Tag Archives: legacy

March 28, 2013 · 3:24 am

Get You Good Virtual Book Tour

Interview with Author Rhonda Bowen

Tell us about your current book?

Get You Good is the story of Sydney Isaacs and her rather dysfunctional family. When we meet her she seems like a successful enough woman with a growing business. But the more time we spend with her the more we realize that there is a lot of family dysfunction and resentment in her life that nobody is dealing with. And then Sheree enters the picture. She is Sydney’s new sister-in-law who in a short period of time manages not only to upset the relationships in the family, but also to totally destroy Sydney’s business and her family legacy. When Sydney and her sister Lissandra decide to make things right, they cross over from what is wrong to what is very wrong, and that is where the excitement begins.

What came first with this story, the characters or the plot? Why?

I think the characters came first for this one. From the outset I knew I wanted to write a story about family, particularly about siblings. I was going through some things with my own sibling at the time and writing about that kind of relationship was a bit therapeutic for me. At the time I was also reading the book of Genesis in the Bible and the relationships between Jacob’s children was fascinating for me. I ended up building the story around the idea of a family like theirs.

What has surprised you most about becoming a published author?

How much pressure I feel to write a book that is better than my last one. Before I got published my main goal was to get published. It was clear and simple. But now I worry about whether my next novel will be as good as my last one, whether my readers will like it, whether it will be good for my publisher and whether it will sell more than the last one. I didn’t consider those issues before I got published.

What aspect of writing do you love the best, and which do you hate the most?

I love the writing itself, especially when you get to that point in the story where you know where it is going and the lines are coming faster than you can type them. Those are the moments when I feel most like a writer. I think I like least the business side of things, particularly planning and doing promotion. I love talking to readers about my books, but everything in between sometimes stresses me out.

Can you give us one do and one don’t for those aspiring to be a writer? Do read craft books about writing. No matter how good you think you are, no matter whether you have a contract in the works or not, no matter how many conferences you have been to, it is important to always look for opportunities to improve your writing skills. Craft books like The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman and Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne and King are priceless.

Don’t ever send your manuscript to a publisher or agent without editing it at least three times or having someone (credible!) edit it for you. You love your story and you think it’s great which means that you will be blind to its flaws. The more you look at it however, the more you will see inconsistencies in your characters, holes in your plot as well as simple grammatical mistakes. It is even better if an outside person takes a look at it, because they will come at it with fresh eyes. The best way to get yourself into the slush pile of an agent or publisher is to have a novel with a weak opening and chocked full of typos and poor sentence construction. Chances are the person you sent it to won’t even read past the first page.

When you’re not writing, what do you like to do in your spare time?

I love being outdoors and being active, so in the summer I go hiking, go camping and play netball. In the winter I tend to experiment with indoor activities like yoga, zumba and socacize. Anything to keep moving!
What’s next for you?
I am currently working on my next novel, which is based on several of the characters from GET YOU GOOD. This the story is more about one character’s personal choices and how that affects her future, or what she thinks her future is supposed to be. I am already excited about it!

Where can visitors find you online?Definitely at my website, rhondabowen.com. Readers can also find me on facebook at facebook.com/MsRhondie. But the surest way to reach me is via email at Rhonda.bowen@yahoo.com. I always respond to that.

About the Book
Sydney Isaacs has two priorities: her family, and Decadent, the gourmet pastry business they founded almost three generations ago. But both are in jeopardy when her brother, Dean, announces his sudden marriage to the conniving Sheree Vern. Furthermore Dean’s inheritance of the ownership of Decadent from their father, despite Dean’s lack of interest, leaves Sydney with few options. Now Dean and Sheree are selling the store to finance his music dreams—or so Dean believes… Thanks to Sheree, Dean’s plans, the business, and his marriage, soon implode in ways he never expected—leaving Sydney determined to salvage whatever she can and fix the mess left behind. Her only solace is her romance with Hayden Windsor. But Hayden is Sheree’s half brother and it doesn’t take long for Sydney to wonder: what if Hayden knew about Sheree’s scheming all along? Soon Sydney creates a deception of her own to find out the truth. Her strategy is working, until the consequences threaten to destroy everything she values most—including her faith. Overcome with guilt, can she make things right with her brother, with Hayden, and with God?

About the Author

Rhonda Bowen is a writer and event planner living in Toronto. She enjoys spending time with her family, trying on shoes she can’t afford, and enjoying life’s unexpected twists and turns. You can reach her by dropping a note in the comment box below or emailing her directly at rhonda.bowen@yahoo.com
Purchase the Book Online at:
Amazon.com
BarnesandNoble.com

Visit the author online at:
rhonda.bowen@yahoo.com

View the blog tour schedule at:
http://tywebbinvirtualevents.com/xdHYy

The Guilt Trip Blog Tour

Book Trailer

http://youtu.be/Lz9rhR9qj0o

About the Author

Pat is best known for her Guilty series: Guilty of Love, Not Guilty of Love, and Still Guilty. She is continuing the series through the Jamieson Family Legacy trilogy: Guilty by Association, The Guilt Trip, and Free From Guilt. Pat has recently been nominated for the best Christian fiction award by the African American Literary Awards for her latest release, Crowning Glory.

Pat and her husband live in Missouri and have two children. Find out more about the series at TheJamiesonLegacy.com or visit the author online at patsimmons.net.

About the Book

Aaron Jamieson is living a carefree life. He’s good-looking, respectable when he’s in the mood, but his weakness is women. When a woman tries to ambush him with a pregnancy, he takes off in the other direction. Responsibility as an option is something he learned from his absentee father.

Talise Rogers has a bright future ahead of her. She’s pretty and has no problem catching a man’s eye, which is exactly what she does with Ace. Their chemistry is undeniable and their passion explosive. Trapping Ace is the furthest thing from Talise’s mind, when she learns she is pregnant. She is determined to be a good parent.

When Ace rejects her she lets him know, ” I want nothing from you Ace, not even your name,” and she means it. But Ace’s big brother and cousins don’t plan to let the child who represents the twelfth generation descendant of a royal African tribe leave the fold. Whether Ace decides to accept his responsibility or not, his family embraces Talise and baby. As for Ace, they turn him over to the LORD. How long will he be able to endure the guilt trip he’s experiencing because of his choices? What will it take for him to accept responsibility and turn from following in his father’s footsteps?

About the Series

The Jamieson Family Legacy series follows the lives of the two Jamieson brothers in Boston, Kidd and Ace and their cousin Cameron from St. Louis. Kidd, the older brother, is struggling with anger and resentment issues toward his absentee father who never married his mother, but had the audacity to demand his illegitimate sons carry his last name Jamieson. Ace, on the other hand, is on a collision course with disaster as he shows how much a “chip off the old block” he is when it comes to women. Their highly educated MIT graduate cousin, Cameron Jamieson, is all about saving his family from self-destruction. Through genealogy research, Cameron’s mission is to show his cousins their worth as eleventh generation descendants of a royal African tribe and give them a choice: to be angry black men or accept the challenge to become strong successful black men.

The Jamieson men in this three book series are challenged with accepting that the past and the present are both in God’s hand. Without Him they can’t move forward toward their future blessings. The bonus storyline is one that progresses the story of the much-loved Grandma B.B. character from the author’s previous Guilt books and her new sidekick, Mrs. Valentine.

Purchase the Book Online at:

Amazon.com

BarnesandNoble.com

For More Information

Visit the author online at:

www.patsimmons.net

twitter.com@patsimmons

facebook.com/patsimmonsauthor.

View the blog tour schedule at :

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

Please enter Pat’s Book giveaway contest!

To enter, leave your name and address in the comment section AND answer the following question

List the titles of Pat Simmons books you have read.

Winners will be chosen June 30, 2012.

Guilty by Association Virtual Book Tour with Pat Simmons

The Jamieson Family Legacy series follow the lives of two Jamieson brothers in Boston, Kidd and Ace, and their cousin, Cameron, from St. Louis. The older brother, Kidd, is struggling with anger and resentment issues toward his absentee father who never married his mother. Yet, he had the audacity to demand his illegitimate sons carry his Jamieson name. Ace, on the other hand, is on his collision course to be a chip off the old block when it comes to women. Their highly MIT educated cousin, Cameron Jamieson, is all about saving family from self-destruction. Through genealogy research, Cameron’s mission is to show his cousins their worth as the eleventh generation descendants of a royal African tribe and to give them a choice: live with the stereotypical “angry black men” syndrome or to crush any obstacles that try and stop them to become strong successful black men.

Interview Questions by Linda Fegins

What inspired or lead to you writing a series?

Readers. As a debut author in 2007, I didn’t know if I would make the cut, but the readers were very supportive, so the birth of the Jamieson men began and is still going strong. I think readers welcome the portrayal of strong black positive Christian men who know how to handle any negative situation. Also, Grandma BB’s antics with her Stacy Adams shoes proved to be the comedy relief in the stories. The readers loved her too.

Who is your favorite character and why?

Parke Jamieson VI is a fan favorite, but in Guilty by Association, it’s Kidd, who has just as much attitude. He gives Parke a run for his money. I cast my vote for Kidd because he represents the complexity within of all us and how God can heal our spiritual deficit.

How do you go about developing your characters?

I observe people—their expressions, mannerisms, dress, features, and then I pull out what I like and dislike about them. That helps me to build a character that is rounded with weaknesses and strengths that readers can identify. I also interview people who have experienced what my characters are going through.

How did you determine the overall theme or 40 elevator pitch for this story?

LOL. In the writing industry, people call it an elevator pitch, but in news, which is my background, we call it the lead sentence. Broadcasters use it to entice the viewers to stay tuned. I learned the importance of the elevator pitch after I started going on book tours. I only had a short window to capture their interest before they moved on. Now, I create a lead sentence or pitch, sometimes, before I write the book. My pitch for Guilty by Association is actually 27 words: “To Parke Jamieson VI, the tenth generation descendant of a royal African tribe, the name means everything. To his cousin, Kidd Jamieson, his name means absolutely nothing.” A person would know genealogy or royalty is involved, and ask what happened to cause the conflict between the two.

Do you outline your book first or do you just writing?

Give us an ideal of how you write and develop your book? I’ll be the first to lift my hand and say, “I hate the outline process.” BUT if you don’t have a book deal, get used to it. It’s a must when submitting a proposal to prospective publishers. They review every piece of paper in that proposal. However, I don’t always complete them before I start with the story. Usually by the sixth chapter, I’m free styling. The writer has to know the direction she wants to go and there has to be a smooth transition. Sometimes, you can’t tell that from an outline—or let me say I couldn’t get it. In the third book in the Jamieson Legacy, Free from Guilt, I tried to do an outline because of my tight writing deadline. After a few days, I realized I was wasting writing time because I couldn’t get pass five chapters, so I began to write the novel. I completed ten chapters (short chapters, maybe five pages), and from there I was able to complete the outline, but it took me to write fifty or so pages to know how to complete a 300 page book. Yay. Transition is IMPORTANT. It gives your novel a good flow.

Any writing suggestion or tips, strategies for writing a book?

1. Read your competition’s work. Know what you like about author A and what you don’t like about author B. Ask yourself where does your writing fit. For example, early in my published career, I was reading a novel and the author kept injecting into her character’s conversation, “I don’t want anything to happen to us…” Sure enough, on the next page, something happened. The story became so predictable. She was giving the reader the heads up too many times. I went back through my manuscript to make sure I wasn’t making the same mistake.

2. Know the general story in your head: how it begins, major scenes, and how it ends. Once you get it on paper, secure the services of an editor (I use Chandra Sparks Taylor), but there are other ones out there. Make sure they have edited for authors and the editor should provide a free sample edit. 3. Attend a writer’s conference (and there are many) that has the editors, agents, and publishing houses that represent your genre. Here are a few: RT Booklovers Convention, Romance Slam Jam, ACFW, RWA.

Who is your favorite Christian author and why? What skills, if any have you learned from the person? My favorite?

That is never an easy answer for me. The very first African-American Christian romance author I discovered was Aisha Ford. I loved how she weaved scriptures into the story line. I do that in my novels. I’m learning how to insert them better, so my novels don’t come across as preachy. Right now, Vanessa Miller has become a good friend and mentor. She has taught me how to master the art of writing faster with confidence. I think she writes in her sleep.

What is your favorite author in any genre and why?

Wow. What a loaded question. I’m always excited about any projects Henry Louis Gates publishes, probably because I touch on genealogy in my books. Key word is “touch”. I don’t come close to the research he does and uncover invaluable information.

About the Book

There are three books in the Jamieson Legacy series: Guilty by Association (Kidd’s story), The Guilt Trip (Ace’s story), and Free from Guilt (Cameron’s story). Each of the three Jamieson men have to accept that their past and present are in God’s hand, and without Him they can’t advance to their future blessings. The bonus storyline in Guilty by Association is one that progresses the story of the much-loved character in the previous three book Guilty Series, Grandma BB. This time, she picks up a sidekick Mrs. Valentine.

Guilty by Association is the story of Boston bad boy Kevin “Kidd” Jamieson. His gripe is with his father who dared to insist that his two illegitimate sons carry his last name. To add insult to injury, the man never bothered to stick around to provide love and guidance as his boys matured into men. Kidd’s anger overflows into every area of his life. As his animosity festers, Kidd becomes as a roaring lion, seeking whatever and whomever he can devour. He’s as gritty as his cousin in St. Louis, Parke Jamieson VI, is polished. The two strong-willed men clash when Kidd relocates to St. Louis where his cousin assures him it’s a land of milk and money in job opportunities. Where is lands a job is far from it.

Through a series of events that involve Grandma BB, her dog named Silent Killer and her Stacy Adams shoes, Kidd meets two women who recognize his hostile tendencies and immediately begin to administer CPR to his soul. LPN Eva Savoy eventually becomes his “Eve,” a woman God created from the underlying goodness hidden in Kidd’s own heart.

Reluctantly, Kidd allows Parke to divulge information about their royal family heritage. While everyone’s care and compassion begins to smother Kidd, he struggles to keep up the bad boy attitude as his walls start to crumble. Kidd learns it’s not his association with the name that identifies him, but the man he becomes that defines him.

About the Author

Pat Simmons is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth. She is passionate about digging up the dirt on her ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her novels. She has been a genealogy enthusiast since her great-grandmother died at the young age of ninety-seven years old. Pat has won numerous awards for her novels which include: Talk to Me, Grace and Humility and Still Guilty, which was voted the Best Inspirational Romance for 2010. Pat is best known for her Guilty series: Guilty of Love, Not Guilty of Love, and Still Guilty. She is continuing the series through the Jamieson Family Legacy trilogy: Guilty by Association, The Guilt Trip, Free From Guilt. Pat has recently been nominated for the best Christian fiction award by the African American Literary Awards for her latest release, Crowning Glory. Pat and her husband live in Missouri and have two children. Visit Patricia at:

www.patsimmons.net

twitter.com@patsimmons

facebook.com/patsimmonsauthor.

Book Review by Linda Fegins

Pat Simmons wonderfully crafted a clever tale about the Jamieson family’s determination to preserve a rich heritage and the desire of one of them to reject any association with that legacy and to distance his association with the Lord. It is a story of faith, love and family reconciliation. Without being preachy, the book subtly addresses the dismal affects of fathers being absent from the lives of their families. Thus, men who have no relationship with their father or responsible mentors struggle with many manhood issues which influence how they relate to women, family, their children and society. The book provides a message of hope and healing as “Kidd” ,after overcomig his emotional struggles and stubbornness, learns to trust God as his Father and to understand the true meaning of family and love. I am looking forward to the next book as I thoroughly enjoyed Guilty by Association.

View the blog tour schedule at :

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