Book Spotlight: Pay Day by ReShonda Tate Billingsley & Richelle Denise

One little ticket is about to change their lives. . .

but is it for better or for worse?

When the office lotto pool lands the winning ticket for four friends, each will embark on journeys that change their lives forever.

After years of stringing her along, Terrance has reluctantly married his longtime girlfriend, Sheray. . . just days before winning the lottery. Now, that he’s a rich newlywed, the former playboy is dreaming of what life would’ve been like as a rich bachelor. When the money drives a wedge between them, Sheray leaves and Terrance learns the hard way to be careful what you wish for.

Angelique has been overweight since she was young. Despite her insecurities, her boyfriend, Marcus, gives her his love and affection without reservation. When she uses some of her winnings to get weight loss surgery, her new body and new attitude gets her some new attention, and could cost her the man she loves.

After twelve years of marriage, Janine’s husband announces that he’s leaving her for another woman. When she realizes he could possibly get a portion of her prize, she devises a scheme to keep it from him. But when her plan backfires, will she lose it all?

Raquelle’s life has just been turned upside down when she’s caught embezzling money, which she started doing to support her sick son. With a boss bent on making her pay, Raquelle is facing hard time and about to discover there are some things her lotto winnings can’t buy…or can it?

With a bitter former coworker lurking in the background, these friends are discovering their big payday will definitely change their lives…just not in the ways they expected.

Purchase Links

www.browngirlspublishing.com

http://www.amazon.com/The-Dating-Game-Stories-Search-ebook/dp/B00T5BSGKG

http://www.amazon.com/The-Dating-Game-Stories-Search-ebook/dp/B00T5BSGKG

About the Authors

ReShonda Tate Billingsley

ReShonda is a former news reporter and anchor, who now writes books full-time. She is the author of 35-plus books and a mother to three. Her sophomore novel, Let the Church Say Amen, has been made into a movie, directed by actress Regina King and produced by Queen Latifah’s Flava Unit, Royal Ties Productions and Bobcat Films. (Oh, and she did make my film debut as well! Look for her in the church scene!)Honored to have won the 2012 NAACP Image Award for Say Amen, Again and been nominated again in 2013. She is also the cofounder of Brown Girls Books, a boutique publishing company with over 20 authors. She is also a proud University of Texas at Austin graduate. Not only does she love writing, she love reading almost as much!

Purchase Links

www.browngirlspublishing.com

http://www.amazon.com/ReShonda-Tate-Billingsley/e/B001IXU8YQ/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_17?qid=1429281735&sr=1-17

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/reshonda-tate-billingsley/3270575

http://authors.simonandschuster.com/ReShonda-Tate-Billingsley/20412007

http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/26317

Contact Links

www.browngirlspublishing.com

http://www.reshondatatebillingsley.com/

Twitter @ReShondaT

Richelle Denise

Richelle is a contributor of the Dating Game Anthology. The title of her story is called mixing business with pleasure. She loves to entertain readers with her style of writing. She is passionate about the reading. You can generally find her spending time with her two sons.

 

Author K. Williams shares an excerpt of new novel, Blue Honor

Blue Honor tracks four tightly twining families during the American Civil War. Each member is asked to sacrifice more than their share to see friends and loved ones through the terrible times. The only certainty they have is that nothing will be the same.

Emily Conrad is the bookish daughter of a wealthy dairy family from Vermont. Her indulgent father has educated her and bred ideas that aren’t acceptable to her more urbane mother, who thinks Emily needs to settle down with her longtime friend and town philanderer Evan Howell. The outbreak of war frees Emily from these expectations for a time, but a stranger soon arrives after the guns begin to blaze, threatening her plans more than societal conventions ever could.

Devoted to the young woman who healed her wounds, Henrietta has become part of the Conrad family, hoping that she may one day see her husband and son again. As a runaway slave, she’s been lucky enough to find this slice of peace in Vermont, but the return of Evan Howell and the man he brings with him portends great change that might see her locked back in irons, if not executed for what she’s done.    Evan isn’t as bad as his reputation has made him out to be. He knows his chum Emily will make the best doctor Vermont has ever seen, and he knows he’s not the man to marry her. With a little manipulation, he convinces his commanding officer, Lieutenant Joseph Maynard, to take leave with him and see the beauty of the north. He just doesn’t let on it’s not hillsides and streams he’s setting the man up for.

Joseph has both power and privilege as the son of a Baltimore lawyer, but neither can guarantee him the things he wants in life. His commission in the army is likely to lead to death, a sacrifice he was willing to make to end slavery in the States—that was until he saw Emily Conrad. Torn between duty and desire, Joseph struggles to stay standing for that which he once held strong convictions. War weary, they all march on to duty…

 Book Excerpt

Embers fell around them like red flurries that changed to black ash as it settled in the snow. Emily imagined what it must have been like for him inside the inferno. Had the structure fallen apart around him? Did his head swim with panic? Hers would have. Kneeling there with his eyes closed, she saw he just wanted to breathe.

A beam collapsed inside the barn, cutting the relative peace. The man peered over his shoulder as the light sparkled brightly in his eyes; Emily’s attention was pinned to him. They were too close to the soon-to-collapse barn, but she was riveted by another happening.

Their hero drew up, ordering the women back, but they were frozen where they stood, startled by his stature and bellowing orders. The barn groaned as the structure gave way. Mrs. Conrad stumbled back in surprise. His green eyes swept over Emily. He hesitated as she stared back, stricken. The man lunged, eliciting a shriek from Emily that was swallowed by the collapse of the barn. In one fast movement he was able to put his arm around Emily, hoist her up, and take her mother’s hand to guide them to safety. Her leg wrapped about him to steady her body. When they came to a halt, he let her slide down the length of him, taking too close a study of her.

Then, the roof collapsed with a resounding crash, taking with it the majority of the structure below, which was now just an enormous bonfire. The flames shot up with renewed energy. The foundation rocks popped. The stranger cursed under his breath, watching sparks rise to heaven. Charred boards

lined the spot where they had stood.

Emily stared at the snow at her feet. She’d never seen the like of such a man in all her years, not even among the cadets. Thinking of how he put his hands upon her with so little hesitation, made her feel strange all over. The sensation of his strong form still pressed into her skin. She had danced with many young men, but never with a touch like his. Emily blushed. Lowering her eyes, she inwardly chided herself for such awful wantonness. What if he saw her staring at him like that?

Purchase Links

Amazon.com: http://goo.gl/IvBQ9e

BarnesandNoble.com: http://goo.gl/5kyIXM

About the Author

Born in Saratoga Springs, New York, where she continues to reside, K.Williams embarked on a now twenty year career in writing. After a childhood, which consisted of voracious reading and hours of film watching, it was a natural progression to study and work in the arts.

K attended the State University of New York at Morrisville, majoring in the Biological Sciences, and then continued with English and Historical studies at the University at Albany (home of the New York State Writer’s Institute) gaining her Bachelor’s Degree. While attending UA, K interned with the 13th Moon Feminist Literary Magazine, bridging her interests in social movements and art.

Currently, K has completed the MALS program for Film Studies and Screenwriting at Empire State College (SUNY), and is the 2013-2014 recipient of the Foner Fellowship in Arts and Social Justice. K continues to write and is working on the novels of the Trailokya Trilogy, a work that deals with topics in Domestic Violence and crosses the controversial waters of organized religion and secularism. A sequel to OP-DEC is in the research phase, while the adaptation is being shopped to interested film companies. Excerpts of these and more writings can be found at: www.bluehonor.com.

What will Dupree do once she learns the truth?

 

 

HOW HARD IS IT TO FORGIVE?

After finding the biological mother who abandoned her as a baby, learning the identity of her birth father and her biological brother, Dupree is left distraught and betrayed. Like a volcano about to erupt, she vows to have nothing to do with her newly discovered family–so help her God! However, if Dupree’s mother, Tiny, has anything to say about it, Dupree won’t be able to keep that vow.How does a former teenaged runaway become a wealthy, sophisticated business executive? Tiny’s quest for happiness and independence in Kingston, Jamaica, has taken her on a life-altering journey through hell. After a vicious attack and a serious sickness that leaves her fighting for her life in the hospital, Tiny prays for death . . . but then God speaks. Will she listen to His voice? What exactly is He saying?

Author Jeff Hastings Shares The Most Successful Failure

 

About The Author

Starting a business from the ground up can be one of the most stressful, time-consuming and gut-wrenching challenges that one can endure. With 85% of business owners failing before year five, many entrepreneurs who chase their dreams end up emotionally and financially bankrupt in the process.

Jeff Hastings knows all about the good intentions that pave the road to success. He has been in your shoes and experienced great triumphs and tribulation and has lived to tell the tale. As a small business owner, he developed one of the largest and most productive sales teams in the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies. His team of over 60 insurance agents and 150 support staff generated an estimated $85 million in annualized premium. In one year, his district generated over $13 million in profit making him one of the most profitable district managers since the company’s inception in 1928. Often being recognized for his performance, the pinnacle of his insurance career came in 2005 when he received the CEO’s top award, District Manager of the Year.

However, once had reached the top he realized the sacrifice of health and family wasn’t worth the reward he’d been working towards for so many years. An already prolific author, motivational speaker and E-Myth coach, Jeff retired at just 47-years young to venture out on his own to develop a business coaching firm and publishing agency in 2014. Inspired by a dream one night, his new endeavor was designed using the principle of expressing your passion through your work while never losing sight of what is truly important. His publishing agency, Chart House Press, is one of the fast growing book publishing agencies in the country. The agency currently houses over 120 writers, editors, illustrators, cover designers and publicists working worldwide to help authors get their ideas in print.

In his latest book, The Most Successful Failure in the World, Jeff explores the personal sacrifices and trials of owning and operating a business. The key point is to make certain your business adds to your life, and not the other way around.

Jeff is the proud father of three children, Kristin, Avery and Logan and resides in Richmond, Texas.

 

About The Book

When a terminal diagnosis puts Alex’s non-stop working and partying life on a six-month deadline, things draw into tight perspective for the CEO and founder of Moss Global. He realizes that while he achieved everything he’d ever set out to do, the regret over what he’d sacrificed for success weighs heavily on his heart. He can’t go back in time, but can he change his daughter’s future? Or will the business he built tear her apart too?

Alex’s eldest daughter is following in his footsteps, right along with his best friend and Director of Customer Relations, Peter Walker. Through a series of tests and reformations, Alex works against time and the disease in his body to save his loved ones and his company from the life he modeled. Can the most successful failure in the world be redeemed?

Other books by the author: Recruit, Recruit, Recruit – Achieving Success One Agent at a Time

Social Links:

Website: http://themostsuccessfulfailure.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JHastingsAgency

Facebook Author page https://www.facebook.com/jeff.hastings.author

Facebook Book page: https://www.facebook.com/themostsuccessfulfailure

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SX7CPC8