Road Trip!

This week, from May 25-31, I’m pleased to be featured as guest blogger for The Savvy Sista. It’s a call and response - I’ll tackle themes addressed in From Dusk to Dawn, ask a couple of questions and invite readers to weigh in. We’ve already gotten off to a great start with visits from loyal travelers on the Against All Odds Tour. Make sure you stop by and leave your own comments.
www.savvysisters.blogspot.com
I’d also like to thank Minnie Miller, the Marvelously Mature Author and Essayist, for inviting me to visit. Click here to read the interview
http://millerscribs.com/_wsn/page4.html
Minnie is the author of The Seduction of Mr. Bradley, available at www.millerscribs.com and Forever, My Love, posted here in Amazon Shorts
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001268D0U/
Be sure to check her out!

Evelyn Palfrey - Talk About Against All Odds!

Today's guest blogger is Evelyn Palfrey. By way of introduction, I have one thing to say: she brings new meaning to "Against All Odds." If you're drinking anything, put it down now before you spray the screen! Here goes...

After reading Niambi Brown Davis' From Dusk to Dawn, I was excited about the possibility of being courted by a younger man. Unlike Ayo, I’m headed toward 60, so ‘younger man’ for me would be in his mid-40’s. It was almost like I conjured him up. After several flirtatious encounters, he asked me out for dinner. Now all of that surprised me, but shouldn’t have. It was consistent with what my friends who in are those kinds of relationships reported--that the younger man initiated the contact and pursued the relationship.
So after spending way more time than usual selecting an outfit that would be both stunning and comfortable (read elastic), off I go to dinner. Okay so I had a little trouble getting in the low-slung BMW two-seater, and congratulated myself for having returned the 5-inch heels back to their dark corner of the closet in favor of more sensible ones. As we whizzed along the freeway, small talk revealed that he had bought the car right after the separation from Wife No 2. He owed it to himself, after all. I understand owing oneself, having spent 30 years on a job and raising several children.
At dinner, I learned the following salient facts: younger wives can be a real pain in the butt because they are expensive to maintain and they want children; judges are in cahoots with women to hold the Black man down; child support is unfair because there is no reduction for expenses such as BMW car payments; and credit card limits are easily reached because of all of the above. As I signed the credit card slip (as a loan of course), I was thinking, I need to re-read From Dusk to Dawn. I must have skipped a chapter.
Back at my front door, I’m wondering what is the proper protocol when the date has paid (even on a loan) for the meal she was invited to. But I don’t want him to think I’m acting chicken-shit over the loan, so I reluctantly accept his invitation into my living room and my bar. Okay, so the real deal is that I found it more palatable than the prospect of my nosy neighbor seeing me act a fool on my front porch. Through half a bottle of my best whiskey, he regales me with tales of the evil almost-ex wife, interspersed with comments about how nice and big my place is--with emphasis on big. Suddenly, his mood turns amorous, and in a tipsy way that I’m sure he thinks is sexy, he suggests that I go slip into something comfortable. I agree to do that, as I remember a line from Dangerous Dilemmas--“Honey, I’m way too old to have bad sex.”
Before Brothaman figured out what time it was, he was back on my porch, and I was in something comfortable, curled up in my bed with Bilal. The next time I decide to go against all odds, I’ll try a 30-something Hindu Jew.


EVELYN PALFREY is a native Texan, a graduate of Southern Methodist University and the University of Texas Law School. Besides working in the criminal justice system, she is an avid motorhomer and gardener, and is active with the Writers League of Texas, the Austin Romance Writers of America, the Travis County Bar Association and the Links Inc.
"I write stories that have middle-age heroes and heroines because I believe that romance is just as beautiful with a little grey at the temples."
http://www.evelynpalfrey.com

On the Road Again - Gratitude and Dee Savoy

Today’s Against All Odds Tour stop is a visit with best-selling romantic suspense author Deirdre Savoy. When she offered me an opportunity as guest blogger, the first word that came to mind was gratitude. A few years ago, Dee was an instructor in the writing course that led to From Dusk to Dawn. "I like your writing style, but you're giving too much away," she told me. Since then, she's been a mentor and a friend. And I still have those notes.

In my novel From Dusk to Dawn, Ayo Montgomery has some issues, but there’s a lot for which she is grateful. Twenty years after the sudden, tragic death of her husband, Ayo has not only survived, but thrived. Her beloved only child is a marine biology student in Florida. A hobby has turned into a successful business and she owns a home that she loves. My own road to publication was paved with the blessings of those to whom I refer as “literary angels.” What better place to speak of gratitude? Read on - I’m in the visitor’s chair at
http://deirdresavoysays.blogspot.com/

Here’s more about Dee: Native New Yorker Deirdre Savoy’s writing career began on the shores of Martha’s Vineyard where she first started writing romance as a teenager. The island was the setting for her first novel, Spellbound, published by BET in 1999. Since then she has published more than a dozen books and two novellas, all of which have garnered critical acclaim and honors. Deirdre has won two prestigious Emma awards. Her work has been featured in a variety of publications, including Black Issues Book Review, Romantic Times, Affaire de Coeur and Blackboard Bestsellers List. Visit Dee at www.dsavoy.com.

Day Six: On the Air with TheGrits.com

Today's stop is On the Air with TheGrits.com. Instead of an interview conducted over hundreds of miles of telephone wire, my chat with host Marlive Harris was more like good conversation across the table in a cozy café. We delved into a lively discussion of the challenges facing Ayo and Bilal in From Dusk to Dawn. We talked about the expectations and challenges of a new writer, and the evolving state of black romance novels.

Click on the link below for the entire interview. And don't forget to drop me a line and share your own thoughts.

http://www.thegrits.com/radio/?p=65

Here's more about today's host. TheGrits.com is an online reading and book promotion community for readers and writers of all ages. Their reading communities for adults and children collectively consist of author interviews, book reviews, reading guides, book club listings, and interactive elements such as author podcasts, email discussion lists, online book chats and virtual book parties. Their web publicity service designs online book campaigns tailored to fit an author’s special interests, talents, books, and readership.

Thank you, Marlive!

Day Five - I Love Music (And So Does Shelia)

Today's stop on the Against All Odds Tour is hosted by author Shelia Goss. I've enjoyed reading her blog posts, especially "Divas in Music - Where Are They Now?" The first time I heard Jennifer Holiday sing, it was an almost religious experience.

Shelia is a woman of many talents. Although she has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, her passion for writing has always been there. She decided to pursue her life-long dream after being down-sized from a Fortune 500 company. I'd say for certain that Shelia is living the dream. She's the author of the Essence and Black Expressions bestseller My Invisible Husband, Roses are Thorns, Violets are True, Paige's Web and Double Platinum. His Invisible Wife will be Shelia's fifth novel.Look for it in stores in 2009. For more information on Shelia, visit her at

http://sheliagoss.com/

And join us at http://sheliagoss.com/blog/ Tell us what's on your playlist!

OMG - Look What I Found!

My father loved to fish. When I was old enough to go out into the Eastern Bay with him, I learned to troll – I’d bait my line, let it drag through the water and wait for a bite.

On Friday I trolled the Google search engine, and to my delight, hooked a 4 ½ star review from Lora McDonald of The Romance Reader’s Connection. I immediately fired off an email to my friend and publicist - "OMG - look what I found!"

I love her description of Ayo and Bilal’s first impressions of each other. And Ms. McDonald says she loves my style of writing - what a wonderful surprise and a great way to begin a weekend! Here’s her review of From Dusk to Dawn.

“There are no hard fast rules for love, so when Ayo Montgomery found herself falling for a younger man she couldn’t believe it. Ayo is a woman that has it together, running her own company from her home, doting on her son who’s away in college, and dealing with the issues of a maturing woman. Although she is a strong African American woman, her body aches with monthly pains that tear her insides apart. There are many days that the pain that racks through her body keeps her married to the bed. But a chance meeting with Bilal Abdul-Salaam at her front door helps her forget her pain if only for a moment. Despite the sparks that bounce between them it appears that they may not be suited for each other. She regards him as a Muslim stuck on himself and he sees her as a woman with a lot of mouth.

After his confrontation with Ayo, Bilal knew she was the one for him. A surprise meeting occurs that allows him to set a new tone for their relationship. Soon Ayo and Bilal become lovers despite the disapproval of his father and her twenty year old son. As time passes Ayo begins to suffer more and more with female problems. Encouraging her to seek professional help, Bilal stays by her side as she struggles to run her business while continually suffering from her pain. Finally Ayo receives news concerning her condition that destroys her hopes and dreams for a happy marriage to the first man that she has loved in twenty years.

I love Ms. Davis’s style of writing. She has taken real life situations and delivered them in a manner that anyone can relate to. Often personal issues that women face are not discussed and explored but glossed over. The pain that racked Ayo’s body affects a lot of women today, but to have a man as strong and intelligent as Bilal to assist a sister would be a dream come true for many. Ayo and Bilal didn’t have any easy start or ending to the relationship, and just like real life, people and judgments got in the way. Ms. Davis really gives you an idea of what happens in real life. You’ll enjoy this book.”

Reviewed by Lora McDonald, Rating 4 1/2

Like Ms. McDonald, I hope you'll enjoy this book:)

Day Four: Mama's Got Some Business-Get Some of Your Own!

"Oh my God! You just walked in on your mother locked in an intimate embrace with a man who is young enough to be her son! Well, maybe not quite that young, but he’s young enough to be your big brother from another mother and it’s just damned inappropriate! She should be ashamed of herself! What could she possibly be thinking?"

I'll bet that caught your attention, didn't it? For more on Day Four's theme, you just cannot miss author Ebony Farashuu's blog. Today she tackles the issue of a grown son who refuses to realize that his mother is also a woman. For more of this witty and heartfelt take on mama's business, visit Ebony at

http://ebonyfarashuu.blogspot.com/

Here's more about Ebony:

Ebony Farashuu, author of SLOW BURN, is a native of Tulsa , Oklahoma. She began reading at an early age. Her love of the written word soon progressed to writing stories and poems. As a teen, a typical crush on an R&B singer and the friendship of a fellow writer inspired her to write all of her thoughts and dreams down on paper. What started out as a joke between friends soon transformed into, literally, thousands of pages about the life that she dreamed of living one day. She eventually grew out of her superstar musings and grew into the art and creativity of writing down whatever her mind could imagine. In 2002, she self-published "Butterfly Kisses: Poetry For the Many Faces of Love".. This book won Honorable mention in the SCBC Self Published Author Awards for Poetry Book of the Year! In 2007, her novel, SLOW BURN was released by Kobalt Books. SLOW BURN continues to receive rave reviews and has landed on the reading lists of book clubs around the country!

Ebony Farashuu is co-host of The Corner Book Store, an hour long radio segment on local radio station Hot 1340. She is an active member of Sister's Sippin Tea Literary Group, and she is a contributing writer for TheGrits.com Reading and Book Promotion Community.

Ebony Farashuu was recently named Best NEW Multi-Cultural Fiction Author as well as Best Multi-Cultural Fiction Author of 2008 by SORMAG MAGAZINE's Readers Choice Awards! Her Novel, SLOW BURN, was also cited as the Reader's Choice for Best Multi-Cultural Fiction Novel.

SLOW BURN is available at all major bookstores and online!

Against All Odds - Day Three - Mo Flames (The Hot Stop)

It's Day Three of the tour, and this is a hot stop! Today Mo Flames takes the "younger man, older woman" theme to her readers, and believe me, they tell it like it is. The posters have obviously given the theme some thought - debating the pros and cons, from the romantic at heart to the realist. The take on physical changes between older women and younger men made me go hmmm. We've all seen men who could be candidates for Mt. Rushmore with young and beautiful women. Here's what I say - if a man's six pack consists only of Bud Light, he'd better not utter a mumbling word about the effects of gravity on a woman's body! For more on this hot topic, visit Mo's place on Myspace - you will be entertained and informed!

Mo has rightly been called an up and coming superstar with the release of "One Ain't Enough." For more of the heat, visit her at www.moflames.com. In Mo's own words, "where there's smoke, there's Flames!"

Here's more about Mo:
Mo Flames is an electrifying, charismatic woman with the gift of touching lives and causing uproars with her words. Her gift of writing was almost overlooked in her teens. It wasn’t until a high school teacher impressed with her style of writing suggested she hone in on her talent. Mo Flames continued writing and her experiences and creativity fueled her written words. It was not long before she had her stories and other works posted on a popular MySpace blog. She suddenly had a huge fan base – all of this success without ever being published. Within weeks, her blog reader subscriptions grew and she continued to show up in the top ten rankings. In her debut novel ONE AIN’T ENOUGH, she is excited to present readers with even deeper entertainment and insight. “I take pleasure in creating twisted plots and surprise endings,” Flames proudly adds.

Against All Odds - Day Two

All aboard - it’s Day Two of the Against All Odds Virtual Book Tour! Today blogger Vee Jefferson will share what she believes is the greatest obstacle to keeping a couple from saying "I Do.”

There are so many facets to Vee. She’s the host of a wonderfully, exciting blogspot - VJBS, a collection of randoms. Although her main mission is to promote health and wellness, VJBS is for any and everything in between. It's a place for self expression and exploration. Here she blogs about books, music, poetry, movies, people - absolutely anything she finds interesting. VJBS is also the home of her Jowaje Philosophy. Vee uses this space to sit back, be still...be quiet, and just listen as she reflects.

Vee Jefferson is a registered nurse, columnist, and freelance writer who writes on subjects ranging from health news and information to entertainment. She is the owner of Jowaje, a health information site whose mission is Education and Prevention ~ To Enlighten and Empower. Jowaje Publishing is the home of her soon-to-be-released eBook, The Truth About Healthcare: Uncensored, a guide originally written for patients to help them understand how to get the best care while in the hospital. But this excellent book has also become a voice for nurses already in the profession as well as for doctors who are interested in a raw glimpse into the world of nursing!

Visit Vee today and leave a comment at http://veejefferson.blogspot.com/.

And thanks, Vee, for sharing your space and your perspective with me!

Against All Odds - The Virtual Book Tour

Fresh from the wonderful Chicago-style Romance Slam, the Against All Odds Virtual Book Tour is about to make a stop at a site near you.

Please join me tonight for Stop Number 1 as I discuss my debut novel, From Dusk to Dawn, in an online radio interview with Tifany Jones of Sistah Confessions Book Club.


Time: 7:00 PM EST, May 6th, 2008


CLICK HERE or cut and paste the link below to go directly to the radio show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sistahconfessions

Hope to "see" you there!