Blog Tour: I am Ayah by Donna Hill

Title: I am Ayah

Author: Donna Hill

Genre: Dual Timeline contemporary Historical

Publication Date:  May 23, 2023

Rating : 💥💥💥💥💥

About the Book

Set amid Sag Harbor’s vibrant African American history, bestselling author Donna Hill weaves a stunningly rich story about finding the way home…no matter how long the journey takes.

Alessandra Fleming has spent most of her life running from her past. Her budding photography career, her life in Manhattan, all serve to distract from the secrets and guilt she’s never been able to face. Then the call. Her estranged father is in the hospital…and Alessandra must return home to Sag Harbor, crumbling the first wall between her past and her present.

For some, coming home is a relief. For Alessandra, it’s a reminder of the family she’s lost, of the time she’ll never regain. But the answers—the secrets—of her family are hidden in the house, waiting for her. And the only one who may be able to help her uncover them is her father’s neighbor, Zach, who brings with him an attraction that’s intense and instantaneous, yet oddly familiar.

Now Alessandra is being pulled back not only into her own complex family history, but into the richly documented lives of four extraordinary women. Generations touched by tragedy and triumph, despair and hope. And it’s in these aching echoes of the past that Alessandra’s own story—her mistakes and her capacity to love—will take shape, guiding her to the life she’s meant to live…and the extraordinary person she will become.

My review 

The word home usually means one of two things. It's either a place of happiness or sadness/tragedy. For Alessandra Fleming, it happens to be the latter. She left at 18 and has been living her life in New York until she is forced to return to her roots At Sag Harbor after her father suffers a life changing event. While there, She comes across some information that will change her life and she will eventually end up on a path of lessons, secrets and self discovery.

Told in two time periods, I am Ayah will take you on a journey that will make you look at your life in a different way and possibly your own self discovery and healing and how events in life eventually come to full circle. It will pull on your heart strings with unforgettable characters that you will want to hold on to forever. This is an amazing story that I will not soon forget. It makes me even that more ready to look into my family's history This is one of those books that need to be read by everyone.

About the Author

My official writing career began in 1987 when my first short story was published. My first novel, Rooms of the Heart was published in 1990. Since then there have been a slew of books and short stories that I've had published, from romance to women's fiction, chic-lit, erotica and mysteries. I enjoy them all. Three of my novels were adapted for television so that was exciting. I've had the honor of conceptualizing and editing several collections: After the Vows, Midnight Clear, Where There's a Will, Indecent Exposure, and The Hot Spot. I currently teach at Medgar Evers College and live in Brooklyn, NY with my family.

Blog Tour: The Young and Luxurious by Lula White

 Title:  The Young and Luxurious, Love and Fire

Author: Lula White

Genre: Women's Fiction with romantic elements

Publication Date:  April 16, 2023

Rating:  💣💣💣💣💣

About the Book:

Korienne
LA lawyer. Leader. Power player.

After Prosecutor Korienne Haughton has spent years sacrificing marriage and a family, to be the epitome of black excellence, at last, she’s leaving the Los Angeles D.A.'s office.

And sweet, unhindered love with Easton Worthen awaits her. As well as her real dreams of starting a lifestyle brand empire.

But the last day Kori is set to head for bliss, the murder of an LAPD police officer brings rage and a firestorm from the courtroom into hers and Easton’s bed.

Now for the final time, Kori faces her toughest trial yet—what’s more important to her?

Excellence, or Easton?


Easton
Handsome, accomplished, and born into a wealthy family, Easton Worthen seems to have it all: Money, a thriving law practice, and at long last, the woman of his dreams.

Until scandal rocks the Worthen family, and East’s love for Kori is thrown into the middle.

He’s been delaying an inevitable showdown with his father for years. Now, with the city revolting against them, their family’s vast empire is on the line. Easton must finally face the most consequential choice of his life.

In the City of Angels, is Kori and Easton’s bond strong enough to ride through trial and tribulation on angels’ wings?

My Review:

When I first read the title, It immediately gave me a soap opera vibes from back in the day.  And once I cracked it open and started reading it, it didn't disappoint.  Boy, the drama was no joke in this book, and I am so here for all of it.  As tired as I was, I refused to go to sleep until i had completely finished this captivating read.  And the secrets that ended up being revealed, baby, there was nothing like it.  And I at one point agreed with Easton, but I totally understood why Korienne did what she did.  At some point, I will have to go back to the author's back list and check out her other books.  Wow, I'm still a bit lost for words.

About the Author:

Lula White was born and raised in the American South and now lives in Southern California. She loves foreign countries, cabins in the woods, sunsets on lakes, and dinners overlooking water. Writing has been her life since childhood, paying her way through college and sustaining her career as a lawyer. Now her narratives dissect the nuanced lives of Black professionals and the Black elite. With complexity and an open mind, Lula weaves ambition, money and prominence with the rigors of Black love and community.

Blog Tour: The Secret Summer Promise by Keah Brown

 

Title: The Secret Summer Promise

Author: Keah Brown

Genre: YA

Publisher: Levine Querido

Release Date:  June 6, 2023

Rating: 💣💣💣💣

About the Book:

THE BSE (Best Summer Ever) LIST!

1. Blueberries

2. Art show in ShoeHorn

3. Lizzo concert

4. Thrift shop pop-up

5. Skinny Dipping at the lake house

6. Amusement Park Day!

7. Drew Barrymarathon

8. Paintball day

Oh, and ….

9. Fall out of love with Hailee

Andrea Williams has got this. The Best Summer Ever. Last summer, she spent all her time in bed, recovering from the latest surgery for her cerebral palsy. She’s waited too long for adventure and thrills to enter her life. Together with her crew of ride-or-die friends, and the best parents anyone could ask for (just don’t tell them that), she’s going to live it up.

There’s just one thing that could ruin it: Her best friend, Hailee, finding out Andrea’s true feelings. So Andrea WILL fall out of love with Hailee–even if it means dating the cute boy George who keeps showing up everywhere with a smile.

Do we want Andrea to succeed? No! Does she? We’re not telling!

My Review:

17 year old Andrea is determined to live it up this summer, since this time last year, she wad to have surgery due to her disability.  She decides to make a list of that is most important to her (as a list girlie, I'm the same way).  The only issue with her list is that she has recently come out bisexual, and has more than just a friend feelings toward her best friend, Haillee.  As teenagers do, there is a lot of feelings and miscommunication, and the friendship circle gets tested and decisions have to be made.

They are teenagers, so they're going to act their age and not adults, which is one thing I really liked about the book.  I had to keep it in the front of my mind of their age, and that we all acted that silly at that age.  I also enjoyed how her disability was presented in a positive light in the story   And one of the best parts was when the ah ha moment came.  That lessons  is one that adults can learn from as well.  This was a cute summer read, and I enjoyed it very much.  

About the Author:

Keah Brown is a journalist, author, and screenwriter. She is the creator of #DisabledAndCute, and her work has appeared in Teen Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire UK, and The New York Times, among other publications. Her debut essay collection The Pretty One (Atria Books) published in 2019, and her writing has appeared in the anthologies Disability Visibility edited by Alice Wong and You Are Your Best Thing, edited by Tarana Burke and Brené Brown.

Sharee Miller is the author-illustrator of Princess Hair, Don't Touch My Hair!, and Michelle's Garden (Little Brown for Young Readers). She is also the illustrator of The Shai and Emmie series, written by Quvenzhané Wallis and Nancy Ohlin (Simon and Schuster). Her colorful, happy characters are created using watercolor, colored pencil and pen.  --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Blog Tour: Zora Books her Happy ever After by Taj McCoy

 Title: Zora Books her Happy Ever After

Author: Taj McCoy

Genre:Black Love Romantic comedy Love Triangle.

Publication Date:  April 25, 2023

Rating:  💣💣💣💣💣

About the Book:

A heart-pounding, curvy romance about an indie bookstore owner who finds herself in a love triangle when she meets the author she's had a crush on for years...and his best friend.

Zora has committed every inch of her life to establishing her thriving DC bookstore, making it into a pillar of the community, and she just hasn’t had time for romance. But when a mystery author she’s been crushing on for years agrees to have an event at her store, she starts to rethink her priorities. Lawrence is every bit as charming as she imagined, even if his understanding of his own books seems just a bit shallow. When he asks her out after his reading, she’s almost elated enough to forget about the grumpy guy who sat next to her making snide comments all evening. Apparently the grouch is Lawrence’s best friend, Reid, but she can’t imagine what kind of friendship that must be. They couldn’t be more different.

But as she starts seeing Lawrence, and spending more and more time with Reid, Zora finds first impressions can be deceiving. Reid is smart and thoughtful—he’s also interested. After years of avoiding dating, she suddenly has two handsome men competing for her affection. But even as she struggles to choose between them, she can’t shake the feeling that they’re both hiding something—a mystery she’s determined to solve before she can find her HEA.

My Review:

I fell in love with this authors writing last year when I first read Savvy Sheldon feels good as Hell, and I have been a fan ever since.  And this book is no exception.  Zora is loving life with her bookstore thriving.  But she has a dilemma.  She has two men vying for her interest.  Lawrence, one of her favorite authors, and his best friend, Reid, a teacher.  She dates them both (with them eventually knowing about it, ) and will have to come to a decision as to who is the one she wants. 

First off, can we appreciate how pro black this book is.  from Zora and her love interest, to all of the side characters, and the constant desire to support black owned business through out the entire book was amzing.  At the beginning, I was Team Lawrence.  Reid did not make a good first impression.  But as I continued to read, Lawrence really worked my nerve and I might have called him out of his name a time or two.  I switched to team Reid.  And that plot twist had my jaw right on the ground.  I was flabbergasted.  And with Zora being a curvy woman and proud of it, this book allowed me and women like me to see ourselves.  Exceptional job.

About the Author:

Oakland-born law grad, Taj McCoy, is committed to writing stories championing Black and biracial women of color, plus-sized protagonists, Black love, Black joy, and characters with a strong sense of sisterhood and familial bonds.

Taj started writing as a small child, enjoying the success of her first publications in elementary school. Since then, her dream has always been to become a professional writer. As a law student, she attempted her first novels and joined the Twitter writing community. Though Taj has spent more than ten years working in higher education administration, she continued to pursue her goal and ultimately finished her first novel in 2018, securing her agent in 2019.

When she’s not writing, Taj may be on Twitter boosting other marginalized writers, trying to zen out in yoga, sharing recipes on her website, binge-watching her favorite reality tv, or cooking private supper club meals for close friends. Catch her producing and co-hosting the Fat Like Me Podcast, which celebrates body diversity in publishing and entertainment, or watch her join forces with several writer friends on Sundays for the Better Than Brunch video podcast. When time permits, she serves as the #DVdebut Program Manager for Diverse Voices, Inc. and as a mentor for 2020 Pitch Wars.

Blog Tour: The Wrong Seat by Natasha Frazier

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Wrong Seat by Natasha D. Frazier, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Wrong Seat
Series: Langston Sisters series #2
Author: Natasha D. Frazier
Publisher: Encouraging Works
Release Date: April 6, 2023
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Life doesn't return to normal for the Langston Sisters...

Compelled to get her family’s business back on solid ground after Crystal's arrest tanks their company's sales and reputation, Ava shoulders the responsibility to secure the biggest deal Langston Brands has had since inception. However, someone doesn’t like the idea and poisons her to thwart her mission. 

Ava’s father hires The Four Kings private security firm to protect Ava from the ongoing threats. When Zack Kingsland takes the job, he does so reluctantly. He’s been out of the field for five years since his last job cost him his ex-wife. Now that he’s back in the thick of things, he finds that he not only needs to protect Ava, but also his heart. 

A man of his word, Zack won’t compromise his assignment or Ava’s safety, not even for the growing feelings he has for her. How can Ava and Zack navigate their feelings without losing sight of the mission—to keep her safe? 

The Wrong Seat (Ava's story) is book 2 in The Langston Sisters series.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookDepository | BookBub

More Books in This Series

Rating:  💣💣💣💣💣

My Review:  

Ava Langston has the middle child issues, and is continually trying to prove herself to her family while working in the family business.  But there is someone out to get her.  The Head of the family, Mr. Langston.  decides to hire a firm to keep all the girls, but mostly Ava safe until they find out who is out to destroy the family business.  

Zach has his demons, and is determined to not fall in love with Ava, but it fails.  The two are able to keep it professional, but a misunderstanding could destroy what they want to eventually build.

This is one of my favorites in this genre and I absolutely loved this book.  It was a ride and I was not able to figure it out until near the end.  Although it doesn't bother me, it's also not too preachy.  I was drawn from the first word, and could not put it down until the very end.  Although it's part of a series, its a stand alone.  I can't wait for the final book in the series.

I received a copy of the book via Just Read Tours and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions.  

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About the Author

Natasha D. Frazier fell in love with love around the age of twelve because of artists like Babyface, Boys II Men, Whitney Houston, and New Edition. Around sixteen when her mother purchased a romance novel and left it lying around the house untouched, Natasha read it and a spark for the written word had been ignited.

Natasha believes that writing is one of her purposes and contributions to the world. She feels accomplished when she can get a few words written and like blah when life gets in the way. Her hope is that at the end of every novel, readers will feel like they’ve been wrapped in a cozy blanket with a mug of their favorite coffee/tea/warm drink. 

When she isn’t reading or writing, she is likely watching movies with her family. Natasha resides in Richmond, TX with her husband, Eddie Frazier, Jr. and their three children, Eden, Ethan, and Emilyn. Her greatest joy and commitment is to her family who she hopes to inspire above all else. One of her many mottos in life is: Faith removes limitations. Natasha and her family attend Parkway Fellowship in Richmond, TX, where she volunteers as a small group leader for elementary students. Natasha is also a member of the Houston Area Alumni Chapter of Jackson State University and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. 

Connect with Natasha by visiting natashafrazier.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a The Wrong Seat swag box and $10 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 4, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 11, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Blog Tour: Not So Perfect Strangers by L. S. Stratton

 Title:  Not So Perfect Strangers

Author: L. S. Stratton

Genre:  Thriller

Publication Date: 3/28/2023

Rating: 💣💣💣💣💣

About the Book:

One fateful encounter upends the lives of two women in this tense domestic thriller, a modern spin on Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers On A Train that flips the script on race and gender politics.
 
“I’m a big believer that women should help each other, Tasha,” she says. “Don’t you think?”

Tasha Jenkins has finally found the courage to leave her abusive husband. Taking her teenage son with her, Tasha checks into a hotel the night before their flight out of D.C. and out of Kordell Jenkins’s life forever. But escaping isn’t so easy, and Tasha soon finds herself driving back to her own personal hell. As she is leaving, a white woman pounds on her car window, begging to be let in. Behind the woman, an angry man is in pursuit. Tasha makes a split-second decision that will alter the course of her life: she lets her in and takes off. 
 
Tasha and Madison Gingell may have very different everyday realities, but what they have in common is marriages they need out of. The two women want to help each other, but they have very different ideas of what that means . . .
 
They are on a collision course that will end in the case files of the D.C. MPD homicide unit. Unraveling the truth of what really happened may be impossible‒and futile. Because what has the truth ever done for women like Tasha and Madison?

My Review:

Trigger/content Warnings: Domestic Abuse/Violence, Religious Abuse/Trauma, SA, Murder, Emotional Abuse

Wow.  That was all I could say when I finished this book.  I could not put it down once I started.  And I found myself saying Damn, did that really happen several times throughout the story.  This book joined the ranks of some of the great thriller/suspense stories I've read just this year.  The pacing was just right, and I could not guess the ending.  I was extremely shocked by the time I got to the end of the book.  I was just not expecting that.  And some of the racial aspects the author pointed out was how it usually is, so that was a big plus in my book.  This was such a masterful tale with a cast of characters that will not be forgotten any time soon.  This author has and will always be in one of my autobuy piles.  Such an extraordinary read.

About the Author:

L.S. Stratton is a NAACP Image Award-nominated author and former crime newspaper reporter who has written more than a dozen books under different pen names in just about every genre from thrillers to romance to historical fiction. She currently lives in Maryland with her husband, their daughter, and their tuxedo cat.

Blog tour That dangerous Energy

 Title:. That Dangerous Energy

Author: Aya de Leon

Genre: Suspence/Thriller

Release Date:  December 22, 2022

Rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

About the Book

Coming from a troubled youth, Morgan Faraday grabs every opportunity to up-level her life. So she definitely plans to keep oil company heir Sebastian Reid interested . . . all the way to the altar. He’s brilliant, supportive, and is turning his billion-dollar company green to make up for his ancestors’ exploitation. With him, Morgan can have love, money, and the power to make the world better. And securing her future is far more important than the attractive environmental activist she suddenly has unexpected feelings for . . 

But once Morgan gets a glimpse of Sebastian’s secret allies and confidential emails, she’s stunned to find he’s only talking a good game. His company is responsible for several ecological disasters, and a chance encounter makes it clear to Morgan the lengths he’ll go to stay on top. To gather enough evidence to expose him, Morgan will have to rely on her quick wits and new friends to stay one step ahead of a corporate conspiracy. But as the danger comes closer, will Morgan put herself first and run—or face down the risk, even at her cost of her life?

My Review:

Baby, let me tell you, I did not want to put this book down.  Right from the very beginning, the storyline had me hooked and did not let go.  Not even at the end.  It was a faced paced and exciting read.  The development of the characters was mindblowing.  These characters will stay embed in my mind for a long time.  Books like this is why this author will be in my always support/buy pile.  If you love suspence stories with a fast pace, then you need to check this book out.  Be sure to check it out

I received a copy of the book via NetGalley and Kensington Books and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions 

About the Author

Aya de Leon teaches creative writing at UC Berkeley. Kensington Books publishes her Justice Hustlers feminist heist novels, UPTOWN THIEF (2016), THE BOSS (2017), THE ACCIDENTAL MISTRESS (2018), and in 2019 SIDE CHICK NATION the first novel to be published about the hurricane in Puerto Rico. She has received acclaim in the Washington Post, Village Voice, SF Chronicle, and The Establishment. A graduate of Harvard College, with an MFA from Antioch University, Aya has been an artist in residence at Stanford University, a Cave Canem poetry fellow, and a slam poetry champion. She publicly married herself in the 90s, and from 1995 to 2012 hosted an annual Valentine’s Day show that focused on self-love. Her work has also appeared in Ebony, Essence, Guernica, Writers Digest, Huffington Post, Catapult, The Root, The Toast, VICE, Ploughshares, Bitch Magazine, on Def Poetry, and she's an advice columnist for Mutha Magazine. In 2020, Kensington will publish her first spy novel about FBI infiltration of an African American political organization. She is currently at work on a YA spy girl series featuring African American and Latina teens called GOING DARK, as well as a picture book to help talk to children about racism. She blogs and tweets about race, gender, and culture at @AyadeLeon and ayadeleon.com