tagged with: novel

While I worked on the plot of Making Music Together, I didn’t give serious thought to the ancestry of my characters even though I like portraying ethnic groups that are different than myself. For example, in the Egypt series, the two main characters, sisters, are of Hispanic descent. It was easy writing about them because their parents hailed from Venezuela, the country that neighbors Trinidad and Tobago, where I was born.

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported

In Love, Lies, and Grace, the two main characters, husband and wife, Brian and Grace, are African Americans. I mixed in two Caucasians and two characters of mixed race. Again, writing about the thoughts, feelings, and cultural norms of these characters was as simple as it had been with the previous books.

Then came Making Music Together, and I really went off the charts. Having written about major ethnic groups in my previous books, I decided to portray Mark my main character as a contemporary African American man with a mixture of Gullah and Native American genealogy. This proved challenging, but as I researched the genetic background of the Gullah people, I discovered that they exhibit a small mixture of European and Native American genealogy as well, so I included European ethnicity into his mother’s ancestry.

I also discovered that the Gullah people who were brought as slaves from West Africa to the Southeastern coastal region of America have a Caribbean connection that includes elements of West Indian folklore, music, and language. Since I was born in the Caribbean, I was inspired to dig a little further. I discovered that the food, music, and language of the Gullah people bear striking similarities to those of the Caribbean. For example, rice remains a staple food in the Caribbean as it is for the Gullah people. In Making Music Together, rice is featured in most of the meals mentioned in the book. Other popular dishes you will come upon that are also eaten in the Caribbean are okra, shrimp, green vegetables, and peas. The term “creole” often used to describe a blend of dialects spoken in some of the islands is also referred to in the Gullah language.

People of mixed races tend to identify with one race more than the other. Although Mark identifies more with his maternal heritage, he refers proudly to his deceased father as a Native American and Gullah descendant. He also reflects on how much he misses him and how his father taught him about God and how to fish. Mark’s Native American heritage is expressed in the artwork in his home — the Native American baskets that decorate his wall and the Native American rug in front of his bed.

Is there a connection between the Caribbean and Native American or American Indian ethnicity? You bet. When Columbus discovered Trinidad in 1498, he came upon the Amerindians, as they were called, the indigenous people of this little postcard. They originated from the neighboring mainland of Venezuela and Guyana. It is believed that these people had been living here for about 7,000 years before Columbus arrived. Even though they became extinct by 1550, their cultural expressions are perpetuated during the annual carnival when masqueraders parade on the streets. The “Red Indian” or “Wild Indian”, dressed in elaborate headpieces reminiscent of those worn by authentic Indians on the American continent, remains one of the traditional features during the Carnival parades.

Painting of a Native American Image by prettysleepy

So why did I choose to make my protagonist a hybrid of Gullah and Native American culture? As I said in the beginning, I simply wanted to write about someone from an ethnic group I have not previously written about. But by researching the history of the Gullah people and Native Americans, I learned more about my own heritage and that of African Americans. I learned that there are more similarities between us than differences; more that connects us than what divides us; more to celebrate than to bemoan. I believe this knowledge has enhanced my creativity and has helped to add some depth to my work. I plan to expand on the cultural expressions of Mark’s ethnicity in the coming books.

Since November is Native American Heritage Month, I am making it my duty to learn more about Native American culture by reading books by Native American authors. I’ve just begun reading — or rather listening to — Five Little Indians by Michelle Good. Let me encourage you, if you haven’t done so yet, to pick up a copy or copies of books by Native American authors, not just this month, but as often as you can. These books will greatly enrich your knowledge and appreciation of the indigenous people and the contribution they made to our country.

Did you enjoy this post? Do you have a comment on your ancestry? Then please leave a comment in the comment box and pick up a copy of Making Music Today, a mesmerizing Christian romance.

It’s finally here. Love, Lies, and Grace, my fourth novel is now on preorder in the Amazon Kindle store. Love, Lies, and Grace is a standalone novel written in the women’s fiction genre and tells the story of three friends, Grace, Pat, and Milli who share Grace’s home in Stockbridge, Georgia.

Grace is married to Brian, a wealthy banker, who lives in New York. Despite their living arrangement, Grace feels secure in her marriage. Brian is loving and passionate when they are together and lavishes her with expensive gifts, but he has not been home in four years.


Grace is black, Pat is bi-racial, and Milli is white. Grace and Pat are Christians, while Milli “dabbles in other things.” Despite these differences and the thorny start to their relationship, the three women find themselves drawn together in ways they never could have imagined. Their late night girl talk over hot chocolate, visits to the mall or the park provide fun and laughter. But on one of these visits, Pat reveals a painful secret she had been carrying for a long time. Grace and Milli rally around her with love and support. Shortly after, Milli too discloses a secret she could no longer keep hidden. Once more, the three friends band together to help Milli through her very difficult time.

Once the crises are over, Grace goes to New York to visit her husband. She is devastated when she discovers that he too has a secret so explosive she can never share it with her friends. She draws strongly on her faith, friends and the courage that helped her through past difficulties.

Reminiscent of the Golden Girls TV series, Love, Lies, and Grace will make you laugh, cry and will reinforce these words from the Bible: “a threefold cord is never easily broken” (Ecclesiastes 4: 12).

If women’s fiction is one of your favorite genres, let me encourage you to order your copy of Love, Lies, and Grace today. And after you read it, could you please leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads so other readers can be guided in their buying choices?

Follow me on Facebook   Twitter  Book Bub and Instagram


Contemporary Christian Fiction
Date Published: June 11th

 photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

Danger lurks around every corner for career military man and government, secret operative Nehemiah Bolden. When he continues to have nightmares of an assignment gone wrong, he decides it is time to retire from the military and find another career path. Just one thing stopping him, a ghost from his past.

Nehemiah meets an attractive woman while on vacation and has an overwhelming need to protect her. He soon discovers that meeting her is more than a coincidence. Over the years, he has kept her safe but now their pasts may put their lives in jeopardy again. They need to both trust in a love like no other.





About the Author


Lisa Washington is a Contemporary Christian Fiction author and a serial entrepreneur. She is the co-founder of the Washington Way LLC, which is the umbrella company for Washington Way Publishing, Washington Way Travel, Washington Way Financial and Ms. Lisa Weddings.

Her first novel When You Least Expect It received an African American Literary Show Award for Best Christian Fiction. She has also published More Than You Know, which is the second novel of the Faith Series.

Lisa Washington was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. After serving in the United States Navy, she then went on to obtain a Bachelor of Arts from Wayne State University, an MBA from Averett University and an MFA in creative writing from Butler University.

She now resides in Noblesville, Indiana with her family.



Contact Links


Facebook: @authorlisawashington

Instagram: @authorlisawashington





Purchase Links




Novel excerpt:

“Angel, Keep your eyes open. The informant said we’d know him when we see him.”

“Copy that, Civic.”

Darkness filled the room and smoke seeped from the vents.  Someone was trying to make visibility near impossible. Nehemiah switched to his night vision goggles. He was perched just inside of the furnace room in the back of the hotel’s ballroom. He counted 22 hostages and four shooters.  The smoke was making it difficult for Nehemiah to keep his eyes on the target.

“Angel, come in.”

“Go, Civic.”

“We have a friendly to your 9 o’clock.”

Nehemiah heard her voice before all hell broke loose and shots rang out.

Nehemiah sat straight up in bed, drenched in a full sweat. Like every other night, the terrors woke him up at the same moment in the dream. He relived that tragic event, night after night.  Why him? Why her? He always questioned himself. Nothing could change the past, but the dreams continued to come.

Like clockwork, he went into the kitchen of his one-bedroom apartment in Portsmouth, VA and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. He sat in front of his television, but never turned it on. Nehemiah wanted to close his eyes, but every time he did, he saw her face, her eyes, and her blood.

Draining the contents of the bottle, he went back into his bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. Face to palms, he sat there for a few minutes, feeling weary.

“Come back to bed. It’s cold under these sheets,” a soft feminine voice said.

Nehemiah needed to stop this philandering he was doing. His actions went against every principle and every value he was raised with.

“I’ll be right there,” he responded.

What was her name? He couldn’t remember her name or where he met her. Yeah, it was time to change his lifestyle.

In the spotlight today is An Open Window, a debut novel by P. B. Harrison. Enjoy!

 photo unnamed_zpsye4hyoxw.jpg

Fiction
Publisher: URLink Publishing
Published: November 2018
 photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

Born in a drafty house, Jessie, the firstborn of Mary and her abusive husband, Bill, was born for better things. Throughout her childhood, she tells stories that enable her to escape into her own made up world. She cares for her siblings and manages to establish lifelong friendships. As a teenager, her parents divorce, and Jessie begins to experience days without the need to weigh every action or word. She no longer fears the night or the soft footsteps that once came to her bedside. Because of her capacity for forgiveness and compassion, Jessie refused to be a victim. Later, she is reunited with a high school friend who becomes the man who makes her frightening memories dissolve into distant shadows that hover at the outer fringes of her mind but are rarely allowed in. As a wife and mother, Jessie again turns to storytelling, not as a way to escape her father’s cruelty but to entertain and teach her children. She introduces them to characters that leave them wanting more but appropriating what they have.
 photo An Open Window - Book Blitz_zpsmjsetepu.jpg
About the Author

 photo unnamed 1_zps52v0i0g7.jpg

P.B. Harrison loves to write. An Open Window is her first book. She is married with one son, three stepchildren and five grandkids. She’s an avid outdoors person. She is retired in South Alabama and is presently working on her next novel.
Contact Links

Purchase Links
RABT Book Tours & PR

The Clan of the Wolf, Book 2
Historical Romance, Native American Romance
Date Published: June 2018
Publisher: PK&J Publishing

Amazon: http://a.co/d/75gcUSO

He saved her life, then stole her heart….
To escape an arranged marriage, Mia Carlson, daughter of a U.S. senator, instead elopes with the man she loves. As they are escaping from her Virginia home, heading west, their wagon train is brutally attacked, leaving Mia alone and in grave danger. Rescue comes from a most unlikely source, a passing Lakota scouting party, led by the darkly handsome Indian, Brave Wolf.
Although Brave Wolf has consented to guide Mia to the nearest trading post, he holds himself apart from her, for his commitments lie elsewhere. But long days on the trail lead to a deep connection with the red-haired beauty. Yet, he can’t stop wondering why death and danger stalk this beautiful woman, forcing him to rescue her time and again. Who is doing this, and why?
One thing is clear, however: Amid the flurry of dodging assassin bullets, Brave Wolf and Mia come into possession of a powerful love. But is it all for naught? Will Brave Wolf’s obligations and Mia’s secret enemy from the past finally succeed in the sinister plot to destroy their love forever?

Warning: Sensuous romance and cameo appearances of Tahiska and Kristina from the book, Lakota Surrender, might cause a happily-ever-after to warm your heart.

My latest book, In the Promised Land, book 3 of the Egypt series is the story of Marva, who became a nun because she felt that was what God wanted her to be. I must confess that before writing this book, I had never read a nun’s story or the very popular The Nun’s Story by Kathryn Hulme, first published in 1956. However, I had attended a Convent high school and upon graduation, I desired to become a nun. Even though I was not Catholic. Really. But that’s for another post.

I also became a great fan of the perennial favorite The Sound of Music – I watch it every Christmas – and fell in love with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. Little did I know I would one day write a nun’s story. But when I wrote Coming Out of Egypt, the first book in the series, Marva, the protagonist, told me she wanted to become a nun. That because of the abuse she’d suffered at the hands of her father, she couldn’t be a wife to anyone, not even her handsome friend from childhood, whom she loved dearly.

I wasn’t sure I wanted her to become a nun. After all, my mother didn’t want me becoming a nun, so why should I give in to my creation’s pleas to become a woman of the cloth? But Marva has always been a strong protag, and so after suffering a horrible accident in In the Wilderness book 2, I agreed to let her have her way. She became a nun – a devoted one at that, she always gives her all to anything she does – and for a while, I felt content to letting her remain a nun. But, you remember that handsome childhood friend I mentioned earlier? Well, he never got Marva out of his system. And that’s as far as I’ll go with this. Let Marva tell you the rest. Let her explain her struggles between her love for Jesus and her love for Jason, and see what choice she makes in the end.

Get In the Promised Land on Amazon and when you do, please leave a review so that other readers can be guided in making their choices. And if you haven’t done so yet, please sign up for my newsletter and invite your friends to do so.

I am pleased to feature the Cover Reveal for this exciting new Women’s Fiction by E.A. Fournier

Still Breathing

Date Published: November 17, 2018
Designer: Damonza
Publisher: Acorn Publishing

Book description

Newly widowed and on the threshold of seventy, Lizzie Warton questions the value of her remaining years. Uncharacteristically, she decides for the first time in her life to do what she wants, instead of what everyone expects.

Against the wishes of family and friends, she sets out for Africa to work at a Ugandan middle school. When she lands at night in the Entebbe airport, her hosts are not there to meet her. Near panic, she hires a local taxi. The driver drugs her, steals everything, and dumps her limp body in a slum. Waking in the dark, she feels someone tugging off her shoes.

Without money, a passport, clothes, or medications, Lizzie is forced to start over and find a way to survive. Soon she learns that nothing in Africa is as it appears. The grind of daily life in the third-world is beyond anything Lizzie imagined. Nevertheless, encouraged by budding friendships in surprising places, and against every sensible instinct she’s ever developed, Lizzie’s own personal search for meaning becomes the grand adventure of a lifetime.

Excerpt

“Hey, muzungu! Over here!”

“Lady, best prices in Owino!”

“I have jeans. You want jeans? New styles from America!”

“Hey! Pretty white lady! Over here!”

“Best quality! Best prices! Today, only for you, muzungu!”

“I have a new shipment! Come and see!”

“Muzungu! Lady, what you need?”

Lizzie was sick of the accented voices shouting at her. She had yet to see another white woman in the claustrophobic market. Warned in advance, she had ignored the hands on her arms, the fingers trailing across her fingers, even the nudges to move her toward their shops, but she was fed up with the vendors’ constant calls aimed at her. Still, she doggedly maintained her wooden smile, even though she was gritting her teeth behind it.

At one point, a vendor called out a question in Luganda and someone else answered it. Lizzie was sure it had something to do with her. Laughter broke out and other voices chimed in with more quips. Grinning faces nodded at her as she walked away.

Lizzie shot a questioning look at Mrs. Birungi, who rolled her eyes, even though a smile tugged at her mouth. “It is nothing – just vendor talk. Ignore it. We need to go over that way.” Birungi pointed to a split in the congested path ahead, and steered them to the right.

Afiya pulled abreast of Lizzie a little later as they bobbed through a brief open place in the moving crowd. “They said they not sure if you are white or Ugandan.”

“What?”

“It was joke. Our people always make jokes.”

“How was it a joke?”

“Somebody said you half Ugandan.” The girl suppressed a grin.

“I don’t get it.”

“They said you have white top but Ugandan bottom.” Afiya smiled broadly as she said the line.

Lizzie looked back at her, puzzled.

“This kind bottom.” Afiya patted her own rump. “Word means both things. They admired your…bottom.” Afiya couldn’t help but giggle as she repeated the word.

Lizzie understood and sighed. “Well, I guess that’s not the worst thing I’ve ever heard.” In her mind, a little appreciative thought blossomed at still being noticed in that way, at all. She hastily chided herself and kept walking, but her hips now swayed a tiny bit more, nevertheless.

Originally from South Minneapolis, Gene Fournier earned a BA in Philosophy & Literature from St. Louis University followed by a Masters in Film from USC. Gene is a member of the Writers Guild of America west (WGA) and worked as a screenwriter and editor in Hollywood, but sadly, he never got that big break.

Seeking a return to his roots after twelve years in California, he accepted a Director of Media position with a multinational company headquartered in the Midwest. For thirty years he wrote, directed, edited and distributed corporate video programs around the world, managed live presentations, and orchestrated the creative elements for national and international meetings.

Retired now, with his seven children grown, and a dozen grandchildren to distract him, Gene is finally able to write down the stories he’s been carrying in his head all these years.

Contact Information

Website: https://www.eafournier.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gammera
Blog: https://www.eafournier.com/blog
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40097206-still-breathing

I meant to post this earlier, but my day started out not quite the way I wanted it. You know how it is when you have a big day planned, that’s when things go wrong. So, I woke up with a cold this morning and had to take some cold meds and go back to bed. I feel much better now and am trying to make up for lost time. But it doesn’t matter. My invitation to the event is still open on my Facebook page at Women for All Seasons, so you can stop by and see what’s taking place.

Also happening today is the Instafreebie Romance Giveawayof sweet, contemporary romance and women’s fiction books. Coming Out of Egypt, the first book in the series, is in the giveaway, so now is a good time to get your free copy.

Not to be outdone is In the Wilderness, the second book in the series, now discounted to 99c for a limited time only.

Here’s a trivia question to end this post and give you a chance to win one of my books. The first three people to reply with the correct answer to the question below will win one of my books. Just tell me the title that you want. Okay, here’s the question: This Indo-Caribbean author, born in Trinidad, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2001. Name the author and the novel that won him the prize. Please post your answer on my Facebook page at Women for All Seasons. I will leave it open until eight tonight EST.

A couple weeks ago, I posted that In the Promised Land, book 3 of the Egypt trilogy was coming soon. Well, now it's here. And until 6/29/2018, release day, you can get it for .99c. I'm excited about this book for 3 reasons:

1. It's gripping. Based on a true story, it features the rise of a Muslim coup in the beautiful island of Trinidad in the 1990s and the havoc it wrought for a short time. I have woven the story of Marva and June Garcia, main characters of the Egypt series, around it to show how this brought about dramatic changes in their lives.

2. It's romantic. Written from a Christian perspective, this story captures the romantic tension between the couples without any graphic love scenes, while allowing the reader to use their imagination.

3. It's conclusive. It draws the curtain on the lives of these two young women in a way that I think will satisfy readers who have followed them on their turbulent journey out of Egypt.

Order your copy today and when you read it, please leave a review on Amazon so that other readers will be guided into making a choice. And if you haven't yet signed up for my newsletter, please do so today.

It’s been a long time coming, but here it is at last – the brand new cover for In the Promised Land, the third and final book in the Egypt trilogy. What do you think?

While this cover features the same silhouette image as the others, she is now enveloped in a golden glow, which, I think, gives an insight into what this story is about. The sun has risen on the lives of these two young girls who had experienced so much turbulence in their journey out of Egypt.

Here’s the tagline and blurb to whet your appetite even more.

Finding love in the midst of tragedy

As a young nun at the Corpus Christi Home for Girls, Marva Garcia has always leaned on the Everlasting Arms for wisdom and strength to meet the day-to-day challenges of mentoring delinquent girls. But then the challenges multiply, and Marva sees her orderly world crumbling around her. As she tries to make sense of all this, Marva is increasingly drawn to another pair of arms that had been there for her all along. Can she love a man and still love God?
Fans of the perennial favorite The Sound of Music will love this Caribbean story of a nun’s struggle to balance her passion for God with her growing love for her childhood sweetheart.

There you have it. In the Promised Land will soon be on preorder. More details to follow.

Meanwhile, if you still haven’t got your copy of the first book Coming Out of Egypt or it’s sequel In the Wilderness, just click on the links and they will take you straight to them. You want to be sure and read them before reading In the Promised Land.

Still don’t know what the series is about? It’s the story of two sisters struggling to put their lives back together after Marva, the older, kills their father as a result of sexual abuse. Their former teacher, Cicely, steps in, points the girls to Christ and helps them turn their lives around. But she has her own ghosts to deal with as she tries to hide the fact from her fiancé that she too was sexually abused.
These books have received four and five-star ratings and I am sure you will enjoy them tremendously.

________________________________________________________

Are you still thinking of a Mother’s Day gift for your mother or that special woman in your life? Why not give her a gift that never fades, goes out of style or loses his sparkle? Give her the gift of a book that is guaranteed to bless her heart and remind her of the power of God’s love. Give her a printed copy of Coming Out of Egypt, complete with swag – tote bag, bookmark, bandana and pen. She will love you even more.

Coming Out of Egypt

Next Page »