This is the keyboard for my work computer. With my low vision it was a beast seeing those tiny letters. Got these stickers from Amazon and they’re very effective. I love them like damn and whoa. They come with a light and some tweezers. The ink goes all the way through so they’re supposed to last three years.
Been tooling around in PhotoShop again. What do y’all think? I like the refreshed covers and have a few more planned. This is such an awesome story I think it deserved a cover to match.
When Ryannon shows up on Gabriel’s doorstep claiming that he is an archangel with the power to trigger the Apocalypse and that he’s in danger from an End of Days cult he thinks she’s crazy — crazy hot — but still crazy. Despite being a trumpet player named Gabriel, the life he’s led has been anything but angelic, however he has no choice but to believe her especially since the cult is already in hot pursuit. He and Ryannon must go on the run to save themselves and dozens of others from the cult leader’s diabolical schemes. Even the desperate circumstances are not enough to dampen the fiery lust that pulls them together.
Gabriel knows that Ryannon is the one for him, but he’s a player and always has been and Ryannon has no intention of being just another woman in his bed. Will they survive long enough to develop trust and find love, and somehow avoid inadvertently setting off the Apocalypse?
Y’all know how I feel about cheating. As far as I’m concerned cheaters belong in the inner rings of Hell. Cheaters destroy families and I’ve watched too many women have their hearts ripped out and their sense of self-worth utterly destroyed by a selfish bastard who was totally unworthy of them, but today as I was jamming to “As We Lay,” I got to thinking about the fact that some of my fave songs, are in fact, cheating songs. The song I consider one of the greatest of all time, Jolene, isn’t necessarily a cheating song, but it kind of really is.
I was also thinking about the romance genre and how cheating is a deal breaker but not for some. (It goes without saying I’m firmly in the DEALBREAKER column.) It seems to be quite prevalent in motorcycle club romances, and I immediately DNF them.
How about you, what are some of your favorite cheating songs? And how do you feel about cheating books?
Yeah, I know, not exactly an inspired way to start a story, but seriously, it did start that way and there’s no point in lying. By now y’all know how I shop. I find something I love, then find something similar in a price that sane people would pay.
This shower curtain right here is the exact shower curtain I wanted. It’s Ruan Hoffman. I love his pottery like damn and whoa. And, I don’t have to tell you what store it was in. Is there any other store for me? Anthropologie, of course. (I really need to get a job at that place). And I don’t have to tell you the rest of the story, it’s a $100 shower curtain. Here’s the thing, I have never in my life seen a shower curtain I love more than this one, and nothing similar has done it for me, so yes, I bought a $100 shower curtain. (Believe it or not, they have shower curtains that cost TWICE as much) and I’m not even ashamed. I look at that curtain every day and it makes me HAPPY! HAPPY! HAPPY!
And what’s the point of this blog post other than to reify my love and adoration of all things Anthropologie? It’s not always about being frugal or sensible. I don’t indulge often, and am a firm believer in making do, but sometimes you just have to go for it. So there’s your lesson of the day; SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO GO FOR IT!!!
I’ve had this picture of Rihanna and Lupita up on my inspiration wall for several years now. It’s the inspiration for the next book in my Pussycat Death Squad series, Diamonds on the River. It’s a caper set in Accra, Ghana featuring a professional poker player/international jewel thief and her computer hacking co-conspirator and member of the Pussycat Death squad. Involving diamonds, of course, but also lithium batteries and Tesla. Now, of course Lupita and Rihanna are tweeting about making this movie happen. Too bad I can’t write the screenplay.
I’ve mentioned before that I have a Keeper Shelf on my iPad of the books I read over-and-over again to help me hone my writing skills. That shelf is totally dominated by Roberta Gellis. Nobody could weave a tale like this woman. Those of you who compliment my character building skills should know I owe a tremendous debt to Roberta Gellis. She was my mentor. Everything I know about character building and story telling came from her.
I’ve been thinking about this ever since Monica Jackson died, and today with the passing of Gwynne Forster I think it’s time that we African American and multicultural romance authors start thinking seriously about some type of memorial, a tribute of some such to those who forged the way for us. Remember, before these amazing women came along THERE WAS NO SUCH THING AS ROMANCE NOVELS WITH BLACK FOLK, OR ANY NON-WHITE FOLK. PERIOD. Wrap your mind around that for a minute, and imagine what an incredible thing they did. Think about the grief we get in this industry and imagine what it must have been like for them, starting at the very beginning. Doing as black women always do; making a way out of no way.
I don’t know what form this should take; Scholarships? Donations to libraries? I’m not sure, and this is well out of my wheelhouse, but we’ve been fortunate enough to have some really amazing women in our genre and we must find a way to honor them. And even more so, to nurture new talent and support other young women and girls with an interest in literature. What do y’all think? Any ideas? Yes, I know we’re all crazy busy. But I don’t want to look back someday and have our newbie authors asking “Who was Gwynne Forster?” Or even worse, having outsiders writing our history for us. Others are already claiming credit for creating multicultural romance. This cannot stand. Let’s put our heads together and come up with a fitting way to memorialize our roots, our mothers. The women who made us what we are today.
Book covers are not something I used to spend a lot of time thinking about. I generally buy by author and blurb, so before I started self-publishing, it was well outside my wheelhouse. I’m very fortunate that I have a husband who is a graphic designer by trade and is able to do the magic to make my cover ideas happen. I also adore Taria Reed at The Reed Files for finally giving us the type of beautiful diverse images we need.
This is the most recent cover my husband magicked for me. This the image he started with.
My character wears her hair in braids. So he had to add them.
She also has a darker complexion, so that had to be changed also.
My male lead actually has chestnut hair.
This book takes place in Laritrea, which a fictionalized version of the North African country, Libya. So I wanted a background of some Roman ruins.
Then he did the comic book style that really fits this story to a tee. I’d say, altogether he put in several hours on this cover. And if I told you what his typical going rate is, you’d faint. I’m just very lucky I get free labor from him!
The process is just so very awesome. And he’ll sit there and patiently tweak it until he gives me exactly what I want. Just awesome. Most of the time, the ideas are all mine, but sometimes, he’ll surprise me, like he did for Buttercream.
Everything about that cover was his idea. I remember getting so annoyed because I had to find photos of the inside of a bakery. What difference does it make? I whined. And, of course, it makes all the difference in the world.
My only real contribution to this cover was the font for the title. Y’all don’t want to know how long it took me to find that freaking font. I absolutely adore fonts, and will pay a ridiculous amount of money for them. I had to have that B, nothing else would do.
This cover took him two whole weeks, mainly because he simply wasn’t feeling it, and actually created another cover that he didn’t want to use. It’s hard sometimes because I’m impatient, but he is an artist and if the groove isn’t there it simply not there. It’s not like on his job where he has to produce whether he’s feeling it or not, and I have to remind myself of that all the time.
My guy is amazing and wonderful in so many ways, but I adore him so much for the way he supports and fulfills my dreams, even when I’m being an absolute nag about it.
Now this is the kind of treatment Taraji P. Henson deserves. (Okay, I wish her costar was pretty much anyone else, but what the hell, I’ll take it.) Saw the billboard for her new show at 285 northbound right before the Lavista exit. Wanted to get a picture, but I was driving. I’m planning to get Whit to take me back down there so I can shoot it properly.
I’m really looking forward to this show, and I know it’s a hit. Yeah, her costar is a jerk, and I loathe hiphop, but at least he’s a talented jerk. And, of course, Taraji is unbelievably awesome. People are still talking about her last role a year after she left!!! And she had no screen time on that show that shall remain nameless. There seems to be lots of opportunities for high-drama and carpet chewing scenes. If they play it right this could be a lot of fun.
And as long as the executive producer doesn’t overindulge in his unfortunate proclivity for torturing black women that should be all good. Hey, show runner, word to the wise, she’s already been to prison, that’s enough pathology porn. Now I want to see a black woman getting her own back. Thank you for your time and consideration.
#EmpireFox #TarajiPHenson
the one who writes 