 All month long a different author has shared their gifts through the beautiful novels they have displayed here on March Inspirations. On this Fab Friday, J.L. Campbell is bringing a little spice to close out the week as she throws us into The Thick Of Things. Don't miss the chance for a giveaway. Comment to be entered... I was a little of everything—embarrassed, confused, speechless. How could he be so sure I was what he wanted? No matter what he thought, I had too much going on to be adding a relationship to the list. “What are you afraid of, Khalila?” My name on his tongue was a caress that scattered my thoughts. “It’s not that I’m afraid of anything.” I pulled my hand out of his and drank the rest of the water while gathering my thoughts. “My divorce isn’t final yet and…” My mind settled on Amir, who I didn’t want to think about now. Softly, I sighed. “It’s too early to be thinking about a relationship with anybody.” “We’ve gone way past the point of thinking about what’s happening between us. I’m not asking you to marry me, but I’m interested in you.” His voice softened and I had to concentrate to hear his words. “Give me the chance to show you that what we did wasn’t only about sex.” I didn’t know what to say, so I held my silence. His gaze was analytical and he didn’t seem to expect a response. The longer he looked at me, the more my heart rate accelerated. It was ridiculous that at my age any man could get this kind of response from me. “I hope that wasn’t all it was for you,” he said. It took me a few seconds to catch up with him, but I didn’t answer. I was too busy trying not to squirm at the image of him on top of me in his bed. After reading his watch, Douglas smiled. Why, I didn’t know, but it was a genuine gesture that made me want to respond in the same way. “Are you ready?” he asked. Nodding, I got out of my seat. Douglas didn’t crowd me, but let me walk ahead of him. As I wove through the tables, I greeted a few members of the working team, who would also be leaving the hotel today. Once we were out of the restaurant, Douglas touched my arm and directed me toward the elevator. “Aren’t you leaving today?” I asked. “Yes, I’m just making sure you get to where you’re going.” Putting a smile in my voice, I said, “I’m not likely to get lost on my way upstairs.” “I didn’t think so.” He laughed and eased both hands into the pockets of his shorts. “I’m simply doing what any decent man would do.” My cheeky grin conveyed gratefulness and understanding. “Carry on, then.” He nodded and in silence, we walked to the elevator. When it was a few floors away, he faced me. “I want to ask one favor of you.” “What’s that?” “Answer your phone when I call, okay?” He stepped in close, kissed my cheek and then brushed his lips across mine. I sucked in my breath and opened my mouth, wanting more of him, but he stepped back. The elevator opened and he urged me forward with a gentle hand to my back. I walked inside, asking myself what kind of game Douglas was playing. Why would he start something he couldn’t finish, not to mention leave me hot and bothered? As the doors closed, our gazes locked and I swore that man knew exactly what he was doing and the state he’d left me in. About J.L. J.L. Campbell is fascinated with Jamaican flora and has hundreds of photos to prove it. She writes contemporary and sweet romance, romantic suspense, women's fiction, as well as new and young adult novels. Campbell, who features Jamaican culture in her stories, has written twenty-seven books and two short story collections. She is also a certified editor. Feel free to join her mailing list for news and updates http://eepurl.com/n29ZH Website: http://www.joylcampbell.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jl.campbell/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JL_Campbell Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jlcampbellwrites/ Thanks for joining us for March Inspirations! Please be so gracious as to leave a comment below, J.L. would love to hear from you, and you will be entered into today's giveaway! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner. 
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 Join Lily Java as she takes us on a storytelling ride of an undeniable attraction. She's prepared to give away a copy of Blackbirds on today's edition of March Inspirations. Leave a comment to be entered. Once upon a time Sydney Tarr and Elliott Vance were friends: fast friends, ride or die, pledge of allegiance, take it to the mat, “friends”. And the fact that Sydney loved her friend more than she should didn’t matter until finally... one unusual and spectacular night, it did. It mattered very much. Still, not every story is a fairy tale is it? Friends do part -- sometimes forever -- but, not always. When Sydney bumps into Elliott again on a crowded subway car, after so many years apart, she’s a different person from the woman he once knew. Elliott’s changed too. For one thing, he no longer takes no for an answer.  BOSS Lounge was the single set’s hunting ground of nightclubs in Santa Barbara. A tight space, it seemed to be filled to all possible proportions by the time Elliott got there at about twenty minutes after midnight. The outdoor patio was the place for dancing, and the DJ was clearly settling in for a long string of seriously accessible dance hits. The crowd was feeling him and seemed to be in a bit of frenzy as they swayed, jumped, and pumped their hands in the air. It wasn’t long before Elliott spotted Brian and Sydney. They were at the bar. Brian sitting on a stool with his arm casually strung around Sydney’s waist. They both were laughing and holding tall fruity looking drinks with straws appropriate to the beachside ambiance. Sydney had changed after dinner. She was wearing low-waist black pants with a simple grey midriff. She had on a lightweight black leather jacket but it was open and did nothing to hide the smoothness of her skin around her flat stomach and picture-perfect navel. Elliott stood frozen, watching them from about twenty feet away. People were bumping into him, but he didn’t notice or care particularly. He was more interested in figuring out how he’d get Sydney out of there without causing a scene. Then Brian whispered something in her ear. She nodded vigorously, and they were moving into the crowd and dancing. Elliott thought he’d had enough just seeing Brian’s hand so casually placed on Sydney’s waist, but he’d never seen her dance. He found he was both fascinated and incensed at the sight of her. It was like he was looking at someone else — some part of her he hadn’t met yet, like some pod creature had taken over Sydney and suddenly she was moving with a sensuality she’d never even hinted at before. Brian danced to her back, his long muscled arms out on either side of her, and Sydney was swaying in front of him. Her waist and hips seem to separate from each other and move independently from other still very noticeable parts of her body. Fuck it. Maybe a scene was called for. It was during that thought that Brian finally spotted him. Spotted him or felt his presence might be a more accurate description. Slowing his pace, Brian stood there for a moment watching Elliott watch them. Finally, he nodded and bent low to whisper in Sydney’s ear again. When he’d finished, her head whipped around, and when she spotted him standing across the patio, her smile was so huge Elliott almost forgot how pissed off he was. Fighting the packed house, Sydney made her way towards him with a measured and unhappy Brian close behind. “Elliott!!” Sydney grabbed both his arms and shook him jumping up and down slightly. “I’m so glad you’re here.” He suspected she was pretty sloshed, but she did a good job of hiding it with youthful exuberance. Something she’d no doubt learned from watching Cyrus drink himself silly over the years. “You have to dance with us. You must! But first,” Sydney pointed one finger in the air, “first I must go to the bathroom before I embarrass myself.” Brandishing the finger back and forth at both of them, Sydney made one final command, “Don’t either of you move from this spot. I’ll be right back.” They both watched her go. Brian spoke first. “Hey Elliott, glad you made it out man.” Elliott had never known what it felt like to have ice running through his veins until that moment. “I thought we were all hitting the sack early, Brian.” Brian shrugged, “Hey man, the plan changed. We did try to call you.” “Yeah,” was all Elliott could manage. “Can I ask you something, Ell?” “What?” “Are you ever planning to tell her?” “Tell who? Tell what?” “Tell Sydney, man. Tell her you’re into her.” “Shut the fuck up, Brian.” “Oh, I see.” “You’re irritating the fuck out of me right now.” “Yeah, I can see that too. The question is how exactly am I doing that? Are you really trying to tell me you came all the way down here with your balls twisted because you’re on the ‘we should all be asleep by now patrol’? Man, if that’s the case then you are more fucked up than I ever imagined.” Elliott took a step closer to him, “What did you just say to me?” Brian raised both hands and backed away. “I like my job way too much to fight you for her, Ell.” “Maybe you ought to leave then.” “I will,” Brian said, starting to turn away but not without a parting shot, “but Ell, you should stop playing at being Mr. Unattainable with her. I’d bet half my paycheck Sydney is into you too, but she thinks you’re friends,” Brian said the word ‘friends’ using air quotes and a half smile. “I guaran-dam-tee you she doesn’t think she could possibly have someone like you. Can you believe that shit? As special as that girl is, she has no fucking clue you’re ready to stab me in the heart for her right now on the damn dance floor.” “Go if you’re going, Brian. Be in the hotel lobby at seven a.m.” “Yes sir, boss man.” And with that goodbye and a little salute, Brian took his leave About Lily Java... Lily Java is a freelance writer, blogger, and novelist who is the author of literary women’s fiction in numerous genres. Lily’s debut novel, a highly suspenseful and romantic read was called STICKY MOON and is the first volume in what will be the Harper/Sparrow Trilogy. When she isn’t reading or writing, Lily spends her time raising money for culturally rich arts organizations and planning special events in iconic landmarks throughout her beloved hometown: New York City. Lily lives in Brownstone Brooklyn with her family and a coterie of very tolerant pets. Blackbirds is available on Amazon at https://amzn.to/2pFyQS4 Meet The Author Website lilyjava.com Facebook @AuthorLilyJava Twitter @lilyjavawrites hanks for joining us for March Inspirations! Please be so gracious as to leave a comment below, Cedric would love to hear from you, and you will be entered into today's giveaway! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.   Hello! This is one of my tour stops during my one month book tour for Get Me Through by Cedric Nelms. This virtual book tour is organized by Write Now Literary Book Tours. This tour runs March 5-30, 2018. Follow the tour here. Book your own tour here WNL ISBN-10: 1979321361 ISBN-13: 978-1979321365 About The Author Get Me Through....The Makeover of My Life is a book for all seasons of life. It will lead you through getting out of the places that you are stuck, picking up the pieces after disruption, and releasing yourself to dream again my the future. Get Me Through is path through life's most questionable moments.  The title of the book is purposely open-ended and ambiguous because most people are trying to get through. From Kindergarten to College, people are trying to get through school. Whether you are a high paid executive, entrepreneur, or occupying a cubicle, the daily grind of work and handling life issues is a reality. Still others are trying to get through the seasons of a relationship; the harsh winter or the warm summertime feel that relationships bring. On the other hand, the death of a loved one or the death of one’s self-esteem may seem like, to some, as trying to wade through a cloud of never-ending darkness. Ultimately, getting through is a part of the human experience. At some point, trying to get through is a part of everyone’s process, the only difference is each person’s process is tailor made. Even so, no matter what you are struggling to figure out, you are just trying to get through it with your character and sanity intact. About Cedric...  Cedric Nelms was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. He graduated from St. Bernard High in Playa Del Rey, CA. He attended Morehouse College, where he majored in Biology, with a minor in Psychology. Cedric has been in the ministry for 18 years and has been working in different areas of ministry, from youth ministry, men’s ministry, teaching, community development, social justice, and civic engagement. He was also the radio host of the Chosen Generation Ministry Radio Show, an internet program/podcast that deals with the intersection of culture, life, and faith. He is the lead pastor of Chosen Generation Fellowship Church, in Long Beach. In addition to that, he is the newly appointed Los Angeles City Director for World Impact, where he is actively working on being a bridge builder between Los Angeles and the Faith Based community. Cedric has been married to Karen, for 18 years and they have been together for 20 years. They have 5 beautiful children, Erika, Jonathan, and a set of triplets, Isaiah, Khalid, and Courtney. He loves to spend time with his family, reading, watching sports, traveling, going out to eat, writing, and just having a good time! Purchase Link Amazon: http://a.co/1vftcxh Connect Socially Twitter: https://twitter.com/cjnministries Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cedric.nelms Website: http://www.cjnministries.com Thanks for joining us for March Inspirations! Please be so gracious as to leave a comment below, Cedric would love to hear from you, and you will be entered into today's giveaway! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.   Today's March Inspirations features, author Parker Cole and she's showcasing her new novel, Time To Say Goodbye. It's an intriguing novel that you don't want to miss. Stop by and read about her novel and leave a comment to be entered into the giveaway. Read on... Hello! This is one of my tour stops during my one month book tour for Time to Say Goodbye by Parker J. Cole. This virtual book tour is organized by Write Now Literary Book Tours. This tour runs March 5-30, 2018. Follow the tour here. Book your own tour here WNL. ISBN-10: 1973224151 ISBN-13: 978-1973224150 Genre: Sweet Inspirational Romance Gargi Kapoor is the only one convinced her brother, Dev, is innocent of the crime he was convicted of. When he is sent to the hospital with an unexplained paralyzing disease she finds herself having to lean on the last person she'd ever want to depend on -- a man who wants her brother to pay for stealing his mother's life savings. Leon Reckley is extremely satisfied to find the man who ripped his mother off suffering from an unknown disease that leaves him paralyzed and in need of rehabilitation therapeutic services. He's even happier when he is given the opportunity to be the therapist that makes him fit enough to return to prison to finish his sentence. No one will work harder to make sure Dev Kapoor serves every minute of his prison sentence. Gargi never dreamed the man who has utter contempt for her brother would be the man she slowly begins to trust. Leon never thought he'd be convinced Dev might be innocent, let alone be drawn to his enemy's little sister. Together, will they find the truth? Or when Leon's job is over, will it simply be time to say goodbye?  The strike of the gavel against the wood block began the nightmare. Every time Gargi entered the prison, the memory of that falling mallet resurfaced with the flare-up of a chronic disease. Three years had passed since then. Four more to go. Thursday afternoon sunlight warmed her as she walked the short path to the prison entrance. Once indoors, the coolness enveloped her and sent goosebumps along her arms. The officer greeted her as she placed her belongings in the green basket. She passed through the beige-and-brown metal detector and then stood still while a female officer used a flat black wand to swipe over her person. Gargi subjected herself to the search and gazed over the dingy white cement walls with the iron gray stripe in the center. Paint chips littered the crevices on the floor. A mix of antiseptic cleanser and dankness filled the air. Her nose wrinkled at the combination. She’d experienced it all before and yet, each time she came she underwent the same procedure all over again. It won’t always be like this. One day, this will all be over. The Michigan Court of Appeals received their appeal months ago. Each passing month forced her brother to stay in this forsaken place longer. She only hoped the appeal would work its magic and allow their attorney to argue their case against the state. Eventually, they’ll prove her brother’s innocence. She knew it. About Parker...  I am an author, speaker, and radio show host with a fanatical obsession with the Lord, Star Trek, K-dramas, anime, romance books, old movies, speculative fiction, and knitting. An off and on addict to Mountain Dew and marshmallows who writes to fill the void the sugar left behind. Connect Socially Website: http://www.parkerjcole.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/ParkerJCole Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parkerj.cole.7 Purchase Links: Amazon ebook: http://amzn.to/2BJrB2O Amazon paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1973224151 Tour hosted by WNL Book Tours www.wnlbooktours.com Thanks for joining us for March Inspirations! Please be so gracious as to leave a comment below, Parker would love to hear from you, and you will be entered into today's giveaway! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.   I'm pleased to have Michelle Stephens come on the blog and share her favorite Scripture today, which also happens to be mine. It's amazing to see how the hand of the Lord God Almighty is at work in our lives, but especially joyful when we can share it with someone else to encourage them. See how Psalm 91 has impacted Michelle Stephens' and her outlook on this particular passage of Scripture. Read on... I literally could not live without having Psalm 91 in my heart. This scripture is my favorite because it tells of the promise of God’s protection. It gives me not only life, but hope, courage and strength like nothing else in this world. |The Secret Place It begins by telling me that God has a secret place, which is a place of rest and that if I dwell there, I will be hidden under the shadow of His wings. I will be in His safety. To dwell with Him means to keep Him near at all times and remain in fellowship with Him. |No Evil When I live this way, the traps of the enemy can no longer touch me. Sickness will not affect me. I have absolutely nothing to fear! |His Angels I can be surrounded by chaos, evil and death that is causing massive destruction and I will be protected. His angels will be with me and keep me from harm. Danger can be right beneath my feet and no harm will come to me. |My Psalm 91Testimony I have been a witness to these promises with every unscathed recovery from sickness and loss, and each serious accident that did not happen until after I passed by or that narrowly missed me. Of particular note was when I was on the way to my first event as a featured author, with my God-inspired debut novel. Despite being unemployed, I was driving down to Atlanta from North Carolina after family and friends crowd-funded the trip at my release party. A loose tire came barreling down the highway and was stopped dead in its rolling tracks. It fell flat just before bouncing into my path with my right wheel just barely scraping past it. I also recall the time that a car came towards me head-on and the driver cut the wheel away with just inches between us. Another time, an out-of-control car was abruptly stopped just short of hitting me. Though it was turned the wrong way and was just beside me with less than a foot between us, I felt a sense of calm. The other driver was wide-eyed, and we briefly looked at each other with a look of knowing that God had saved us. I went on my way, safe in the care of His angels. I knew that their wings were the stopping force each and every time. I thank the Most High for the deliverance and long life He has bestowed upon me simply because I love Him and know His name! About Michelle...  National Bestselling Author Michelle Lynn Stephens hails from Durham, North Carolina and is an inspirational writer who encourages others to overcome life’s obstacles through faith and perseverance. She is the author of The Divorcée Chronicles:Diary of a Divorcée Diva and her poetry collection, Straight from a Diva’s Heart, which was shortlisted as a Read Freely Best Indie Book of 2017. She is delighted to be co-author of the Brown Girls Books anthology, Single Mama Dating Drama. When she’s not writing, she enjoys singing, performing spoken word poetry, and dancing with her toddler. Connect with her online at www.michellelynnstephens.com. Thanks for joining us for Motivational Monday Moments! Please leave a comment below, Michelle would love to hear from you! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.   It's a Fab Friday, and a wonderful way to end the week is with a giveaway. Today's guest author for March Inspirations is Deidra Green, and she is sharing her Elite Affairs series, focused in my hometown, the ATL with us today. She will give away two copies of Elite Affairs book 1 to two lucky readers. Just comment on this post to be entered into the giveaway. About Elite Affairs...There’s a frequency, a vibration that powers the thriving metropolis of Atlanta, Georgia. Chrisette Duncan-Elliott, has tapped into that frequency with her prestigious event planning business, Elite Affairs. Chrisette’s company has made an indelible impression on the luxury landscape of high-end event planning in the jewel of the south. From baby showers, to bar mitzvah’s, Elite Affairs does it all with grand style. But, all that glitters isn’t gold. There’s another frequency, an undercurrent that courses through the city, leaving broken hearts, empty promises and shattered dreams in its wake. Delve into the lives of the powerhouse women of Elite Affairs and see if anyone comes out unscathed. https://www.amazon.com/Elite-Affairs-I-Orchestrated-Beauty-ebook/dp/B01BTHSC3O/ About Deidra...  I write the stories I like to read. It's just that simple. I love to be captivated by the pages of an intriguing storyline turning page after page to see what happens next! You can subscribe to my newsletter and be the first to know, what I'm working on, whats coming up next, and also benefit from great giveaways and surprises! Sign up here! https://www.instafreebie.com/free/obpcoblDlYCEdbrB4rH9 You can also join my reading family group at https://www.facebook.com/pg/authordeidradsgreen/groups/?ref=page_internal You can also keep up with all things Deidra on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authordeidradsgreen/ Twitter @ https://twitter.com/DeidraG Thanks for joining us for March Inspirations! Please be so gracious as to leave a comment below, Deidra would love to hear from you, and you will be entered into today's giveaway! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.   Love can make you do some crazy things! It can sometimes bring out the worst in you...especially when love brings an unexpected surprise your way. What am I talking about? You'll have to read Sheryl Lister's, Love's Serenade. The excerpt is as sultry and spicy as the cover. It's another day of March Inspirations, and Sheryl's hosting a #giveaway. You'll have to read on to find out about this tempting novel. And don't forget to comment to be entered into the giveaway. Escaping an arranged marriage, Leigh Jones flees her southern hometown for Harlem's vibrant jazz scene to pursue her dream of becoming a singer. She finds more than she expected, namely Miles Cooper. The smooth-talking musician walked out on her three years ago, taking her music and her heart with him. Leigh has no intentions of falling for Miles or his charms again, until he tempts her with the one thing she can’t resist: a recording contract. But when her past comes calling, she realizes Miles is the one person who can save her from a man who won’t take no for an answer. Miles isn’t one for putting down roots or staying in one place for longer than a season. Yet, memories of Leigh's sultry voice, beauty and sass make him long for the life and love he forfeited. Having walked away once, but never again, Miles sets out to prove he's a changed man willing to go to any lengths to protect his woman. He's determined to show Leigh, one passionate note at a time that the music they make together will last a lifetime.  Thunderous applause greeted her. She glanced around at the small band—Frank Dixon on piano, Samuel White on drums, Willie Young on trumpet and Loyce Douglas on clarinet—and smiled. The men were accomplished musicians and she knew Liz paid them well to perform as the house band. The music started and, once again, Leigh was transported to the place that gave her the most pleasure. She sang a mixture of jazz and blues tunes that kept the audience out of their seats. The next song started and Leigh froze. She’d recognize that piano style anywhere. It can’t be. Her heart started pounding. She whipped her head around and her gaze collided with the one man she thought she’d never see again. Leigh’s breath stalled in her lungs. Miles smiled. She didn’t. She was so stunned she couldn’t utter a sound. His smooth voice floated across the space. Finally, she gathered herself and jumped in to sing the second verse of the blues duet they had written together. Before she knew it, they sang with a passion reserved for the two lovers described in the song. When the song ended, Frank resumed his place at the piano. She finished her set and retreated to the dressing room. She scrubbed a hand across her forehead. Why in the world was Miles here? It had taken her months to forget about him and now he had the nerve to reappear. As far as she was concerned, he could go back to wherever he came from because she had no intention of starting up with him again. Leigh stayed in the room until the club closed thirty minutes later, confident that he would be gone. Miles sat at the table closest to the stage and his was the first face she saw when she came back inside the club. Her steps slowed. She stopped in front of him. “What are you doing here, Miles?” The musicians stopped packing up their instruments, the servers paused in wiping down the tables and Liz watched her warily from behind the bar. “I came to see you, baby,” he said softly. He smiled again and something inside of Leigh snapped. She punched him in the jaw, knocking him backwards in the chair. “Go back to wherever you came from.” Ignoring the stunned looks on everyone’s faces, she spun on her heel and strode out. Download... About Sheryl...  Sheryl Lister writes sweet, sensual contemporary romance. When she’s not writing, Sheryl can be found on a date with her husband or in the kitchen creating appetizers. For more information, visit her website at www.sheryllister.com. Website: www.sheryllister.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/sheryllisterauthor Twitter: https://twitter.com/1Slynne Instagram: sheryllister Thanks for joining us for March Inspirations! Please leave a comment below, Sheryl would love to hear from you, and you will be entered into today's giveaway! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.   We're kicking off another week of March Inspirations with a giveaway from Aja Graves. Aja is sharing Good Old Soul showcasing her usual flair of sensual romance and thought provoking writing style. Check out her excerpt and leave a comment to be entered into today's giveaway. If I were to tell you I wrote a story about a May/December love affair between music and a saxophone named Her, would you believe me? I didn’t think you would but it’s true. Music has been here since the dawn of time. It’s been the melody of life, unfettered, free, and always waiting for us to-dare I say-tame it and guide it with our voices and with our instruments. The musician may have picked up the sax and breathed air into Her, but it was from the music, the jazz that was created, that love was found and where it grew. Amina Perrin isn’t looking for love. In fact, she isn’t looking for anything. She’s got her yoga, her massage therapy and the community she serves, keeping her plenty busy. That is until she bumps into a stranger who may change her free-spirited mind. Gabriel Slade is living the good life. Financially secure, nice condo overlooking the city, and the occasional “drink” with a beautiful woman—he has no intention on getting caught up, especially not with one so much younger than him, but here he is… getting all caught up and picking up a long forgotten saxophone he calls Her. If you’re opposed to sweltering love scenes between two passionate adults, this book isn’t for you. To purchase Good Old Soul, click here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0791L7NVX  What was going on between us had become more than just hanging out and having great sex; it had become a relationship and neither of us were pretending it wasn’t. To say that I was surprised that I cared for Gabriel as much as I do was an understatement. My dating game had fizzled long ago because I didn’t have the time to entertain anyone else, nor did I have the desire. My time with Gabriel had replaced all of that for the time being. I was wise enough to know that men got tired very quickly and everything would die. I tried not to have those kinds of thoughts while I was with him; even if it was hard considering our major differences, especially his age and his experience. I believe he knew exactly where and how far he wanted to our relationship because he had likely been down this road before, whereas I was just a novice. Love games weren’t games to me. I dated to have fun, but I had no intention of becoming emotional involved, and I told him so. “Do you want a husband or children one day?” He asked me, his fingers running through my blown out ‘fro; something he seemed to really like doing when my hair was all out and not in twists or braids. “No, not really. Honestly, I don’t think about it. I had a boyfriend once and it seemed like he and I would go to that place where I would at least consider it, but then he changed on me and I let that thought go.” “Changed how?” The fact that he seemed genuinely interested made me want to open up to him. A lot of guys don’t care; they’re not listening when you speak so I’ve learned not to talk much about anything meaningful in an effort to save my time and energy. Not that I didn’t have very deep thoughts to share, but why waste my breath, right? “At first, it was beautiful,” I started, noticing the tension in his body against my face that was lying on top of his chest, but I continued anyway, “But he soon became a jerk. He would say to me in the beginning how he wanted to have something real where his girl was honest and intelligent, and a freak in bed. I was all of those things and then he stopped appreciating it.” “Maybe he didn’t know what he had in you,” he murmured softly. “He knew, I think, but he got tired of how much work being with someone so intelligent, so … deep was. Eventually you all do. Women become the very thing you say you want and in my case, I had already been all of those things, but then he stopped noticing. He stopped talking to me, stopped listening to anything I had to say, stopped complimenting me on my accomplishments — or even me. I had just gotten my license as a massage therapist and called to tell him. He said, “Cool”, but then said he had to go. It was as if nothing big or monumental had occurred. Am I wrong for wanting a man that is truly for me?” “No, not at all. He should be your supporter in all things if he’s serious.” His chest was so comforting. The slow and steady heartbeat was soothing to me. Darryl had stopped being a supporter of mine long before we broke up, I thought. I remember him telling me that a man should be the one to tell his woman she is beautiful and that I should hear that each and every day. He stopped complimenting me. He became one of those men he seemed intent on separating himself from. “That’s what I thought. When I spoke up, something an assertive woman would do, he said all I did was complain, but he claimed he liked assertive women. Let’s just say that after a while, I realized he didn’t really want me and it was over.” “Are you over him?” “I’d like to think that I am.” “But, not really.” “Not really. I’m over him the guy, but I’m not over what happened. It was like all that energy and all that time I was in the relationship with him, was for nothing. He took but stopped giving and I was left hurting, so then I stopped giving. I date, but that’s as far as it goes because in that, there is no losing, not of myself and not of my heart.” We lied there breathing quietly and I guess, in our own thoughts. I wondered if he would open up. Whether I had said too much, and I probably did, but for some reason, I wasn’t worried about it like I might have been in the past. Either he wanted the truth about me and would appreciate it, or he’d want the lie that looked pretty and leave when he didn’t get it. All that mattered was the good time we were having right now, right? Eventually he did speak and his words rumbled against my ear, his fingers moving through my hair threatening to lull me to sleep. “You’re right. In the beginning, both men and women say what they need to get what they want. Usually, they mean it though. Something changes along the way and all of the intentions on how you want to be with that person gets lost. Distractions come in. Life happens and the goodness fades away. You’re left with the skeleton, which can’t be hidden. I’ve been there too. I’ve been the one to tell the well-meaning lies and I’ve received them.” “So, we have both been burned.” “Absolutely, but that doesn’t mean you give up completely unless you’re positive you want to be a ship drifting alone on the temperamental sea with the waves pushing you to and fro.” I thought about his words. Trying to take something meaningful from what he was saying to me. When Gabriel spoke, I listened. Maybe it was his maturity over me, although we almost seemed matched, but surely his experience made him wiser. I don’t know, I just know when he spoke I listened and considered. I considered whether it was worth the risk of getting further involved with a man that could tear me apart and not see it coming. Darryl was a slow demise. I saw it coming over time. Less calls, dates and visits. No real conversation that went beyond the cursory ‘how are you’. We died over time, so I could feel it and prepare myself for it even if it still hurt me. Gabriel seemed like he could sneak the ending up on me because he was everything I was beginning to fall for and never knew I really wanted. “I don’t know if I’m a ship out at sea or docked. I just know for now, I like the freedom of being either.” The freedom to be either with him, is what my heart said. “I hear you.” “So, now that we’ve been philosophical for the day, what would you like to do? I don’t have to start work until 2 o’clock today.” “Hmmmm, let me see. I haven’t made love to you in over an hour. That seems like something I should handle right away. What comes next can remain a mystery. Okay?” Smiling against his chest, I agreed. “Definitely, okay.” © Aja 2018 About Aja... Aja is the writer of sensually erotic women’s fiction. Her stories allow readers to experience realistic, inspiring and soulful interactions between her characters and intense passion between couples overcoming life’s challenges. Raised as an only child, using her imagination to create stories came naturally to her. Writing her first book in the first grade encouraged her doting and supportive mother to enter her into writing contests to help her hone her craft. Inspired by soulful music and sensual art, she crafts her stories on a whim, using the snatches of time her characters grace her with and stringing them together for completion. She loves prose but has been known to be poetic which can be found, if looking, in some of her published work. With two published series of books already, including the Unexpected series penned with Roy Glenn, she is working on several projects including Love’s Required and Good Old Soul, a soulful May/December romance. Author Links: Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Aja/e/B00K30K138/ Facebook Profile- https://www.facebook.com/aja.thewriter Website - http://ajathewriter.com/ Thanks for joining us for March Inspirations! Please leave a comment below, Aja would love to hear from you, and you will be entered into today's giveaway! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.   We're kicking off another week of #giveaways with March Inspirations. Today's featured author is Selena Haskins, and she's sharing her novel, Yesterday Was A Long Time Ago. If you haven't had a chance to read it, here's your chance to win a free copy. Simply leave a comment at the end of this blog post for Selena... About Yesterday Was A Long Time Ago... Southern gal, Germaine Landry wants to become a writer in the big city of Washington, DC. She meets a privileged heartthrob, Angelo Pearson, who is used to having anything, and every girl he wants. A loner by nature, Germaine is not easily impressed with Angelo's bravado, but he eventually charms his way into her heart. This pair of opposites develops a friendship that catches fire. Their love is seemingly shatterproof until a malicious scheme leads them down a dark path that could end tragically. Twenty years later, thoughts of yesterday still haunt Germaine until an unexpected encounter leads her to the pearls of truth. Germaine just may have a second chance at love or finally free herself from the memories of a long time ago. About Selena...  Selena Haskins is a native Washingtonian whose love for reading and writing started at the tender age of nine. Selena’s greatest loves are God and family and she uses both as the central theme in all of her books. By writing in various genres, particularly, historical fiction, family saga, and romance, Selena’s stories cross the generation lines and bridges the gaps between modern and contemporary fiction. Following the paths of legendary authors who came before her, Selena would like to continue writing good memorable stories that reflect a moral message, and African American heritage. Book: Yesterday Was a Long Time Ago Blurb: “You are my dreams with my eyes open.” Link: https://www.amazon.com/Yesterday-Was-Long-Time-Ago-ebook/dp/B07289W3Y7/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8 Contact: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorselena.haskins Twittter: @booksbyselena Instagram: @booksbyselena Thanks for joining us for March Inspirations! Please leave a comment below, Selena would love to hear from you, and you will be entered into today's giveaway! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.   "You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, and I will exalt You. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." Psalm 118:28-29 In life we encounter trials and tribulations as often as we have times of joy. During these trial periods we can become involved in our feelings. They can consume us if we are not careful, and we have an emotional reaction versus a spiritual response. If we switch our focus from our problems to our amazing God Almighty we soon become aware that our problems are able to be resolved and we grow stronger in the process. "How do I switch my focus when I am burdened and overwhelmed," you ask. When you are inclined to complain, worry, or fear, think about your past. Recall the times the Lord has saved you before. Recall the blessings you have received. Think about how He spared your life and His amazing salvation. Then from your heart, allow gratitude to pour forth and issue up a word or song of praise. In the beginning, this attitude may not come naturally. However, as you begin to practice it and make it a habit, it will become like second nature to think about His goodness and love towards you, and your response in trials will be to exalt Him and praise Him because He is good no matter the circumstances, and because He loves you even when you're at your worst. Thanks for joining us for Motivational Monday Moments! Please leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.   It's a phenomenal day of Inspiration! Nigeria Lockley is here to inspire us to pursue our passions in a Godly fashion. There's no better way to celebrate March Inspirations than this. She has a prayer and words that set my passion on fire anew, reminding me of my purpose. But I don't have to tell you, read on and see what I mean. Need a little more incentive? She's giving away 3 different titles today! Simply leave a comment for your chance to win. About Pursuing Your Passion In A Godly Fashion...Learn how to make God the CEO of all your endeavors and connect with Him on a deeper level with, Pursuing Your Passion in a Godly Fashion. Christians are often taught that God must be involved in all that they do. Yet there is little guidance on how to get God more involved in our business ventures in a meaningful way. In Pursuing Your Passion in a Godly Fashion, author Nigeria Lockley explores areas of struggle that creative Christians and entrepreneurs must overcome in order to excel. Through transparent testimony, biblical guidance, and a prayer strategy pulled from the book of Nehemiah, Lockley provides believers with prayers to take the pursuit of their passion out of this world.  Purpose is the buzzword of this millennium. What’s my purpose? is not a new question. However, with the advent of social media, the popularity of life coaches, and the phrase “be a happy quitter” floating around, it seems like everyone is pursuing their purpose. In order to pursue your passion in a Godly fashion, your purpose must be aligned to God’s purpose for your life. Your gifting is not your purpose. Gifts and calling come without repentance. God is not going to use a vessel that is in direct opposition of what He wants to do. Nevertheless, He equips every vessel with what they need to function. I am a writer and I am passionate about writing. I declared at the age of four that I would write a book and I have been writing ever since. But God’s purpose for me is not to just fill pages with words—His purpose for me and for you is more expansive than that and in order to experience full joy on the pathway to pursuing your passion your purpose has to be aligned with God’s. What’s Your Why? What do you believe your purpose is? What is it that you believe must be accomplished through the work that you do? Before you say, It’s not that deep, I just want to write a book or start a knitting class, let me tell you about a boutique owner who was crushing the game with her expensive merchandise and winning souls for Christ—Lydia the seller of purple. The few lines in the Bible that make mention of her offer us a master class in branding, but for right now let’s stick to gifting, passion, and purpose. “And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us” (Acts 16:14-15). Lydia sold purple, which was an expensive material at the time. She was basically like the Diane Von Furstenberg of her day. If she sold an expensive product, her customers had to be the government officials, priest, and the affluent of that time. Yet she was a worshipper of God. When the Lord opened her heart, the earnings from her great entrepreneurial business became the means by which she was willing to support Paul and other early Christians by using her home as a place for them to stay. Paul returned to her home after being released from jail. Lydia took her gifting and used it to help and strengthen her fellow brethren. That is the purpose of our gifts as Paul explains in Ephesians, “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12). You do not have to be a preacher in a pulpit or a Sunday school teacher to operate in your gift and give it away. Jesus preached everywhere He went and taught everywhere He sat. The purpose of your gift is to draw men and women into the body of Christ or strengthen those that are already in the body. If you’re not using your gift to do one or the other, if the pursuit of your passion isn’t helping someone else see God’s majesty and glory—you’re not doing it the Godly way. You’re doing things your own way. Prayer One of the great things about serving the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is unlike an earthly king who will sentence you to death when you go against his decree, God gives us another chance. Use this prayer to open up a dialogue between you and Him. Use this prayer to get your purpose aligned with His purpose for your life and life’s work. I bow before You, O Lord, the sovereign God who reigns over this earth and the heavens, whose purpose cannot be thwarted. Please hear my heart’s cry and look upon my misguided estate. I confess that I have boasted in my own works and placed my will, my desire, and purpose for my life far above Yours. There have been times that my own gain and the plans I have prepared took precedence over winning souls for Your kingdom and strengthening my brothers and sisters in Christ. Please remember, O Lord, the plans and thoughts of peace that You have for me. Open up Yourself to me, my Father, because You have said that when I seek You with my whole heart I will find You. I beg You, O God, to be attentive to my prayer. I want Your peace, Lord. I don’t want to be found outside of Your will, having my own righteousness, because I know I will not be able to stand. Don’t allow my passions to lead me away from Your purpose for my life and my gift. Please reconcile the longing and desire in my heart with Your work, Your will, and Your purpose for my life. I want to be a light for You and fully aligned with Your purpose, both now and for evermore. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Use the space below to create your own prayer for Alignment of Purpose. Address God using an attribute of who He is. Confess your sins. What actions have you committed in this area of your life against His word? Remind God of a promise He has made in the word of God concerning His will or purpose. State your petition. What is it that you want God to do with you, to you, or through you to help you get aligned with his purpose? About Nigeria... Nigeria Lockley possesses two Master's degrees, one in English Secondary Education, the other is in Creative Writing. Born at Dawn, Nigeria’s first novel won the 2015 Phillis Wheatley Award for First Fiction. Seasoned with Grace, her second novel received favorable reviews in Publisher's Weekly. After achieving every author's dream - a coveted publishing deal and then losing it, she launched Inheritance Books and transformed into the passion and purpose pusher. Now she works viciously to not only share her faith in her writing, but to ensure that every Christian creative and entrepreneur she comes in contact with is prepared to #getyourInheritance. Sales link: http://gum.co/PYPGF Contact Nigeria: www.nigerialockely.com Instagram: wwww.instagram.com/NewNigeria Fb: www.facebook.com/AuthorNigeriaLockley Thanks for joining us for March Inspirations! Please leave a comment below, Nigeria would love to hear from you, and you will be entered into today's giveaway! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.   It's another wonderful day of March Inspirations, and Jacinta Howard is here with her novel, Keeping Willow. I love, love, love this series. Join us today for a sexy love excerpt, and leave a comment. You just might be chosen to receive a signed copy of Keeping Willow... About Keeping Willow...Devin Walker, drummer for The Prototype, has one priority: turning his alt-soul band into the superstar act it's destined to become. Singularly focused on his music, his creative passion is all-consuming—that is, until he crosses paths with his best friend’s college roommate, Willow Harden. Willow was drawn to Devin from the moment she first saw him. And when Devin does, finally look Willow's way, she's easily seduced from her protective bubble into the lure of his fast-paced ambitions, though at times, she wonders if she can handle it. Unable to resist their potent chemistry, Devin and Willow free fall into a relationship that makes them question each other and doubt themselves. Devin knows he should probably leave her alone; Willow knows life for her might not be any good without him. Can they possibly make their love work? And if so, at what cost?  “Low Low, you gotta get up.” Nothing. The lump in the bed didn’t move. “Willow.” I touched her shoulder, partly because I couldn’t see her head. It was buried underneath my comforter. “Baby, you gotta get up.” I shook her shoulder this time, and she finally stirred, blinking up at me sleepily. I smiled, even with tired eyes and her hair wrapped in up in a red sleep rag thing, she was gorgeous. Just stupid pretty. My gaze dropped to her full lips before meeting her eyes. “It’s almost 3:30.” She blinked heavily again. “Already? Shoot.” The fact that she was wearing her nighttime hair tie meant she was serious as hell about that nap. “You’re gonna be late.” I sat down on the edge of the rumpled bed, searching for my shoes. It was mid-afternoon but it’d been cloudy all day. The light trying to stretch its way through the window was muted, casting a soft blue-ish glow over the room because Low insisted on buying me blue curtains a couple of months ago. “It adds dimension to the room,” she told me. I didn’t care about curtains but they did make the room look more relaxing, I couldn’t lie. Marvin Gaye was playing on my record player and I grinned because Low had finally really gotten into the warm sound of vinyl after fighting me about being “old school.” She yawned and rolled onto her back and tucked her arm underneath her head, like she didn’t need to be at the airport in Dallas by 5:30 to catch her flight home. “I have a little time. It only takes an hour and half to get to Dallas and my flight doesn’t leave until seven.” I shook my head, eyeing my shoe underneath her backpack. Other than her bag in the floor, the room was clean and airy, because of Low. It was so comfortable, I felt like crawling into bed with her and crashing too. “You’re pushing it,” I told her instead. “You still gotta get dressed and you know what an event that is.” She wasn’t wearing anything except my old red Hawks t-shirt. “I don’t want your dad thinking I’m the reason you missed your flight home.” Willow sighed audibly when her phone buzzed on the bed next the pillow. She picked it up, squinted at the screen, and tossed it back onto the blue comforter. “My mom,” she answered my unspoken question. “I just didn’t want to talk to her while I was over here.” “What’s up with that?” I met her eyes, brow furrowed. “She thinks I’m ‘playing house’ with you because I’m over here so much.” “Since when did she say that?” Willow shrugged, pulling off her hair thing and tossing it onto the bed. “The other week. She says she doesn’t know why they pay for me to live on campus when I really live over here.” I bit the inside of lip, my gaze scanning the room. Willow’s books were on the small desk she insisted on getting for me. Her clothes took up practically half of my closet space. One of my dresser drawers now belonged to her and her soaps and girly whatnots were in the bathroom shower rack. But I liked it that way. I wanted her near, all the time. We hadn’t spent a single day apart in months and I was kinda tripping because I really didn’t want her to leave now, even though I knew she needed to see her fam for the Thanksgiving holiday. She was flying in to Houston a little earlier though, since she’d be coming into Atlanta the day after Thanksgiving to be with me. Our new manager, Jay Little, had three shows lined up out there--- Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Trav was still hesitant about buddy but these gigs proved he was ready to handle us, in my opinion. Plus, I was looking at what he was doing with another band out of Atlanta, Black Bottom. They were blowing up and had just brought him on as their manager a few months before. Doing the gigs in Atlanta was big but I also wanted to check for my moms and Omar, see how they were doing. Moms finally landed a job, not where she wanted, but it was something at least, working in the cafeteria at Omar’s middle school. But the gap between unemployment and her finding work left them in a tight spot. And her punk ass landlord went up on her rent. I’d been sending money when I could but my paper was low too. “Can you give Kennedy back her headphones for me?” I looked down at Willow, who yawned and stretched again. She worked the early shift at Aroma today, the coffee shop near campus where she started at the beginning of the semester. “Where are they?” “On your dresser somewhere I think. Or maybe in your truck?” She twisted her lips, thinking. “You’re bad as Jersey, losing other people’s stuff.” “They’re not lost!" “But you don’t know where they are.” “They’re somewhere near here. I do know that.” She smiled, as I absently rubbed her calf, since she still hadn’t made a move to get up. “Oh my gosh, last night she was amazing, right?” Kennedy joined the band as a singer at the beginning of the semester, when she moved to Tyler to stay with her grandma Pepper, Trav’s neighbor from the down the street. Kennedy changed everything when she joined Prototype. Zay elevated the band when he’d joined. But Kennedy completed it. She’d changed Travis too, because dude was in love with her on some “alter my entire existence” type shit. Buddy actually told me that the other day, and was dead ass serious. “She’s next level. She’s startin’ to get why she’s dope, which is the key. You can’t just be good. You need to know what separates you from everyone else so that you can lean into it.” Willow’s eyes were lowered when she looked at me and she tugged at the bottom hem of my t-shirt. “I love it when you talk like that.” “Like what?” “Like all…” she shrugged grinning. “Devin-y. I’m gonna get t-shirts made with your quotes.” She bit her lip, still smiling at me. I knew that look in her eyes and I grinned, my groin tightening because that look, coming from Willow Elizabeth Harden, was better than any high I’d ever known. “What’s up?” I asked, letting her pull me toward her by the hem of my shirt, wrapping me in her coconut scent. “We have a few minutes,” she breathed, against my lips. She bit hers, then released it. “Nah, we don’t, love.” She nodded against my mouth, “We do,” she whispered, reaching and wrapping her arms around my neck, pressing her mouth against mine, her tongue tracing the seam of my lips, making me uncomfortably hard. She pulled back suddenly, and in one quick motion, pulled her t-shirt over her head. Her eyes were still on me, her cheeks flushed because she was still brand new and getting used to her body, and to me looking at her body. But she liked it. “We do,” she said again, as she kneeled on the bed in nothing but a pair of purple underwear. The afternoon light creeping through the blinds left a zigzag pattern on her belly that I traced with my fingertips. I bit my lip shaking my head as I took her in. Damn. “You better look and see what time the next flight is.” About Jacinta... : "Love is beautiful. Humans are messy. I write about the space in between." A longtime journalist and lifelong music lover, Jacinta Howard resides in the Atlanta area with her daughter and husband. She finds happiness in the pages of a great novel, on the beach, listening to good music and hanging with her family. She is the author of women's fiction and contemporary romance, a USA TODAY Must-Read Author and a two-time RONE Award nominee. Visit her at jacintahoward.net Contact Jacinta...Website & Blog: http://www.jacintahoward.net/ Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jacinta-Howard/e/B00K8KZ7SW/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1420471444&sr=8-1 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8194581.Jacinta_Howard Thanks for joining us for March Inspirations! Please leave a comment below, Jacinta would love to hear from you, and you will be entered into today's giveaway! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.    Ambiance – After discovering her husband had an illegitimate child resulting from a lengthy affair, her world was torn in two. His untimely passing left her feeling she had been robbed of the chance to deal with the betrayal. Seeking to give herself a fresh start, she packs up and moves cross country to the West Coast. Pursuing her dreams as a business owner, she’s on top of the world, until the man who caused her to question her marriage comes knocking. Will he mend her broken heart, or uproot her new life and leave it in further disrepair? Naomi – Dealing with empty nest syndrome, she discovers everything everyone ever said about her is true. She has no life. Embarking on a journey of self-discovery and entering the dating world after years of being alone, she’s unprepared for the games that lie in wait. Juggling her feelings between two very attractive men, she will soon learn that one is playing a deceptive and dangerous game. Paige- Barely escaping a deadly snare created by her own devices, she is searching for healing and redemption. After two years of therapy, Paige is finally ready to face her demons. It won’t be as easy as it seems, when accusations are constantly launched at her, and people from her past continue to pop up. A former lover is not ready to let go, and she soon finds herself making similar choices from her past. Will she open her heart up to love and be loved, and will she be convinced to open her life to Christ? Three best friends search for healing and deliverance from their emotional wounds, as they come to grips that the affliction they’ve bore was at the burden of their own hands. They yearn for redemption of their sins in the arms of men, the arms of a Savior, and in the eyes of one another.  “What took you so long?” Denver asked, looking at his watch. “Baby, I was only five minutes late.” “I know, but you told me you’d only be there another forty-five minutes,” he whined. “I know what I told you, but it couldn’t be helped. I got caught up in traffic on the way over. There was an accident. Some pedestrian was hit by a motorcycle. If it weren’t for that, I’d have been fifteen minutes early.” “Yeah, well…you could’ve called. I was worried about you. I ordered you the capriccio imperiale. I know how much you love their seafood,” he said, taking my hand in his. I fought not to snatch it back from him. It was amazing how I had gone from one man who didn’t show me any attention no matter how much I begged, to another man who wouldn’t allow me breathing room. I was upset about him taking the liberty to order for me, and it obviously showed on my face. “What’s wrong, Ambi? Don’t you want the salad? You usually always order that when we come here.” “I know. I was just in the mood for one of their pizzas tonight. Nothing more.” “I was just watching your calories for you. I’ve noticed you put on a few pounds lately, and I thought I’d help you out,” Denver supplied. I know my eyes bucked in my head when he said those words. Instead of going straight ghetto on him the way I wanted to, I pushed down a scream and turned away from him. My back turned to him, I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes shut until I knew I wouldn’t scream or rant at him. I chose to watch the other couples laughing and smiling around us. I wondered what their lives were like. “Aren’t you gonna talk to me, baby?” he asked, after the waiter placed our dishes on the table. Denver had been going on about his day for the last fifteen minutes, and I hadn’t heard a thing. I had chosen to block out his words and focus on the dream I had yesterday. It had been some time since I’d allowed Nick to rent a corner in my head space. But, I couldn’t deny I had always wondered how his touch would feel against my naked body. Shaking those thoughts from my head, I focused my attention back on the man in front of me. I plastered a fake smile on my face and tuned in to his words. “What is it, babe?” “I was asking if you thought you might be able to get a couple of my models I work with in your fashion show?” “Which ones?” I asked guardedly, still smiling with my chin cupped inside my hand. I had been stirring my food around on my plate absently. I wasn’t really hungry. “Um…I was thinking Lynn and Felice,” he answered. The smile suddenly slipped from my face. I know he did not just ask me to place Felice into my show. I was not a jealous woman by nature, but something about having your husband of four years cheat on you made you somewhat suspicious of ex-girlfriends. And I did not see the benefit of using Denver’s ex-girlfriend, Felice, in my show. “I don’t think that would be such a good idea, Denver.” I speared some calamari and green beans on my fork and shoveled them in my mouth. My food had lost its flavor, but I needed to preoccupy my mouth to prevent me from saying something I would later regret. “Why not? I think it would be wonderful. I mean, after all, they’re both talented and experienced models. Two beautiful women who will definitely sell the designs and the show,” he laughed. From the way he stared at me, I could tell Denver couldn’t understand why I couldn’t perceive the ingenuity behind his idea. Slowly chewing my food, I stared at him as if he had lost his mind. After I finished swallowing the last bit, I realized I could no longer prolong my answer. “We’re only using the women from the shelter. This isn’t just about the sales to raise funds and gathering donations, but it’s about building their self-esteem,” I explained for the umpteenth time. “Okay. But don’t you think it’d be great to add two professional models in their to show them how to walk, how to pose, how to project confidence, and all of the intricacies of modeling?” he implored, setting his fork beside his plate. “No, I don’t. In fact, it might hinder what we’re trying to do. I can only imagine the women who don’t have the confidence or self-esteem constantly comparing themselves against your models. They’ll never get to where we’re trying to get them to be. Besides, none of them are rail thin like Lynn and Felice. If anything, they’ll walk away from this a bit more scarred than they were before.” I began eating my food again. “How can you turn down the opportunity to have two professional models working with them, Ambi? Isn’t that selfish?” “No, it isn’t. Actually, what you’re asking me is a bit selfish. I don’t see how this is going to benefit the shelter or the women in the slightest. Anyway, we already have professional models, as you say, teaching them how to walk the runway, how to pose, and give the look,” I said, using air quotes. “The only difference is they won’t be on the runway stealing the spotlight from our ladies.” “What was that comment supposed to mean?” he asked. “What comment?” “The one about me being selfish?” I looked out the window of the restaurant at the passersby. I wished I could take my words back, because I knew they would lead to an argument. “Look, Denver.” I leaned forward and placed my fingertips together in a steeple, elbows on the table. I meant business. “Here’s the deal: I’m not interested in working with your ex on this show; not today, not tomorrow, and never in the future. Why is it so important for her to get on this show anyway?” Denver looked back at his plate once more and pushed it away from him. “It’s not about why it’s so important, Ambi. I just asked for one simple damned favor, and you couldn’t do that for me,” he said, shaking his head. “Look, let’s not do this here,” I said, looking around the restaurant. This was one of my favorite places to frequent, and I didn’t want to spoil it by having a confrontation with my boyfriend in public. “Let’s not do it at all. I’m out,” he said, tossing his napkin on the table and storming away. I shook my head and laughed. Denver was so petty and immature. This wasn’t the first time he had stalked out on me in the middle of dinner. It also wasn’t the first time he had stuck me with the bill. Hell, he would do that whether he was mad or not. What did I expect? I was thirty-four and he was twenty-seven. There was an age gap there, but when I met him, I never thought it would matter. Guess I was wrong. About Chelle...  Women's fiction author and blogger, Chelle Ramsey brings a refreshing perspective into the lives of her readers and wants them to find entertainment, healing and inspiration in each novel. Using real problems and challenges faced by ordinary people, Chelle wants readers to become empowered to rise above life's adversities, with faith in God, and belief in themselves. Her stories are relatable to individuals of diverse demographics, who have suffered a loss, been hurt, have low self-esteem, have lost hope, or need a word of encouragement. She strives to take your emotions on a roller coaster ride, one page at a time. Chelle holds an MBA in Human Resource Management, which she puts to use in her Human Resources role by day, while she writes her fiction novels at night. And in her spare time, she’s a blogger, freelance writer, and ghostwriter. Her most important roles are those of a wife and mother of three. During her “me time,” she becomes enraptured with the enthralling stories of Terry McMillan, Nora Roberts, James Patterson and Stuart Woods. Chelle Ramsey resides in a rural community in Atlanta, Georgia and enjoys writing, family time, and watching NBA games. She hosts the annual 20 Days of Love authors’ blogging campaign, March Madness authors’ giveaways campaign, and showcases other authors on her blog at www.chelleramsey.com/beautifully-inspired-blog. Her novels can be found online at Chelle Ramsey Amazon. LINKS: WEB: www.chelleramsey.com EMAIL: chelleramseywrites@gmail.com FACEBOOK: ChelleWrites TWITTER: @UndeniablyChell PINTEREST: ChellesBooks INSTAGRAM: UndeniablyChelle Thanks for joining us for March Inspirations! Please leave a comment below, Chelle would love to hear from you, and you will be entered into today's giveaway! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.   When love is the last thing on your mind, the last thing you expect is to find it in the least likely place with the unlikeliest person. Today's March Inspirations post is from Alexandria House and she's drumming up love and giving away a prize to an unsuspected reader today. Simply leave a comment. Read on... About Let Me Love You... Trying to put past hurts behind you is hard when your ex is a fool, but buoyed by child support and alimony, Jo Walker is moving forward with her life, pursuing a career, raising her little girl, and trying to live in peace. She believes she has all the bases covered in her world. But what about her heart? Rap legend Everett “Big South” McClain is divorced, too, knows all about failed relationships, and has relegated his love life to casual connections rather than pursuing something real. That is, until he lays eyes on Jo. She’s exactly what he never knew he needed. He’s what’s been missing from her world. Will she accept what he has to offer and let him love her?  Oba walked closely behind me as I stepped through the elegant lobby toward the elevators. My legs felt like rubber as the weight of what I was doing settled on my shoulders. I was delivering an insanely expensive piece of jewelry to someone, someone obviously rich and probably famous. What if someone had followed us from Bijou Park and tried to rob us? Sure, Oba was huge and armed, but what if a group of huge, armed dudes tried to rob us? What if they kidnapped me and held me for ransom and—the elevator dinged, making me jump, snatching me from my thoughts and prompting me to step inside. Moments later, the doors opened, and after we exited the elevator, Oba had to give me a little nudge so I would start moving toward the only door in the hallway. A cavernous bassline grew louder and louder as I approached the door, and when I knocked timidly, I doubted it could be heard over the music. Oba reached over my five-foot-two frame, which seemed even smaller in stature with his imposing one towering over me, and beat his fist against the door, startling me even though I saw him do it. I glanced up at him nervously. He gave me a shrug and a smirk. The music was lowered, and the door swung open. A man that damn near matched Oba in height and girth appeared with a scowl on his face. He and Oba were on opposite ends of the skin tone spectrum. Where Oba was dark as night, this man was extremely light-skinned with orangey-colored hair. He frowned down at me, then let his eyes climb up to Oba. That’s when a smile appeared on his face. As I stood there, he reached over my head and gave Oba dap. “‘Sup, my nigga?!” Oba was just as animated as he said, “Sup, Dunn?! You know…same ole grind. Park didn’t tell me we were coming to see your guy. Wish I’da known. I ain’t know what I was getting into.” “Who dat?” This querying voice came from inside the suite. “Tell Boss Man Peter Park’s folks are here with that piece,” Dunn said. “A’ight,” answered the voice. “Y’all come in,” Dunn offered, and then he smiled at me. “O, man? Who we got here?” I rolled my eyes before I could stop myself. Because I was running late this morning, I’d thrown on a pair of jeans and a loose t-shirt, didn’t bother to apply a stitch of makeup so the freckles that I’d always hated were prominent on my face, and my wild natural hair was pushed away from my face with a thick, cloth headband. I didn’t look hideous, but I wasn’t displaying anything that made me worthy of his leer. Before Oba could introduce me to Dunn and vice versa, the voice returned and I found it was attached to another behemoth of a man—all height and muscles like Oba and Dunn with a skin tone somewhere in between theirs. “Aye, the boss said y’all can go on back there,” he announced, nodding toward a door deeper in the suite. “A’ight, Tommy,” Oba said, looking from the voice to me. “Lead the way, Jo.” I swallowed and moved toward the door only to hear mumbling and snickering behind me, sure one or both of the two giants who evidently resided in that suite were looking at my ass. I rolled my eyes again. Knocking on the door, I felt my heart begin to race. Who was this boss man of theirs? Was he rich and famous or just rich? Oba obviously knew who he was, because he was familiar with his security. I wished I had time to ask Oba who-- “Come in!” was yelled through the door. I turned the knob and walked inside, stopping without giving Oba room to enter. I recognized him instantly, but anyone would’ve since he was probably the most recognizable rapper on the planet. He wasn’t old, only in his late thirties, but had been in the rap game for so long he was definitely considered one of the old heads at this point. Award-winning, multi-platinum-selling, world-renowned, skilled like no other, and fine as all hell. That’s how I’d describe Big South. I was shocked, pleasantly stunned into silence and paralysis. Download... About Alexandria...  A southern girl at heart, Alexandria House has an affinity for a good banana pudding, Neo Soul music and tall black men in suits. When this fashionista is not shopping, she’s writing steamy stories about real black love. Website: http://www.msalexhouse.com/ Blog: http://msalexhouse.blogspot.com/ Instagram: @msalexhouse Twitter: @mzalexhouse Facebook: Alexandria House Thanks for joining us for March Inspirations! Please leave a comment below, Alexandria would love to hear from you, and you will be entered into today's giveaway! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.   “You will keep in [a]perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both [b]inclination and character], Because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation]. Isaiah 26:3, AMP When I first considered writing this blog post, I thought I would be writing from Psalm 91, my favorite passage of Scripture. If you know like I know, our plans can easily be altered by the Lord's purpose and will. If you have not experienced that in life, Proverbs 19:21 confirms that. So, as I prayed on a passage of Scripture that I was supposed to write about, He led me to Isaiah 26, verse 3. This Scripture has brought me great comfort in challenging times, and it was brought back to my remembrance recently by one of my brothers. I love the Scripture, but even more so the amplified version. It tells us the Lord will keep us in "perfect" peace, which means as good as good can be, and having all the desirable qualities and elements to bring the satisfaction we seek and desire. Then it goes on to say, "constant," that means that it is a continual supply of peace. His peace will never end, it does not run out like the store may run out of your favorite bottled water. No, the supply of the Lord's peace is continual and plenty, sufficient to satisfy all of our desires. Yet, this peace does not just come to us naturally. There is a small, minor part we must play. We must choose to allow our thoughts, the intents of our heart, and desire to remain on the Lord. Well, how can I do that you ask? Yes, we are surrounded by worldly desires and intents. Yes, we will have troubles in this world, but they are not meant to last. You can make a decision each and every day to focus on the Lord. What does this focus look like?
Why does the Lord want to grant you this peace? Because we trust and hope in Him. We trust or have faith that the Lord is who He says He is, and will do what He says He will do. We hope that He will grant us the desires of our heart, and give us the peace that we seek, but we have faith (believe and act on it) that He will do it, because the Lord is true to His Word and cannot lie. So, we confidently expect Him to reward that faith, with His precious peace.  There have been times that this passage of Scripture has brought me great comfort. If any of you have been following this blog for any period of time, then you know that in September 2014 my family experienced a house fire and we were out of our home for six LONG months. My emotions were all over the place. However, one day I was praying to the Lord and asking Him to guide me, give me strength, and peace. This Scripture along with Proverbs 3, verses 5 through 6 gave me great comfort during that time. At the end of my prayer, I heard a voice clearly say, "Trust God." I looked up, thinking my husband had entered the room but no one was in the room, except for me. A peace descended upon me like I had never experienced and remained with me throughout that process. I often recall that time when challenges arise. I also recall this Scripture when I'm troubled about something and I pray for His peace, and He lovingly grants it to me. I pray that whatever you are going through today, the Lord Almighty will grant you perfect peace and keep it constantly flowing in your life. Simply remember to make Him your primary focus, and allow your desires to be in align with His Word.  Women's fiction author and blogger, Chelle Ramsey brings a refreshing perspective into the lives of her readers and wants them to find entertainment, healing and inspiration in each novel. Using real problems and challenges faced by ordinary people, Chelle wants readers to become empowered to rise above life's adversities, with faith in God, and belief in themselves. Her stories are relatable to individuals of diverse demographics, who have suffered a loss, been hurt, have low self-esteem, have lost hope, or need a word of encouragement. She strives to take your emotions on a roller coaster ride, one page at a time. Chelle holds an MBA in Human Resource Management, which she puts to use in her Human Resources role by day, while she writes her fiction novels at night. And in her spare time, she’s a blogger, freelance writer, and ghostwriter. Her most important roles are those of a wife and mother of three. During her “me time,” she becomes enraptured with the enthralling stories of Terry McMillan, Nora Roberts, James Patterson and Stuart Woods. Chelle Ramsey resides in a rural community in Atlanta, Georgia and enjoys writing, family time, and watching NBA games. She hosts the annual 20 Days of Love authors’ blogging campaign, March Madness authors’ giveaways campaign, and showcases other authors on her blog at www.chelleramsey.com/beautifully-inspired-blog. Her novels can be found online at Chelle Ramsey Amazon. LINKS: WEB: www.chelleramsey.com EMAIL: chelleramseywrites@gmail.com FACEBOOK: ChelleWrites TWITTER: @UndeniablyChell PINTEREST: ChellesBooks INSTAGRAM: UndeniablyChelle Thanks for joining me for another Motivational Monday Moment! Please leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.   It's day 6 of March Inspirations and Christina Jones is hanging out with us today to share her novel, Love Notes. Yes, it's flirtatious, steamy, and just enough to wet your...well, read on... Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered into her #giveaway! “Okay,” he nodded. “I see what’s happening here, you with the smile, and the hair, and the dimples, all of that.” I smirked. “Do you really though? Cause I’m pretty sure I caught you all the way off guard just now. Or are you gonna front on me again?” “I didn’t front on you a first time,” he countered, with the kind of smile that made it very easy to remain in a seat that very well could’ve belonged to another woman. Before I could find out, a server came past, asking if we wanted refills on our drinks. He said yes, asking for another Hennessey and Coke, and because I was a sucker for a dark man drinking dark liquor, I said yes as well, opting for Sprite and vodka. “So… am I in someone’s seat right now? In danger of getting swung on?” I asked, meeting deeply amused eyes that were the same color as deep roast in the light from the stage, but seemed glossy black when he turned to fully face me. “Not really. My boys are off chasing ass, so I doubt they’ll mind.” “Why aren’t you off doing the same?” His response was delayed by the delivery of our drinks, and I offered no argument when he instructed the server to put them both on his tab. Once she left, I raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for his response. “Well?” I prompted, when he still didn’t answer. “Well what?” “Why aren’t you off chasing ass like your boys?” He shrugged, then took a sip from his fresh drink. “Don’t have to. It usually comes to me,” he suggested, giving me a pointed look that made me laugh. “So you’re caught up now, huh?” I teased. “Welcome to this conversation.” I raised my glass, and to my absolute delight he met me halfway, clinking his drink against mine. “Happy to be here.” “Are you really though?” I asked, then took a swallow from my drink. “Cause a few minutes ago, you tried to—” “I wasn’t trying to front on you,” he interrupted, with a warm chuckle that gave me a tingly feeling akin to the soda bubbles exploding on my tongue as I drank again. “You gotta stop saying that shit.” I raised a hand, spreading my fingers wide. “Hey, I’m just standing in my truth here… you should try it.” “Damn, it’s like that?” “Yup.” He nodded, then raked his free hand through his beard. “Okay. The truth then.” I leaned in, into his personal space, and he didn’t flinch, falter, or pull back, just kept with that cool, penetrating gaze. “Please,” I uttered, sounding it out slowly, as his regard fell to my lips. “The hair is what got my attention,” he insisted, once our eyes were locked again. “But…?” A yielding sort of smirk spread across his lips as he conceded, “But… the pretty face is what kept it. I’ve never seen you before, so… I was curious.” “Finally, he admits it!” I laughed, dropping my hand onto his knee and squeezing. “I love it when I’m right!” “It’s all good,” he granted. “Live it up at my expense, I can take it.” Still grinning, I told him, “So can I…” with a wink that made him suck in a little breath before he pulled his bottom lip between nice, even white teeth. “You’re really not from around here are you?” Download... About Christina...  Christina C. Jones is a modern romance novelist who has penned almost 30 books. She has earned a reputation as a storyteller who seamlessly weaves the complexities of modern life into captivating tales of black romance. Prior to her work as a full time writer, Christina successfully ran Visual Luxe, a digital creative design studio. Coupling a burning passion to write and the drive to hone her craft, Christina made the transition to writing full-time in 2014. Christina has attracted a community of enthusiastic readers across the globe who continue to read and share her sweet, sexy, and sometimes scandalous stories. Thanks for joining us for March Inspirations! Please leave a comment below, Christina would love to hear from you, and you will be entered into today's giveaway! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.   Today's March Inspirations post is an excerpt designed to tap into your animal instincts, bringing out the wild in you. Ariel Marie is sharing her latest novel, Tiger Haven and giving away a signed copy to a lucky reader who resides in the U.S. and leaves a comment... About Tiger Haven...Biologist Dr. Charlee Black is on a mission to save the animals. When she discovers Amur tigers are being hunted by poachers in Russia, she travels to a national park within the country to study them, and to prevent the tigers from going extinct. Weston Rogavac is a billionaire tiger shifter with royal bloodlines, and a sworn duty to ensure the survival of his kin. When he and Charlee meet en route to the sanctuary, sparks fly, and both of them are swept up in a sexy and steamy romance they can’t untangle from. But love isn’t enough to stop what’s coming. The Russian mafia has a special interest in selling tiger skin and bones on the black market, and have put a hit out on Charlee to stop her conservation work. Weston is her only hope of survival, but as the hitmen grow closer Charlee is shocked to find she has ties to the mob and is attached to a past she cannot escape. Will Weston be able to protect her? Or will Charlee lose her tiger shifter lover and her life? With action and adventure at every turn, Tiger Haven is a suspenseful paranormal romance novel that will thrill and shock readers. Fans of author Ariel Marie will fall for this love story that provides plenty of heat and a happily-ever-after ending. Excerpt...Silence filled the air, except for a few snores. West was restless and unable to sleep as thoughts of Charlee filled his mind. His tiger was restless too. It knew they were in the jungle, and he wanted to be let free so that he could roam the humid forest. He stood silently and wandered over to the end of the camp. Luka leaned back against a tree and nodded when his eyes met West’s. The fire in the pit in the middle of the clearing had finally dwindled to just smoldering embers. He glanced to where Charlee should have been sleeping, but found her bedding to be empty. His eyes shot to Luka and found his friend pointing to a place behind him. He turned and found Charlee emerging from the trees. “I needed to use the facilities,” she murmured, a sheepish look coming over her face. He chuckled as he walked toward her. His tiger paced back and forth with the knowledge that she was close. Her hair, piled on top of her head, had his fingers itching to remove the bun. He wanted to see her thick locks spill out onto her shoulders and back. He grabbed her hand and entwined his fingers with hers. “Walk with me,” he murmured. Her face softened as she nodded her head. He looked over his shoulder at Luka to see him give a small salute. He pulled her behind him as they entered the dense wooded area. “How can you see?” she asked, bringing her other hand to rest on the small of his back as he led her farther away from the others. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness of the forest. The sounds of nature greeted them as they continued to walk. “There’s a little moonlight,” he murmured, making an excuse. There was no way he could tell her the truth. He kept them moving, knowing exactly where he wanted to take her. He had discovered a beautiful little cove that would be perfect for them to have time alone, and he couldn’t wait to get her there. He knew that Charlee was in love with everything about the rainforest, and his tiger was pleased by this. Every new discovery, her camera wasn’t far from her hands. Her appreciation of what nature had to offer was evident by her passion, in not only preserving the tigers, but in everything he had come to know that she stood for. “Where are we going?” She released a nervous chuckle. His animal could pick up that she was a little antsy. His thumb drew small circles on her inner wrist in an attempt to calm her nerves. “It’s a surprise,” he announced. “I found something earlier that I wanted to share with you.” “Oh, shoot. Maybe I should have grabbed my camera,” she said. “Don’t worry—” The sound of a twig snapping grabbed his attention. His tiger instantly went on alert. He hadn’t picked up on the trail any other animals in the area. Charlee instantly sensed that something was wrong. His body drew tense as he waited and listened, willing his heart to slow down. “What was that?” she whispered. The smell of her fear permeated the air. He held a finger up to his lips as he turned to her, not sure if she was able to see the motion. He listened again, and another snap echoed through the air. His head snapped in the direction of the noise, and he pushed Charlee behind him. He could feel both of her hands on the small of his back. His ears perked up as he waited. His eyes met those of a tiger, peering out of the trees fifty feet from them. His amber eyes glowed in the dark as he assessed West and Charlee. “Oh my God,” Charlee gasped, having peeked from behind him. “Stay behind me,” he ordered, pushing her back. His tiger pushed forward with a roar as they stood there and stared down the tiger. The tiger nodded his head, and West released the breath he didn’t know he had been holding. Drago. Drago’s tiger disappeared back into the trees without a sound. West knew that Drago had caught sight of Charlee and would give them privacy, and also ensure that no other dangerous animals were in the area. “He’s gone,” West murmured, holding still to make sure Drago had left. “Was that Bubo?” she asked, eyes wide. Her grip tightened on his hand. “I’m not sure,” he lied, pulling her behind him. “It could have been. But I’m sure you know that tigers can be shy animals. He’s probably moving through the area. “Maybe we should try to follow him. He could lead us to his den—” “No.” He held up a hand to cut her off. “We are not following a tiger in the middle of the jungle at night. Smart people like ourselves will keep on moving and put as much distance between us and a tiger who could eat us whole.” “Oh, yeah. I guess you’re right. I just got excited,” she laughed. Her excitement over tigers was infectious. He ached to be able to share his other half with her. His tiger would love to have the feel of her hands on his head and rubbing between his ears. Not yet, he snapped to his tiger, pushing his animal down. It was too soon. His tiger scoffed at the notion of waiting. He was getting impatient, and it was taking a lot of energy to keep his tiger at bay. “Here we are.” Download now: https://www.books2read.com/u/3k0nBW About Ariel Marie... Ariel Marie is an author who loves the paranormal, action and hot steamy romance. She combines all three in each and every one of her stories. For as long as she can remember, she has loved vampires, shifters and every creature you can think of. This even rolls over into her favorite movies! She loves a good action packed thriller! Throw a touch of the supernatural world in it and she’s hooked! She grew up in Cleveland, Ohio where she currently resides with her husband and three beautiful children. Want to know more about her and her books? Sign up for her newsletter --> http://eepurl.com/clg-H1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_ArielMarie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arielmarie_author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/the_arielmarie Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorarielmarie Thanks for joining us for March Inspirations! Please leave a comment below, Ariel Marie would love to hear from you, and you will be entered into today's giveaway! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.   Today is my birthday and we're celebrating with March Inspirations. Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku is sharing her novel, Guilty of Love. Drop in and watch the pages steam up and don't forget to leave a comment to be entered into her giveaway to win a copy of, All Of Me, and an ARC of my novel, A Woman's Design: Redemption. Taking a quick break from his search for the man who put his dad behind bars, Adam meets a curvy, dark-haired, intelligent beauty with a lovely sense of humour. She sets his body on fire and shakes him to his core. He longs for her and will move mountains to be by her side. But when he finds out the family responsible for wrecking his dad’s life, his heart is at war with his head as the identity of the woman he is up against throws him into a dilemma. Letitia wants to get back at the man who made her family suffer. She will do anything to see the man return to jail. A quick stopover on holiday brings her across a hot, sculpted and protective bloke who stirs something deep within her and leaves her body and soul aching with a sharp need. When she eventually confronts her enemy, recognition dawns and every locked-up emotion comes crashing down. Will Letitia and Adam be found Guilty of Love? ~ From the Author of All of Me: A Sweet & Steamy Romance ~  “Did I scare you?” Adam joked from behind Letitia while they both kicked out their legs softly to keep afloat in the swimming pool. She shook her head to dislodge water from her ears. “Not really. I wondered who had the nerve to hold me from behind.” Swirling around to face him, she watched him flick both hands over his wet hair and his eyes grinned at her. “How old are you?” he mouthed just as two men raced past doing the front crawl with their arms under water. Lifting her hands out of the water, she pushed her hair out of her face. “All of twenty-nine.” Floating closer to where she was, he chuckled. “You don’t look a day older than twenty-three.” Even though she knew he was being a gentleman, she giggled as warmth crept up her neck. It felt good to receive such glowing compliment from a man who wanted nothing from her. He hardly knew her. “Thank you. I feel twenty-nine for sure.” “What does that even mean?” His lips formed into a wide grin as if he had no clue what she meant. Three young men swam past, but one of them winked at her as he lifted his head to take in air. Adam had his back to them, so he did not notice. And she tried not to grin. “You know, like I don’t feel the same as I did when I was fifteen. And you, how old do you feel?” With one arm, he circled her waist and he led her to the pool edge. “Swimming here with you now I feel like I’m eighteen again. But I’m only thirty-five.” He hauled himself to sit on the poolside. “Come and sit beside me,” he told her giving her his hand to help her up the side of the pool. She took his hand and she joined him on the cool tiles. “I would not have guessed your age. I thought you were under thirty.” For her accolade, he caressed her shoulders with two fingers and made his way toward her neck. She skewed her head as she burst out giggling. Already, sweet tickles dripped from his fingers through her cleavage with far too much speed. Feeling self-conscious at his closeness, she tightened the rope of her bikini top and bottom when she stopped laughing. “It feels good to hear you say that, Letitia. Are you dating actively at the moment?” For several seconds she stared at him wide-eyed. Adam’s gaze was relentless as he waited for her reply. “I’m keeping that close to my chest.” She got a kick out of needling him since she just found out he had man-sized jealous bones in his sculpted body. “Don’t make me crawl through your chest in search of my answer.” The words spoken gruffly carried an underlying threat. Unable to contain her shock, her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Not in front of everyone, you wouldn’t, Adam.” When he leaned forward, his eyes assured her he intended to carry out his threat, so she promptly changed her response. “Okay. I’m dating.” No emotion flashed through his face as he asked. “Are you seeing someone in particular?” Download... Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2rQdEgd Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guilty-Love-Sweet-Steamy-Romance-ebook/dp/B078X22Q6F/ Okada Books: https://okadabooks.com/book/about/guilty_of_love__a_sweet__steamy_romance/17317 Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/784486 Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guilty-Love-Sweet-Steamy-Romance-ebook/dp/B078X22Q6F/ Amazon AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/Guilty-Love-Sweet-Steamy-Romance-ebook/dp/B078X22Q6F/ About Stella...  I'm Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku, author of several toe-curling & heart-fluttering Flirty & Feisty Romance Novels consisting of Contemporary/Interracial/Multicultural Romance as well as Historical & Paranormal Romance Books. I write about super sexy heroes and flirty & feisty heroines. My stories are a breath of fresh air, dotted with unexpected twists and are set in fascinating Africa, enticing Europe and enchanting America. An emotional spin is what you get when you read my books. GUILTY of LOVE is my hot new release and it makes the perfect gift for your family, friends and colleagues. There are now 21 published books so far. Just so you know, I'm a romantic freak, mother of two fun - loving teenagers, married to my gorgeous husband and best friend and we live in London, UK. If my teens had their way, they would fill our home with a dozen pets. Swimming on my back like a star-fish is one of my skills. Please write or connect with me on social media. I love reading from you. Connect with Stella... Blog: http://flirtyandfeistyromance.blogspot.co.uk/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4538936.Stella_Eromonsere_Ajanaku Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flirtyandfeistyromancenovels?v=wall&ref=pdem Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/106790524289597144280/posts Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/eromonsereajana/ Thanks for joining us for March Inspirations! Please leave a comment below, Stella would love to hear from you, and you will be entered into today's giveaway! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.   It's a love TKO on today's edition of March Inspirations. Brynette Turner's, Restoring Love finds a woman in a predicament of having to choose between the love of two men. Will she buckle under the pressure, or will she stand strong and make the right choice? Read on and leave a comment for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card... About Restoring Love... Amina is 49 and ready for a second wind to blow some excitement into her love life. Too bad Jason, the tall, dark, piece of sweet chocolate was so much younger. Fifteen years is a deal-breaker right? Obviously not to the very persistent and sexy Jason. He was captivated by Amina's ageless face and shapely body, even if she did try blowing him off. But, fate was on his side. The gorgeous project manager was actually in charge of the renovation of a building his electrical business was contracted to rewire. There was no way he wasn’t going to use seeing her every day to his advantage. If Jason thought he’d be Amina’s only admirer, he needed to think again. Her boss Wesley—patient, observant, and aware that he might have allowed Amina to take his interest in her a little too lightly—refused to step aside for a young man who didn’t realize her worth. Thanks to one twist of fate, a mistake Jason may not be able to correct, and an opportunity Wesley won’t let slip away, Amina finds herself with more attention than she ever would have imagined. The choice is hers to make. Who to love? Who to choose? No deadline. No pressure. No pressure? Yeah, right.  On Tuesday, Amina was surprised to look out the window and see Jason leaning against his truck outside the Victorian manor. The fixtures he needed to install wouldn’t arrive for another week. She took a deep breath, went outside, and walked across the lawn to where he was parked. “What are you doing here?” She pulled sunglasses out of her pocket and put them on. “We need to talk.” He reached a hand towards her but dropped it when another contractor pulled up behind him. “There’s nothing to discuss; and even if there was, I wouldn’t do it on a job site. I broke my rules; it was a mistake. I learned my lesson the hard way.” She hoped the glasses hid her pain. “I hope our business relationship won’t be too awkward going forward.” She watched as he looked away, his jaw clenching and his eyes getting dark. What does he have to be mad about? she thought. “We need to talk, Amina.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “There are things I didn’t get a chance to say the last time I was at your house. Important things.” She saw Wesley pull into the driveway and get out of the car. He was holding a canister but stood there leaning on his car watching her. Watching Jason with her. Her stomach flipped. “Don’t do this, Jason. You disappeared on me and you’ve explained. I understand, all right? You want to hold on to us; but you don’t need to. I don’t want you to. I just want to forget and move on.” Is that pain in his eyes? she wondered. He admitted, “I’ve tried to give you some time and space hoping that maybe we could work things out eventually. But honestly, I’m miserable without you. This isn’t working for me and I don’t believe you’ve stopped caring either. What we have is stronger than one mistake and a few weeks of separation.” Amina stared at him long enough to be moved by the silent pleading in his expression. Still, she said, “I have to go,” because that was all she could manage. She turned and walked toward her boss. “I brought the drawings for your meeting with the landscaper. Eric said you forgot them.” “Thanks for saving me a trip back to the office.” She tucked the canister under an arm. Wesley looked at her with a puzzled expression, looked at Jason—who was still leaning against his truck—and then back at Amina. Even though she still had on the glasses, he could see her sadness in the way her head tilted down slightly and her shoulders slumped. He had promised he would fix her broken heart. “Does that mean you have time to go to lunch with me?” “You’re always feeding me,” she complained lightly. “That’s because I like your curves and I know you don’t eat right.” She allowed herself to be escorted to the passenger side of the car, well aware that Wesley had possessively placed a hand on her back. “Is it over?” he asked as he slid behind the wheel. “Yes.” “Does he know that?” “I told him.” Wesley waited for her to say more. When she didn’t, he started the car and reached over to hold her hand as they drove to the restaurant. Lunch was uncomfortable. Wesley decided to talk about his latest efforts to interview architects to replace one who would be retiring at the end of the year and Amina did her best to be attentive. She offered suggestions because that’s what she’d always done and what he expected. But she avoided meeting his eyes as often as she could get away with. She barely ate. “I should have realized it was him, Amina. It’s always been obvious to me that he was attracted to you. Still, I didn’t take it seriously. And now, well, I didn’t consider that your relationship might not be over.” “It’s over, Wesley.” She pushed a chunk of tomato around her plate. “No, it isn’t. He still wants you, and you’re still too hurt to really let go. And then, there’s the fact that you need to interact with him; it won’t be easy.” Amina swallowed hard but didn’t say anything. “I don’t want to know details, but do you think he can make the same mistake twice?” “Not exactly,” she answered after a long silence. “But, I also don’t know whether I can forgive him or go back to wanting what I thought we had. Some mistakes can’t be undone.” It was Wesley’s turn to be silent. Because they were trembling slightly, Amina folded her hands in her lap. “What happens next—between you and me?” “What I feel and want haven’t changed.” He squeezed her hands reassuringly. “I already knew that you were coming out of a bad relationship and that it’ll take a little time for your heart to heal.” He rested his arm across the back of her chair and gently caressed her shoulder. “I still want to date you because you’re an amazing woman. I’m not thrilled about the prospect of having to compete; but if that’s the situation, there isn’t much I can do about it. As for our professional relationship, I promise that if things don’t work out between us, I’ll be mature about it, suck it up, and step back. But you’ve got to promise to always be honest with me, all right?” “All right.” The thought crossed her mind that maybe Wesley didn’t deserve to be pulled any deeper into her drama. He’s a good man, she reminded herself. Do I even deserve him? She excused herself from the table and headed for the Ladies Room so that she could pat her face with some cold, wet paper towels. What was happening? Jason obviously wasn’t willing to walk away from what they’d shared, but neither was Wesley. The realization confused her. Both men were right about her still having feelings for Jason. If she was honest, didn’t she also have feelings for Wesley? Could she juggle both men? Should she? Just the idea made her feel overwhelmed. Amina emerged from the restroom as Wesley was handing their server the leather folder with his credit card in it. “I asked her to bring a box for your meal,” he said as soon as she was settled in her chair. “Do you want me to take it back to the office for you? I can put it in my fridge; you might be hungry later.” “Thank you.” She reached over and put a hand on his arm. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” she admitted. “Really?” He gave a teasing grin. “I don’t believe for a second that this is the first time you’ve had two men vying for your attention.” He leaned sideways in his chair so that he could give her an appraising look from head to toe and back up. “Naw; I don’t believe it.” Amina laughed and told him how ridiculous he was. Then, she leaned over and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek. About Brynette...  Brynette Turner, primarily writes contemporary and African American romances. Her featured project is Restoring Love, a full-length novel about a career-minded woman who is ready for a second chance at romance and excitement after her daughter is grown. What she finds instead is a love triangle that forces her to confront what she really wants from a relationship. What she learns about herself and who she chooses surprises even her. Prior to releasing Restoring Love, Brynette was most proud of her three-book paranormal (psychic) romantic suspense series. The Dream Catcher Series is comprised of Premonitions, Loving Night, and Heart Shadows. In 2014, she published the companion stand-alone books Time for Tenderness and Monica's Healing about African American sisters with very different personalities. These women surprisingly find that, even though they aren't close, being damaged by the same upbringing means they actually might need each other to figure out how to maneuver through some of life's pitfalls. Detour, Brynette's debut novel, was also published in 2014. In it, a sassy and ambitious business woman learns that life's goals sometimes take a turn for the better when you run into love on a business trip, but that doesn't mean the change in plans make for a smooth path. After publishing Restoring Love, Brynette published a series of short reads (novellas) that deal with a variety of romantic situations. As her readers will attest, Brynette writes about romance with the some very steamy sex scenes! She honestly believes in love at first sight, the perfect match, and happily ever after. Brynette is the mother of two grown daughters, lives in central Ohio and is trying desperately not to become the Crazy Cat Lady although she loves the animals, has two, and can't resist feeding any strays that wind up on her doorstep. When she's not reading, attending festivals, or watching movies, she's working on those decades worth of story ideas and half-finished novels. She has great plans for sharing her writing talent with the world. Contact her: Website - www.brynetteturner.blogspot.com Facebook - www.facebook.com/brynettelturnerauthor Email - btromancewriter@gmail.com Twitter - @btromancewriter Amazon - www.amazon.com/author/brynetteturner Mailing list - http://eepurl.com/6GFSj Thanks for joining us for March Inspirations! Please leave a comment below, Brynette would love to hear from you, and you will be entered into the giveaway! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.   Happy Monday! Today's Motivational Monday Moment is right in alignment with this month's focus. All month long we're hosting, March Inspirations, allowing authors to share their gifts to encourage readers to pursue their dreams, and we're giving away gifts at each March Inspiration post. Tracee is with us today discussing spiritual gifts given to us by the greatest Giver of all. She breaks down various points of Matthew 24 and leaves you with a message to motivate you not only for this week, but for a lifetime. Read on... Greetings Everyone! To echo others over the course of these Motivational Mondays, Thank you SO MUCH, Chelle Ramsey our host and purveyor, for having me on the blog today. I love coming to Chelle’s blog and seeing all the beautiful Black women that she curates for us and the graphics she has taken time to cultivate. It’s really a feast for the senses and a reminder of our individual and collective beauty. So what is up? I’m truly honored to talk this Monday Motivation about a scripture that every single time I speak about it at churches, research what others have to say about it through study/commentaries and just consider what God plants in my heart about The Parable of the Talents, I learn something completely new and it resonates so much with me, showing new, hidden messages within each read of this full text. I LOVE this passage, lets take a look at the story: Matthew 24 14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury (interest). 28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. Now for my observations, just five of them, let’s explore. 1. God gave you THE GOODS There is NO ONE that God has not blessed with a talent (I believe every single person has more than one). If we could conduct ourselves and truly believe that each of us has a gift, we'd have only an eye for cultivating and growing that God-given gift at every opportunity. Dare I say that we might even feel a sense of urgency. I feel that urgency every day and that is why self-publishing is so awesome to me. Many would argue that any of us that have had a traditional contract in the past, why not pursue another? Absolutely, I do plan to do that, but in the mean time just as sure as I could get another contract, I could also write, publish and produce my own work and move forward with my writing career. How many of us will die with projects and dreams partially finished, never started waiting on some component we think that we need and it’s just in there, in us. When we really understand that tomorrow is not promised, you'll develop a sense of urgency that helps you hone your talent, realize your goal and each and every day, seek and then work to do something that moves you closer. 2. There was no comparison among the servants, each went and did whatever he saw fit to do with the gifts, whether that was good and certainly bad. There is nothing in the scripture that suggest the servants looked and turned up their nose at one another asking, why can't I have five Lord? Other books show us the potential for jealousy among God’s people and the ill effects, but not here. Each one took what he had and moved forward, not prideful about someone else having more or less than they. Comparison is the downfall of all blighted success stories. We all do it and some may argue that it can be a good motivator but not if it motivates you only to try your hardest to do what you feel is better than someone else. It is a constant struggle for me not to compare the number of books I have against someone else. Everyone is working at his or her own pace. Some work full time and others have day jobs - see? That's a comparison. Why does it matter how you arrived at your destination? You are still there. I also want to remind you that Ecclesiastes 9 verse 11, says the race is not given to the swift nor the strong, but those who endure until the end. I believe the end will see some of us limping, dragging, but assuredly still there. When we reach of the end of our race, no one will complain to the Lord about the way in which we came to reach the end of our journey, we’ll be too busy shouting together that we made it. 3. When someone trust you with something, it seems burdensome until you learn how AND that you CAN properly use it. There is some burden in opportunity. What will I do with it? Can I handle it? How do I make the best use of it? Why me? If the gift is not what you thought you should have, it seems underrated and it just wasn’t what you had in mind. Thus, your first response will be to reject it, to have reservations and in many cases, to bury it somewhere and repress it’s very presence. Funny thing is, it keeps turning up in some fashion, often in a kind of reminder, year after year that it is still there. Bury it all you want, it will rear its head again and hopefully, next time you'll be ready. The evidence is clear. Many of us are called to do things and we're like, really God? This isn't really what I had in mind. What am I supposed to do with this? The gifts are easier when they come with instructions and a picture of the end result but what fun is that? When you learn to trust that this is the right gift for you, you will find the passion for it. It will and should be fun, you will learn so much and can begin to trust God more to lead you to new and more awesome things. 4. Others will take whatever you had (not the literal thing) but similar to what you were doing and decide to do it or make it (or a version of it) on their own. There are many similar businesses and the amount of choice we have today should show you that while people are doing businesses that look the same, why are some able to be more successful at it than others? There's that comparison thing again. But my point is that, why not learn from someone how to do something you also want to do? What happens if as adults we could be open to more mentorship, not just receiving but as a successful business in whatever field, desiring to be a giver of mentorship? What if the servant had asked his fellow brothers to show him how and to share what they planned to do with the talent? Yes, there could be rejection but the worst answer we can hear is “No” and we're really not any worse off for asking. And we let one "No." in any situation, deter us from asking anyone else. At many book signings I attend, this is a skill all future authors will learn, that every door to door salesman and telemarketer has already learned. Booksignings are two hours, often longer, if I packed up at the first no, I'd never sell any books. More "No's" will come than "yes's" but with each new person, comes from me a new smile and a new invitation to them to keep sharing and yes, one sale boost confidence for the next but we have to develop our rejection muscles that helps us to keep going after every negative experience. I did not post verse 30 but God " ...cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’’ That is not a good look. 5. NOT one of the servants frowned upon what God gave him nor did they utter “What is that and what I’m supposed to do with it?” Years ago, I was told that my disability is a gift. This from a counselor I visited in my early thirties. As I age, I go through what I call occasional trouble spots and I appreciate seeing a counselor and getting a different perspective on my thoughts, which are sometimes erroneous. We should all work hard to reduce the stigma talking to professionals can have especially in the Black community. My counselor went on to tell me that disability enhances my ability to feel others pain and helps me in my advocacy efforts and my employment where I am a Peer Counselor. Say what? My response: Girl you tripping. Can’t God (the original Creative) get the glory some other way and give me a better gift? I believe the latter part of my then counselor’s estimation. Even one of the many disabled people depicted in the Bible, spectators, and onlookers assumed that due to some issue of sin by the blind man's parents, ancestors or himself, that the man would be born into adversity, with disease, lack or whatever plagued people during biblical times. Unfortunate past sin of our ancestors having a negative affect on someone is still a wrong and sad belief, held by many people today. Jesus's response, in John 9:3 tells us that Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him.” What might all of us be without the thorns that bind us? The illness, the limp, the financial lack, the mediocre job, the sick child...all of these could be considered deficiencies, yet whatever the servant was given, he did what he considered good for it with whatever social status each possessed, with whatever pedigree, knowledge and abilities each of them had. He moved forward with it. I won’t pretend to embrace this notion of disability held by my counselor as a gift all the time because I don't (and that is okay, make peace with it). What is important that is whatever I have, whether labeled gifts (or “adversities”), I choose not to dwell on it and make a conscious effort to move forward with it. Like life, my acceptance ebbs and flows, much like that of some single people who yearn to be married or some childless people that yearn for a family of their own making, and yet some that have all of that, may wish for none of it. It isn't what you have, it's what you do with whatever you have and it is the trying involved and your conscious effort to work through it no matter what. The gift should not define you, it is only a part of your witness, your testimony, your blessing and your journey. Find whatever way you can to use it as best you can, to bless others and ultimately to give God the glory and of course, you know, to keep yourself out of that whole gnashing of teeth situation. Be blessed and thanks again for joining me as a guest on the Beautifully Inspired Blog today. If you desire to discuss my commentary further, please leave a comment to tell me your thoughts, comments and/or questions. Until next time... Thanks for joining us for another Motivational Monday Moment! Please leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.   Welcome back to day 2 of March Inspirations. We all face adversity and trials. We all look forward to the light at the end of the tunnel, that moment of victory. And most of us question, "Why me, Lord?" as we go through. Today, Pastor Henry McMullen is here to share his book, It Hurts But It's Necessary, that will give you guidance and may even answer some of those, "Why me, Lord?" questions. Leave a comment at the end of the blog post for him, and you may be selected to win a signed copy of It Hurts But It's Necessary and a journal. Read on... Have you ever questioned why God appears slow to respond in times of our greatest crisis? Have you ever felt like He's forgotten all about you? Within the pages of this book, Pastor Henry McMullen helps readers to navigate their way during seasons of life when God appears distant. "It Hurts But It's Necessary" is designed to encourage readers that even in our darkest hours, God is yet with us. Within the pages of this book are examples of individuals in the Bible who too have encountered hurt that many of us can identify with today. God brought them through and with the application of principles within this book, you too will increase understanding that while unexpected challenges often appear to stifle us, "It Hurts But It's Necessary." May your hope be restored and faith be renewed.  Where do I begin? At one point, I arrived at a place in life that was filled with all of the twists, turns, ups and downs that would make for the most thrilling rollercoaster ride one has ever ridden. I was carrying so much pain that I needed a way to relieve myself of the many burdens that were weighing heavily upon me. My heart was broken from emotional burdens. My inability to make sense of the abrupt changes in my life was causing mental strain. Not to mention financial woes had set me back, as well. As a minister of the Gospel, I found solace in opportunities to express my hardships in sermon form. This also became therapeutic for others who were undergoing similar challenges. If you permit me to be transparent, life's difficulties had backed me into a corner to such a degree that several times I contemplated walking away from ministry altogether. It all began on my 29th birthday. Prior to this point, I had been coasting through life quite easily. I was married, had a son, and living in my newly built home. Life was peaceful and uneventful. My birthday fell on a Sunday that year. My entire family gathered at my home. However, a celebration wasn't at the top of our to-do list. As much as we wanted to celebrate my life, we couldn't help but mourn my sister's death. My birthday just happened to be on the eve of my 33- year-old sister's funeral. Download... About Pastor Henry...  Pastor Henry McMullen is Senior Pastor of Renewing Faith Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. McMullen’s unique style in translating God’s message with practicality has opened many doors for him to speak throughout the country. He is the founder of the Be Renewed Movement, a collective group of a diverse individuals who link together for outreach initiatives within the city of Indianapolis. It Hurts But It's Necessary is his debut novel. Social Links: Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/pastorhpmac79 Twitter-@BeRenewedNow, Email-pastormac79@gmail.com Thanks for joining us for March Inspirations! Please leave a comment below, Pastor Henry would love to hear from you, and you will be entered into today's giveaway! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.   Welcome to our annual March takeover campaign, formerly known as March Madness, now known as March Inspirations! The campaign kicks off with K. K. Harris' Secret Admirer. Every weekday throughout the month there will be #giveaways for a lucky reader. Simply leave a comment to be entered. There will be two lucky winners today, who will receive one of two ebook copies of Secret Admirer. Read on... Gabriella's live-in boyfriend, Darnell, was gunned down in the streets and she was listed as the next of kin. Deep dark secrets are revealed in the wake of his fall and Gabriella is left holding the bag. The many enemies he made during his rise, sought out his leftovers after his demise and Gabriella has no clue what the newly acquired stalkers seek. Admirers have come forward with the intent to keep her safe from the evil that lurks in the shadows. But at what cost? Download Now... About K.K. Harris...  For the love of LOVE… Hopeless romantic, K. K. Harris is a self-published author with seventeen established titles. Besides grinding the keys producing the next great read, she is busy assisting other writers in accomplishing their self-publishing goals. Romance, Paranormal, Urban, and more are just a few genres to tickle the avid readers fancy but there is so much more to come. www.author-kkharris.com  Thanks for joining us for the kickoff of March Inspirations! Please leave a comment below, K.K. would love to hear from you, and you will be entered into the giveaway! To join this blog simply click "Follow This Blog," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right corner.  |
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Inspirational women's fiction author, writing the script to my beautifully inspired life! Be Inspired, Follow Me!Archives
June 2019
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