Thursday 28 November 2013

Happy Thanksgiving - Why I am Thankful

It's that time of the year again when I look back and give thanks for being here.
This past year has been a year of mixed blessings.

I gave birth to my third child who is a beautiful, joyful child. I also lost a very dear friend of mine, someone who always made me smile and had my back.

These days I don't write as frequently as I'd like but all in all I'm happy with where I am. So it is with great pleasure that I give a huge thanks because in all thing we still have to be thankful.

First and foremost, I give thanks to God without whom none of this would be possible.

I give thanks to my darling husband, Mr T, for being the head of our family. I love you!

To my beautiful children, for understanding when mummy has to work. Mummy loves you all!

To my beta readers, Queenie, Bimbo, Kemi, Henza, Chinwe, and Mpanda for loving my stories so much you are willing to read the crappy first drafts.

To everyone who's ever bought my book, read it, left a review and / or recommended it.

To the lovely network of authors who are always there to provide support.

To Michaela Rhua, Nana Prah, Dee Little whose words and actions are always encouraging.

Thank you, all. I love you guys!

Wednesday 20 November 2013

If I had to paint a picture #ColorofLove #Giveaway

Welcome to the Color of Love Blog Hop Giveaway hosted by Kiru Taye, Empi Baryeh, and Nana Prah running from November 21st to 25th. In this book fest we are celebrating the vibrant multi colour of multicultural and interracial romance books. If you're new to this genre of romance, we have a mouth-watering selection of books that the lovely authors have generously donated to give away for FREE.

Our wonderful Grand prizes include:

$50 Amazon giftcard or Paypal cash + 7 ebooks digital pack
$30 Amazon giftcard or Paypal cash + 7 ebooks digital pack
$20 Amazon giftcard or Paypal cash + 7 ebooks digital pack
$10 Amazon giftcard or Paypal cash + 8 ebooks digital pack

Here are some of the books you could win

You can check out some of my favourite interracial and multicultural romance books of 2013 in my Love and Romance in Color column in the Night Owl Reviews Magazine.

The Color of Love title reminds me of this song by Billy Ocean. I love this song! I hope you enjoy this music video.

Here's what you have to do to win one of the fabulous prizes. Complete all of the rafflecopter entries to be eligible to win the Grand prizes. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway And hop along for more fabulous prizes...

Monday 11 November 2013

Meet the Bad Boy of Romance - @SaschaIllyvich

Happy Monday, folks. One of the reasons I love hosting authors on my blog is that I get to meet some fabulous authors and I get to share their brilliance with you wonderful readers.

Today's guest is the self-styled Bad Boy of Romance, Sascha Illyvich. I was introduced to his work a few months ago and I have to say I'm now a fan.

Men who write romance fascinate me and loved when I had Keith Thomas Walker on my blog. So I'm pleased to have Sascha here today. Please make him feel welcome.

I'm going to give away a copy of his book, His Reign to one lucky person who leaves a comment. So make sure you do. The winner will be announced next week.

Now on to the interview...

Saturday 9 November 2013

#SexySnippets The Essiens Trilogy book 2 #NewWIP

Welcome back to  Sexy Snippets hosted by The Nuthouse Scribblers where we share seven sentences from our published novel or work-in-progress.

As I'm working on a new WIP for NaNoWriMo, I decided to share from it. This is a contemporary romance and the follow on story to Keeping Secrets (The Essien Trilogy) which is contracted to Decadent Publishing Ubuntu and coming Spring 2014. For those of you who read Ebony and Felix Essiens's story when I was writing it over a year ago will be excited to know that I'm writing Faith and Mark's story.

So I hope you enjoy this snippet.

~~~

Halle Berry inspired Faith Brown
When his all-seeing blue-black eyes had met hers across the floor, there had been no mistaking the smouldering craving within their depths. She’d been unable to quell her body’s needful trembling when he’d taken her hand. Before the clock had struck midnight she’d been in his arms, on his bed, in his penthouse apartment in Ikoyi.
It had been a night to remember. Being with Mark had been intoxicating, like a heady addictive drug. Once she got a taste of him, she didn’t want to stop. But she’d had to.

~~~

I hope you enjoyed it. Share your thoughts. Leave me a comment. I love to read them.
Check out the other sexy snippets this week. Have a great week ahead.

Monday 4 November 2013

Download OUTCAST on your #Kindle or App #FREE

In case you didn't know already, Outcast was published over the weekend. You can download it free from Amazon until Nov 6.
If you don't have a kindle, you can still read it by downloading the Amazon Kindle free reading app for your phone, pc or tablet. 

Book Release Blitz
Outcast
Sacred Amulet, part one
Kiru Taye

Tags: Paranormal / Fantasy / Romance

Out November 1, 2013
Available from Amazon US | Amazon UK

FREE Kindle Download from November 4 to 6
Available for $0.99 / £0.77 afterwards until 30 November 2013.

Blurb

Ugo’ji is an outcast, an untouchable. She lives on the fringe of society as the lowest of the low, a living sacrifice to the gods. The only person she interacts with is her aged grandmother Nne who nurtures her powerful gift of healing. Until the day she meets Ebube a strange warrior to their lands. He  ignites a yearning within her she's unable to ignore.
Ebube is drawn to the young maiden with the emerald green eyes who possesses the body of a goddess and the healing touch of an angel. But he is forbidden from mating with a human and the consequence is the wrath of the gods.
Moreover he is on a mission. If he fails, the gates of hell will be opened and the earth plunged into darkness. He cannot stay and she cannot go with him.


Excerpt


Help me...Do whatever it takes...Keep the gates of Alammuo sealed.
Darkness tugged at him and threatened to pull him into its murky depths. With a jerk, Ebube sat up on his pallet. The creaking wood and thumping of his heart echoed in his acutely responsive ears.
Danger seeped from the nightmare he couldn’t remember into the air, leaden and oppressive. His breath heaved as he choked, his throat clogged with the fetid stench of death.
On reflex, he extended his right arm, grabbing the scabbard he always kept within reach, the pitch shadow no hindrance for his sharp eyesight. As a leopard-shifter, his vision was excellent, night and day. He didn't need to look at his hands to see the extended claws. Sharp tips dug into his palm. He ignored the sting and his awkward grip on the carved wooden hilt of the single edge sword.
His beast came to the fore, clawing to take over, an instinctive response to potential threats. Muscles tensed, Ebube fought the shift. Sweat streaked down his body in rivulets. He swiped his face with his left palm, stopping the liquid from dripping into his eyes.
Sweeping his gaze across the large, airy chamber of his sparsely-decorated home, he sought the source of danger setting off his internal alarm.
Apart from the raised bamboo sleeping platform covered in padded deer hide and the wooden trunk that stored his personal belongings, the only other items were his tools of warfare – his spears, shields, machetes and scabbards. They hung on the single-rung mantel against the burnt-umber rock wall, gleaming with polish and sharpness, ready for use.  Undisturbed.
A tingle ran up his spinal column, the way it always did when he sensed something out of place. Something terribly wrong. He swung his legs around. Cool unglazed stone flooring met his bare feet. The muscles on his back tensed, primed for action. Slowly, he stood to his full height and walked through the room.
His home consisted of two chambers, one for sleeping and the other for entertaining guests. Though as a guardian, a special warrior of the gods, he could live as luxuriously as the gods did, they had agreed communally to live as simply as humans of the era so as not to draw attention to themselves as supernatural beings.
Nothing was out of place in his rooms, no stray, malevolent being in the vicinity. Yet the tingling in his bones didn't dissipate. When he found nothing inside, he grabbed the wooden knob, opened the door and walked onto the corridor linking his residence to the rest of his family's. Their homes were hewn out of Amauwa rocks, a hill range in the middle of the rain forest.
He stopped in front of the last house, the tension on his shoulders increasing. Nothing lurked inside it, living or inanimate. Yet the memory of the previous occupant flooded his mind, hitting him low in the abdomen, spreading pain through his body. Gritting his teeth, he shook his head and turned his back to the building and its unwelcome memories.

Contest

I'm giving away 2x $5 Amazon gift cards or paypal cash and 5x ebooks of the follow-up story Sacrifice. Complete the rafflecopter to enter the prize draw.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Anchor Baby #MovieMonday #Nollywood

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I finally managed to watch Anchor Baby on Nollywood Movies over the weekend.

Summary
An illegal immigrant couple from Nigeria, pregnant Joyce (Omoni Oboli) and Paul Unanga (Sam Sarpong) are on the run from the United States immigration, desperately hoping that Joyce will give birth in the US, so their child can become an American citizen. Anchor Baby is an emotionally charged tale that will leave you guessing all through the end.

This is an lovely thriller / suspense  movie with a sting in its tail you won't see coming, although I kind of figured it out. For a 'Nollywood'  movie, the production is excellent and Omoni Oboli is fab. Although my husband argues that it shouldn't be a Nollywood movie because it was filmed in the US.

All in all, I loved it. If you haven't seen it, check it out.


Sunday 3 November 2013

Outcast #SexySnippets Do you doubt my sincerity?

Welcome back to Sexy Snippets hosted by The Nuthouse Scribblers where we bring you a seven-sentence snippet taken from a work-in-progress or published book. Remember any writer is welcome to sign up whether you're published or not.

This week I'm sharing more from Outcast (Sacred Amulet, part one). I think this scene explains itself. (Oops, it's one sentence too long.)

~*~

“You have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen,” he said in a deep voice, the sound vibrating in her belly.

Panicked, she drew in breathe sharply, lowered her eyes and turned her face away. Her eyes had been part of what caused her a lot of trouble. Some people had said they were unnatural and branded her a witch.

Ebube put his hand on her cheek and turned her face back towards his.

“Do you doubt my sincerity?” 

“No.” She looked away again.

“Then, never look away from me when I talk to you. I love looking into your eyes.”

~*~

I hope you enjoyed it. Leave me your comment. I love reading them.
Outcast is out Now
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GEFQSAG
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GEFQSAG

Check out the other sexy snippets this week. Happy Sunday!
The Romance Reviews