Book tour and Review: Do What Godmother Says by L. S. Stratton

 Title:. Do What Godmother Says

Author: L. S. Stratton

Genre:  Thriller

Publisher:

Publication Date:  June 11, 2024

Rating:  💥💥💥💥💥

About the Book

A modern-day writer and a Harlem Renaissance artist are connected by a painting with a deadly secret in this gripping dual-timeline gothic thriller. 
 
Shanice Pierce knows better than to heed bad omens. But she has a hard time ignoring the signs when she finds herself newly single and out of a job on the same seemingly cursed day.

Then, while cleaning out her grandmother’s house, Shanice comes across a painting she hasn’t seen in years. Drawn to the haunting portrait in a way she can't explain, Shanice accepts her grandmother’s offer to keep the family heirloom.

She soon uncovers the story of the artist, a Harlem Renaissance painter named Estelle Johnson. The young woman was taken under wing by the wealthy art patron Maude Bachmann—or “Godmother” as she insisted her artists call her—and vanished shortly after Bachmann’s brutal murder a century ago.

My Thoughts 

I have been into thrillers in the past several years, especially those by Black and other margalanized authors,  and I have been enjoying them so much.  Those book joins that rank.  I completely devoured this story and enjoyed every minute of it.  It was such an exciting and mesmerizing ride and the chokehold it had on me.  And add to it that it's a dual timeline adds to the excitement of the story.   What a ride and I can't wait for the author's next book.

About the Author 

L. S. Stratton is an 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 and review: Eagle Rock by Dr. Ian K. Smith

 

Title:  Eagle Rock

Author:  Dr. Ian K. Smith

Genre:  Mystery

Publication Date:  August 6, 2024

Publisher:  Amistad/Harper Collins

Rating:  💥💥💥💥

About the book:

Billionaire Elliott Kantor, who ruled over a mammoth real estate portfolio in Chicago, was a creature of habit. His trainer came to his house three mornings every week for a five-thirty workout. By six-thirty he was in the car and his driver drove him down into the city where he’d get a shave and trim from his barber every morning, then head over to his offices on Wacker. He always ate breakfast at his desk, had two young assistants who tended to his every whim and demand, then spent all day in and out of meetings growing a business that had already made him one of the wealthiest men in the country. 

There were few surprises in his world. Or so everyone thought, until Kantor died in his sleep at age 77, leaving behind a vast fortune and grieving wife, son, and five grandchildren.

When Simon Kantor enlists Ashe Cayne to explore his father's death, the probing private investigator learns there was plenty of "activities" Elliott participated in after hours, including a sex traffic ring. And as Ashe and readers will discover this is only the beginning, and as our hero dives deeper and deeper into Elliott's hidden world, this may be the end for the intrepid Mr. Cayne.

My thoughts:

This was the first book of this series that I've read and I can't wait to get caught up on my current tbr list so I can get to the others.  This was such an eye opening and exciting read that kept me engaged from start to finish.  And to be honest, I learned a lot from this book.  The characters were exciting, and the flow of the story just felt right.  and engaging.  And that it was set in one of my favorite cities, Chicago, made it that much more captivating.  I will definitely be on the lookout for future works from this author.  

About the Author

Dr. Ian Smith is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling books, SHRED: THE REVOLUTIONARY DIET, SUPER SHRED: The Big Results Diet, BLAST THE SUGAR OUT, The Clean 20, THE ANCIENT NINE, CLEAN & LEAN and eleven other books with millions of copies in print. His newest novel--THE UNSPOKEN, the first installment of his Ashe Cayne mystery series, is now available. Look for his next revolutionary diet plan FAST BURN!, on sale April 13, 2021.

He is currently the solo host of the nationally syndicated, Emmy award-winning television show

THE DOCTORS, and a longtime medical contributor to Emmy award-winning The Rachael Ray Show.

He also served as the medical/diet expert for six seasons on VH1’s highly-rated Celebrity Fit Club. He is the creator and founder of the national health initiatives The 50 Million Pound Challenge and The Makeover Mile. Dr. Smith is the former medical correspondent for NBC News Network and NewsChannel 4 in New York, where he filed reports for NBC Nightly News and The Today Show as well as WNBC's various news broadcasts. He has appeared extensively on numerous broadcasts, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, The View, Dr. Oz, Steve Harvey Show, The Talk, Larry King Live, Anderson Cooper 360, CNN, MSNBC, and many more. He has written for various publications including Time, Newsweek, Men’s Fitness, and the New York Daily News. He has been featured in several other publications including, People, Redbook, Details Magazine, Essence, Ebony, Cosmopolitan, and Black Enterprise.

A highly sought-after speaker, Dr. Smith's work has been honored by several organizations, including the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for his coverage on the momentous events of September 11th, 2001. He is also very active in charitable causes. Dr. Smith has also served on the boards of the American Council on Exercise, the New York Mission Society, the Prevent Cancer Foundation, The New York Council for the Humanities, and The Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity.

Dr. Smith graduated from Harvard College with an AB and received a master’s in science education from Teachers College of Columbia University. He attended Dartmouth Medical School and completed the last two years of his medical education and graduated from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.

Twitter: @DrIanSmith 

Instagram: @DoctorIanSmith 

Websites: www.shredlife.com and www.doctoriansmith.com 

Blog Tour: Rent A Bae by Unoma Nwankwor

 

Title:  Rent A Bae

Author:  Unoma Nwkanwor 

Genre:  Closed Door Christian Romance

Publication date:  June 17, 2022

Publisher:  KevStel Publications

Rating:  💥💥💥💥💥

About the Book

He's an award-winning actor so pulling off this charade should be easy, right? Except he didn't count on his pretend "girl" being... her.

Arinze Kalu
The continuation of the Kalu name lay on my shoulders.
At least that's what my grandmother claims. And she's on a mission to ensure it won't die there.
I wasn't planning on visiting Nigeria anytime soon, so I'd been doing a pretty good job of tap dancing around her threats to find me a wife.
After a scandal that almost engulfed me at the beginning of my career, I'm determined to take my time choosing a partner.
Between establishing my company, filming, press, and traveling for my new movie, I simply don't have that time.
Now, my sister is getting married, and I'll be face to face with my grandmother. If things had worked out with the caramel goddess I met on New Year's Eve, I probably would've been good. Since it didn’t, my cousins suggest I rent a bae.

Jasmine Bowman
My life is a bad horror film and I'm ready to change the channel.
Between my job where I'm overworked, underpaid, and skipped over for promotion and my tired, played-out situation with my boyfriend, something had to give.
Let's not forget Mr. Butterscotch who I met on New Year's Eve. I could've bet money there was a vibe, but I guess not. I tell myself, I don't need him anyway. I need my mind to get the memo because my more immediate priority is to stop being a disappointment to the Bowman name. I'm getting back into the director's seat of my life. The cost, however, isn't cheap. I need money and my best friend has the craziest idea

My thoughts

This was such a beautifully written book.  There were two things that stood out to me that I absolutely loved.  First,  how they were able to go for their dreams, no matter how scary it would be to make that type of change.  And second, there were a lot of diaspora war issues that were dispelled throughout the book.  It makes me really want to travel to the mother land, and I hope I'm able to some day, and reading this makes me want to even that much more.  I definitely am working on getting to the next book in the series.   

About the Author 

Unoma Nwankwor writes Inspirational Contemporary romances that span Africa and its Diaspora. She weaves romantic tales for readers who enjoy stories centered around faith, family, and the rich culture of Africa. Through the pages, she promises you humor, tight hugs, forehead kisses, and above all else, redemptive, sacrificial love.

Her readers are in love with her unique way of telling stories that capture the essence of her present home base in the USA and her Nigerian culture. Unoma wears many hats, but the one she's most proud of is, mother of two kids and wife to her film director husband.

You can catch her writing from the comfort of her bedroom nook with a pack of pepperoni slices and a cup of java.

Keep up with Unoma by joining her newsletter on her website:www.UnomaNwankwor.com

Blog tour and review: Truth be td by Patricia Rayborn

 Title:  Truth be Told

Author:  Patricia Rayborn

Genre:  Historical Mystery

Publication Date:  June 11, 2024

Publisher:  Tyndale House

Rating:  💥💥💥💥

About the Book

Denver's newest detective. A garden's deadly secrets.

On a lovely June night in 1924, amateur detective Annalee Spain is mingling bravely at a high-class political fundraiser in the lush backyard garden of famed political fixer Cooper Coates, one of the wealthiest men in Denver's Black neighborhood of Five Points. When Coates’s young daughter discovers a pretty stranger dead in her father’s garden shed, Annalee is thrust onto the baffling new case just as she’s reeling from another recent discovery―a handwritten letter, found buried in her own garden, that reveals the identity of her mother.

Not ready to face the truth about her hidden past, Annalee throws herself into solving the mystery of the young woman’s demise. With the help of her pastor boyfriend Jack Blake, her orphaned buddy Eddie, and her trustworthy church friends, Annalee follows the clues to three seemingly disconnected settings―a traveling carnival set up downtown, a Black civic club, and a prestigious white seminary on the outskirts of Denver. Intriguing advice also comes from a famous, real-life Denver visitor. But is Annalee on the right track or just running in circles, fleeing from conflicts racing in her heart?

In a taut, heart-gripping narrative driven by secrets, romance, and lies, Annalee must unravel a case with higher stakes than she imagined―one where answers about a lovely woman's death point to truths and tensions still throbbing today.

• A clean historical mystery featuring an amateur female detective, from the Christy Award–winning author of All That Is Secret
• Third installment in the Annalee Spain series
• Includes discussion questions for book groups

My thoughts 

This was such an enjoyable read.  Annalee was determined, and I loved that about her.  I also enjoyed that it contained a small romance arc for us romance stans. There were a lot of twists and turns, and I was not able to guess who did it until the end.  I read the first book in the series, and havent had the chamce to read book 2 in the series, but was able to follow this story with no issues, so it read as a stand alone.  I do plan to go back and read the second book in the series.   

About the Author:  

Patricia Raybon is a Christy Award-winning Colorado author, essayist, and novelist who writes daring and exciting novels and books at the intersection of faith and race. Her devotional writing appears in Our Daily Bread where she's a regular contributor. She also authors the Annalee Spain Mysteries, an exciting "history mystery" featuring a young Black theologian—a fan of Sherlock Holmes—who solves crime and consequence during Colorado's dangerous 1920s Klan years.

- "Readers will be hooked from the first line." Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of "Perennials" on "All That Is Secret: An Annalee Spain Mystery."

- "Brava, Patricia...It is captivating." Jerry B. Jenkins, New York Times Bestselling Author

- "Not only a good mystery, but a realistic insight into the African American experience in the 1920s in the West." Rhys Bowen, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling Author

Patricia's personal essays on faith, family and race have been published in The New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, USA Today, USA Weekend, Chicago Tribune, The Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, the Charles Stanley Ministries In Touch Magazine and featured on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition.

For a deep dive into Patricia's compelling world of faith and fiction, connect with her daring and insightful books—and receive a free download of her "Busy Person's Guide to Hearing God"—at patriciaraybon.com

Blog Tour and Review: The Color of a Lie by Kim Johnson

 Title:  The Color Of A Lie

Author:  Kim Johnson

Genre:  Historical 

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers 

Publication Date:  June 11, 2024

Rating:  💥💥💥💥💥

About the Book

In 1955, a Black family passes for white and moves to a “Whites Only” town in the suburbs. Caught between two worlds, a teen boy puts his family at risk as he uncovers racist secrets about his suburb. A new social justice thriller from the acclaimed author of This Is My America!

Calvin knows how to pass for white. He's done it plenty of times before. For his friends in Chicago, when they wanted food but weren't allowed in a restaurant. For work, when he and his dad would travel for the Green Book.

This is different.

After a tragedy in Chicago forces the family to flee, they resettle in an idyllic all-white suburban town in search of a better life. Calvin's father wants everyone to embrace their new white lifestyles, but it's easier said than done. Hiding your true self is exhausting—which leads Calvin across town where he can make friends who know all of him...and spend more time with his new crush, Lily. But when Calvin starts unraveling dark secrets about the white town and its inhabitants, passing starts to feel even more suffocating—and dangerous—than he could have imagined.

Expertly weaving together real historical events with important reflections on being Black in America, acclaimed author Kim Johnson powerfully connects listeners to the experience of being forced to live a life-threatening lie or embrace an equally deadly truth.

My Thoughts

Wow.  This was such an emotionally charged and powerful book.  It was emotional and many times heart shattering.  This is the type of stories, our history that a certain colonizer demographic is trying to keep from being told.  I have the author's first book, and after this, i really need to get that one read sooner rather than later (hopefully).  It was the right mix of a fictional story with many facts woven in.  Although I was sent a digital copy, I ended up purchasing the audiobook, and I'm so glad I did.  It's geared towards youth, but every adult interested in social justice needs to purchase and read this book.  There are so many lessons that are in this story as well.  This book has earned it's spot in one of my top reads for the year.  It also deserves to be on every best seller's list.  

About the Author:

KIM JOHNSON held leadership positions in social justice organizations as a teen and in college. She’s now a college administrator who maintains civic engagement throughout the community. This Is My America was her debut novel and explores racial injustice against innocent black men who are criminally sentenced and the families left behind to pick up the pieces. She holds degrees from the University of Oregon and the University of Maryland, College Park.

You can find her @kcjohnsonwrites on Twitter,TikTok, and Instagram and her website www.kcjohnsonwrites.com

Blog Tour and Review: Jade Hidden Scars by A. Akinosho

 Title:  Jade Hidden Scars

Author:  A. Akinosho

Genre:  Interracial Romance 

Publisher:  A. Akinosho 

Publication Date:  October 27,  2023

Rating:  💥💥💥💥

About the Book

He’s a beast to all …. but for her, he cages his beast.

Naseer
My days of being an alpha are long gone. I’d resigned myself to staying hidden forever.
Out of nowhere, she walks in. Surprising us both, I asked her to “Sit with Me.” Three words that would change everything.
I would later realize that the universe had slowed me down, then gave me a second chance and that second chance came with Jade by my side. Like I told my dad, “I would destroy a thousand men for Jade.”
No one gets it. Jade is a need that I cannot do without.

Jade

“Sit with Me,” he said. Little did I know those three words would be the beginning of us.
Subconsciously, I knew the word “US” would only be temporary because I’m the girl from the other side, and they all consider me unworthy of him.
The beast is the one that makes my heart thump.
Unfortunately, the beast is forbidden.

My thoughts:

This was a first time author for me, and I have to say I really enjoyed the story.   When the pair first met, it gave off Beauty and the Beast vibes, which happens to be my second favorite princess movie.   Overall, I enjoyed the story, as well as the character growth.  I at some point will have to check out other books from this author.    

About the Author

A. Akinosho lives in her own little nest in Illinois. An avid reader and enjoy reading thrillers, suspense and romance novels (partial to romance genre). When, She's not reading or keeping up with life. She enjoys writing and creating twist to stories. She loves writing about diverse characters, friendship and overcoming challenges through, what is perceived as a weakness.

Blog tour: Bitter and Sweet by Rhonda McKnight

 Title:  Bitter and Sweet

Author:  Rhonda McKnight

Genre:  Dual Timeline 

Publication Date:  June 11, 2024

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson

Rating:  💥💥💥💥💥

About the book 

From the beloved author of The Thing About Home comes a dual timeline tale of family, grief, secrets, and the sweet redemption that lies within the bonds of sisterhood.

-The Present-

When summoned to Georgetown, South Carolina, sisters Mariah Clark and Sabrina Holland both assume their ailing grandfather's health has gotten worse. Neither expects their grandmother's undeniable request--save the family restaurant.

Mariah is at a crossroad in her life. After being dumped by her husband and forced to walk away from their diner that she helped rescue from bankruptcy, bitter feelings consume her. Even though the restaurant has been in the family for eighty-six years, giving her all to another struggling business isn't something she wants to do.

Living out of her van and striving for a fresh start, Sabrina yearns for stability for herself and her daughter and a chance to turn her baking hustle into a bona-fide business. The family restaurant may be just the blessing she needs--but as old tensions and angry disagreements resurface, Sabrina wonders if her sister will let her have a say.

-The Past-

After falling victim to a love she thought would last a lifetime, Tabitha Cooper finds herself away from home and struggling to survive in Charleston in the early twentieth century. She is determined to turn corn into cornbread and to take care of her children the best way she knows how--by serving food that's good for the soul--and along the way forges a path that leaves a legacy of success for generations to come.

Through letters that reveal Tabitha's complicated past, the sisters discover truths that just might be the right recipe to mend their hearts--if they can find a way to savor the blessing of today and leave the bitter aftertaste of old memories behind them.

My Thoughts

It has been about 24 hours since I finished the book, and I'm still having a hard time putting into words how much I devoured this book. I could not put it down.   This author is truly one of the GOATS when it comes to emotionally charged, heartwrenchong stories that will keep you captivated from beginning to end.  I wish I could read it again for the first time.  This is how you craft a story.  And these characters will live in my mind for a while.  I hope to see this as a movie one day.  

About the Author 

Rhonda McKnight is the author of twenty-five traditional and indie-published award-winning bestsellers, including An Inconvenient Friend, What Kind of Fool, and Unbreak My Heart. She is a two-time winner of the Emma award in the categories of Inspirational Romance of the Year (2015) and Debut Author (2010). She has been nominated thrice for the African American Literary Award. She writes inspirational book club fiction and Christian romance about complex characters in crisis. Her goal is to touch the heart of women through her stories using the themes of faith, forgiveness, and hope. Originally from a small coastal town in New Jersey, she writes from the comfort of her South Carolina home.

She can be reached at her website at www.RhondaMcKnight.com and on social media at www.facebook.com/booksbyrhonda, www.instagram.com/AuthorRhondaMcKnight, www.twitter.com/rhondamcknight and www.SistersofFaithBooks.com where she has joined with sixteen other authors to introduce her stories to the world.