officer. It’s the Chicago police who are trigger-happy.”

Elise remained completely silent. Maybe if she zipped her lips, he would give her the ticket and let her be on her damn way.

“Do you realize you were going 77 in a 45?” he asked. 

“Actually, I thought it was just 65, but 77 it is,” she shot back.

He paused for a moment, his right eyebrow lifting. Elise saw a sudden slight uplift at the corners of his lips. There was a fullness that made them the most kissable pair she’d seen in a long time. What was it about this man’s lips that invited her to give him a second and third look? What was it about those dark brown eyes that held a sparkle of mischief, but a smidgen of pain behind them? And how was that so easy for her to recognize?

“Why were you going so fast?” he asked.

“Because I was trying to catch that train riiiiight there,” she replied, gesturing to the silver and orange commuter whizzing past them on a black bridge overhead. Her heart sank. All hopes of landing that new position were gone.

“There’ll be another one coming along.”

The train disappeared from their view, and she returned her focus to him. “Not in enough time to make it downtown for my first day.” She slumped in the leather seat and whispered, “And this one had a chance to go permanent.” 

The officer looked down at her, as though summing things up, summing her up. “Well, I’m not going to ticket you for speeding.”

Her grateful gaze locked on him.

“Or for the fact that you weren’t wearing a seatbelt.”

She opened her mouth to protest that she had only slipped it off because he had taken so long, but shut it and nodded her thanks.

“Or for the fact that your insurance expired last week.” 

“Thank you, Officer Montgomery,” she murmured as he slid the items back to her. Their hands touched briefly, and a jolt of electricity whipped through her. She looked up in time to see his shocked expression. Ah, he felt it too!

At that moment, however, the only electricity she needed to worry about was ComEd. Her lights and power were about to become a distant memory if she didn’t dance into their office with something more than a handful of “give me” and a mouthful of “much obliged.”

He tipped his hat. “You have a nice day, ma’am. And leave a little earlier next time.”

When he walked back to the cruiser, Elise laid her forehead on the steering wheel. Tears she had been holding back for months finally had their reign. The energy to forge on, to get up and dust herself had never abandoned her—but everything happening at once had finally taken its toll.

Elise moaned as the tears increased. Her entire life was at a standstill and most wasn’t of her own making. All of her money was gone. Every single dime she had had been used to keep her twin sister alive, only to lose that beautiful soul to kidney and liver failure last month.

No sooner than she could breathe again without razor blades tearing into her lungs from that loss, did her rich ex-husband swoop down with a team of lawyers and manage to steal her baby boy while she was distracted with grief and the fallout of her family’s displeasure at what she’d done to keep her sister alive as long as she could. Yet, she had gathered up whatever resources she could, fought with everything she had, only to lose her son anyway.

Another blow, another setback, another harsh, bitter loss. The last being the one which left her so out of sorts—at least financially. The fact that Ameritech’s merger put her and 5,000 other people on the unemployment line was a wakeup call that blared in her ears every day. 

Elise sniffled and blindly reached into her satchel for a tissue. She couldn’t even drive downtown and park because what she had left in the bank had been shelled out to pay mortgage, a few groceries, and get a train pass to carry her through the month. She didn’t complain because at some point, she’d catch her breath and a break—both at the same time. 

Fighting for the life of her sister was something Elise would never regret. But the aftermath to her finances and the never-ending strain between her and the family was putting her closer to the edge of emotional bankruptcy.

A tap on the window startled her. 

Elise absently patted her tears away with the tissue.

“Ma’am, is everything all right?” Officer Montgomery questioned.

She rolled down the window. “Your kindness was the nicest thing that’s happened to me in a long time.” She looked up toward the empty bridge. “Thank you. But the next train comes in two hours. By then, the agency will call someone else to take the spot I was going for.” 

The officer scanned the area. Only a few cars zipped by them. “Traffic isn’t bad right now. You could make it downtown in about thirty minutes and still get there on time.”

“I could but …” Elise hesitated then abruptly added, “I can’ t ...” She couldn’t voice the words—she had everything, down to the last penny budgeted—and parking downtown was an arm, a leg and a couple of someone else’s toes.

Officer Montgomery placed a hand over hers. “I’m really sorry.”

His touch was wonderful. She centered her self-control with a quickness. “What’s done is done. Recently my life has been hit with more curve balls than a dodge ball tournament. So I’m going home to regroup. I’ll be fine.” Her voice wavered on the last sentence, but she took a deep breath, tossed her hair over her shoulder, and held her head high. Seconds later, she turned the key in the ignition to start the car. “Take care.”

Officer Montgomery reached for her hand again. “No, you’re not,” he ordered. “You will park your car in that lot just ahead. Then you’ll get into my car and I’ll get you to work on time.” He stepped back and finished, “That’s what you’re going to do.”

She looked at him, her tears blurring her vision. “That’s what I’m going to do?” 

He nodded. 

Elise took a moment before whispering, “All right, then.”

Officer Montgomery headed for his squad car again and added, “I’ll be right behind you.”

This time, she did smile ... a little. 

( Continued... )


© 2014 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the authors from Macro Literary All-Stars (M-LAS). Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author's written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. 


Purchase Signed, Sealed, Delivered … I’m Yours



Who is M-LAS?

Macro Literary All-Stars (M-LAS) is an author support group of Macro Marketing & Promotions Group clients which was founded by Naleighna Kai in May 2014. Our main purpose is to grow, learn to write new genres, and cross-promote each other. 

Our mission is to build a broad base of mainstream readers and travel the country to events that will connect us with book clubs and avid readers. Our ultimate goal is to land on the national bestsellers lists—together. The group features: national best-selling author, Naleighna Kai, award-winning authors, J. L. Woodson, Janice Pernell, Susan D. Peters, and L. A. Lewis, bestselling authors: Joyce A. Brown and Candy Jackson, Martha Kennerson, D. J. McLaurin, Valarie Prince, and debut author, Tanishia Pearson-Jones.   Find out more about M-LAS members and upcoming projects on www.macrompg.com 

 

 


Explore the World of FBI Special Agent J.J. McCall 


In the Game of Espionage, Spy Takes Traitor.   J.J. McCall takes Over. 



The Seven Year Itch - Book 1 by S.D. Skye 


FBI Special Agent J.J. McCall and her co-case agent, Tony Donato, are drawn into an unsanctioned mole hunt when a Russian intelligence officer, working for the FBI, is murdered and they suspect a traitor burrowed deep inside the U.S. Intelligence Community is responsible. 

"The Seven Year Itch" is a mystery thriller from S. D. Skye ... hard to put down for lovers of spy fiction, highly recommended. -- Carl Logan, Midwest Book Review (April 2013) 

"Thick with layers, THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH is filled with strife, deceit, lust, pain, mystery, and humor." OOSA Online Book Club 



Son of a Itch - Book 2 by S.D. Skye 


The award-winning follow up to The Seven Year Itch which takes J.J. and her counterintelligence task force on the hunt for Russian moles who breached the nerve center of U.S. national security. 

2014 Next Generation Indie Book Award for Multicultural Fiction 
" If you like a brilliantly executed, thrilling, and addictive suspense novel, Son of a Itch is for you. S. D. Skye can flat write her butt off, I was sold, and tagged. This is a great series and J.J. is Jack Ryan with a [lady part]." ~ Sebella Blue 


A No Good Itch - Book 3 by S.D. Skye 

J.J. and Tony's next mole hunt takes them to the Big Apple where the worlds of Counterintelligence and Organized Crime collide. The investigation to dismantle the financial hub of a Russian sleeper cell is sidetracked when an act of vengeance for Lana Michaels' murder targets the wrong man and threatens to spark a war between Russian and Italian mafia factions.


Excerpt from A No Good Itch - Book 3 by S.D. Skye
(Coming December 16, 2014) 


This is the opening scene of the new J.J. McCall novel--still in progress but will be ready for delivery on December 16th as promised.   The series of events that follow may or may not be inspired by an actual meeting that I can neither confirm nor deny ever happened...


Prologue


“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” ~ Sun Tzu


In the convoluted world of intelligence and spies, nothing made more friends of enemies than fear, failure, and the fear of failure. This fact was no doubt why the FBI representatives had been summoned to the Russian Embassy in Washington.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs reeled after a reported "heated discussion" with the U.S. Secretary of State, who promised harsh and swift diplomatic sanctions following the arrest of Secret Service agent Maddix Cooper for spying on behalf of a the Russian Foreign Intelligence--the SVR. Coupled with the identification and death of Svetlana Mikhaylova, a Russian sleeper operative caught operating deep inside the FBI, the arrest of FBI Agent Chris Johnson for serving as Svetlana's cutout, filling andretrieving all of her dead-drops to keep her identity concealed, and international heat for military incursions into the Ukraine, the tense political situation had outraged their now tight-lipped government contacts in Washington and New York and dried up critical sources of American intel, threatening to paralyze the SVR's intelligence mission across the United States unless they quelled the fury. Thus, the come-to-Jesus meeting called by the SVR Resident was inevitable and necessary.

FBI Special Agent J.J. McCall marveled at the embassy's ornate grand lobby. The rich white and dark European marbles accented by cardinal red carpet runners, a stately winding staircase crowned in gold, and paintings of lush landscapes brightening the halls and sitting areas, was among the most beautiful embassies she'd visited. The sight was impressive if also a stark reminder of the country's willingness to spare no expense when it came to putting up deceiving fronts and paying American traitors.

"We'll need a dump truck for the bullshit about to be heaped on us today," J.J. whispered to her co-case agent, Tony Donato. As the lead case agent behind the ruckus, she'd been ordered to listen and not respond.

"Shhh," Tony whispered in reply. "The walls have ears."

Resident Andrei Komarov, the Russian equivalent to the CIA Station in Moscow, led J.J., Tony, and the Assistant Director of Counterintelligence John Nixon through the hallowed embassy halls until they reached a well-appointed conference room. It contained a stately mahogany-paneled walks, large open armchairs, and an oversized table large enough to seat Komarov's ego and attitude, both massive in her past experience.

The group, all dressed in their services' uniforms--pin-sharp woolen suits in late fall hues concealed under beige all-weather overcoats--was met by the only other declared SVR officer in the Russian Embassy, Security Officer Aleksey Dmitriyev.

Jolted by his appearance, J.J. avoided his gaze, kept their handshake and greeting brief. The last time they met, he was not working for her. Now, he was--and the only other person in the group aware of his status was Tony. Butterflies rolled in her stomach as everyone took their seats and the meeting began. She forced a poker expression and prepared herself for the barrage of lies.

Komarov settled in at the head of the table and prepared to talk, his face reddened and contorted as if every word he was about to speak, no doubt carefully selected by the Foreign Minister, would sear his throat and exit his lips like sharpened razors carving him from the inside.

"We've all met before and are quite familiar with one another," Komarov began, shooting a slicing glare through J.J. Her aggressive targeting of SVR officers for recruitment was legendary...or infamous, depending on which side of the table you were sitting. She sat in awe of him, the Russian James Bond in looks and dress, who was void of any semblance of his accent. "So, I'll feel free to dispense with the introductions and pleasantries since we all understand why we are here today."

J.J., Tony, and Nixon exchanged strained glances before she took a deep breath to brace herself as Komarov progressed through the four steps of surviving a massive operational failure.

Step 1: Admit nothing.

"There has been a spate of unfortunate and seemingly unfounded reports regarding the activities of our foreign intelligence service inside the United States," he said.

Her birthright, her gift, the ability to detect lies, sent the sensation of an army of crawling ants through her fingertips and up the length of both arms. She clenched her teeth and prepared for Step 2: Deny Everything.

"We have no information to substantiate the many reports circulating in the media nor can we speak the involvement of any of our staff. However, I can assure you that if any such activity had occurred it was orchestrated by rogue officers conducting unsanctioned operations. If ever discovered, they will be dealt with accordingly. Which brings me to my next point..."

As the lies continued, the annoying sensations intensified. The itch stretched through her back and up into her neck. She shifted in her seat and tensed her body to suppress it.

A moment of relief would come with Step 3: Demand Proof.

"If your Secretary of State persists in her current path and continues to threaten sanctions against our diplomatic corps, we must require access to the evidence used to justify these unfounded accusations against our government or we will be forced to reciprocate and target the U.S. embassy in Moscow."

They always demanded proof because they knew the FBI couldn't provide the most critical elements, at least not so early in the investigations. Such provisions risked revealing FBI sources and methods, potentially compromising the Russian Embassy recruitment sitting across the table from J.J., as well as the FBI's knowledge of the existence of the listening device found in the White House Situation Room, and announce the President had postponed for reasons unbeknownst to her.

Nixon cleared his throat. "It's forthcoming," are the only two words he offered, which was two too many in J.J.'s book. He said, "Continue with your little speech, please," in his typical condescending, patronizing way.

From the pinched expression on Komarov's face, he took the comment in the spirit in which it was intended, just as J.J. would've, which certainly contributed to Step 4: Make counter-accusations.

"And if your government should bring forth any evidence against the Service, we may be required to present our own proof that these arrests are merely a provocation to discredit Russia and increase hostilities within the international community given U.S. opposition to our security operations in the Ukraine."

Bullshit. But J.J. gave credit where it was due--the guy was good.

"We're not here to debate the validity of your political and military agenda," Nixon replied. "The FBI's primary concern is securing the homeland from terrorists and spies. So, if we could cut to the chase, why have you requested our presence here today?"

J.J.'s eyebrow arched. She'd never known Nixon to be a man with backbone. He usually preyed on the weak rather stand up to the strong.

"Ahh, yes," Komarov said, relaxing his tone and his posture, resting his back against the chair. "We brought you here to extend an olive branch, if you will. I've been asked to assure you that the Service is not controlling any operations targeting citizens inside the United States. I've been informed that negotiations regarding the specifics the new plans are underway within our executive channels that will demonstrate this new era of cooperation. We would like to collaborate on issues, such as terrorism, which would be of great benefit to both our countries."

By now the itching sensation had permeated J.J.'s entire being. If the body had over a billion nerves, every one of hers had been stimulated in the worst way. She clenched her legs together and strained not to dissolve from her chair into the floor in a scratching frenzy.

But the truth had been revealed. They wanted to purchase conciliation with terrorism intelligence. J.J. felt relieved. With FBI Director Russell Freeman at the helm, U.S. national security could never be bought for so cheap a price. 

( Continued... )

Intrigued yet? Make sure you catch up with Books 1 & 2 if you haven't done so. Book 3--A No Good Itch will not disappoint!
    © 2014 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, S.D. Skye. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author's written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. 



SpyCatcher Ebook Box Set by S.D. Skye

Skye's SpyCatcher Book Set, filled with mystery, espionage, romance, and suspense, will keep you burning through the pages until J.J. catches the very last mole.  Now available in one box set, the first 3 books in the planned 5-book FBI Espionage Series featuring the lie-detecting FBI Special Agent J.J. McCall who, along with her co-case agent Tony Donato, is embroiled in a the post-Cold War mole hunt for Russian spies. In the Game of Espionage, Spy Takes Traitor. J.J. McCall takes Over.

Download the Spycatcher – J.J.McCall Books (3 EBOOK Set) 

http://www.amazon.com/Spy-Catcher-McCall-Novels-Espionage-ebook/dp/B00NUHIIG8 


Purchase Printed and Digital Books by S.D. Skye 


The Seven Year Itch (Book 1)
www.amazon.com/Seven-Year-Itch-McCall-Novel/dp/0983920230 

Son of a Itch (Book 2)
www.amazon.com/Son-Itch-J-J-McCall-Novel/dp/0983920257  

A No Good Itch (Book 3)
www.amazon.com/Good-Itch-McCall-Novel-Espionage-ebook/dp/B00NMFWP30  



About S.D. Skye 
S.D. Skye
is a former FBI Counterintelligence Analyst in the Russia program and supported cases during her 12-year tenure at the Bureau. She has personally witnessed the blowback the Intelligence Community suffered due to the most significant compromises in U.S. history, including the arrests of former CIA Case Officer Aldrich Ames and two of the Bureau's own—FBI Agents Earl Pitts and Robert Hansen. She has spent more than 20 years in the U.S. Intelligence Community.
Skye is a member of the Maryland Writer’s Association, Sisters in Crime, Romance Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers. She’s addicted to writing and chocolate—not necessarily in that order—and currently lives in the Washington D.C. area with her son. Skye is hard at work on several projects, including the next installment of the series.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SDSkye1  
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorsdskye  
Author Center: http://www.amazon.com/S.D.Skye/e/B00AMAUFK8  
And don't forget to subscribe to: http://authorsdskye.com for automatic updates. 

 

 


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Founder & Editor In Chief Black Pearls Magazine

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                           

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