Daddy's Girl by Ben Burgess, Jr. (spotlight, interview, and GIVEAWAY) MFT

It is my pleasure to host an interview with author Ben Burgess, Jr.
(and to thank him for his service!)



ELF: When did you write your first book?

BB:  I wrote and published my first book (a Poetry Book) “Times Have Changed and Life is Strange,” in 2008. I promised my junior high school English teacher Mrs. Ladd-Marcus that I would publish my poetry one day, and I felt that was the time to do it.


ELF: What does your family think of your writing?

BB:  My family has been very supportive and they are proud of me. Whenever I win an award, my Mom is the first to brag to everyone she knows about it. My other family member have also helped to get my name out to the world by sharing my works with their friends.


ELF:  As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

BB:  As a child, I wanted to be a pilot! I used to watch a cartoon called “Tail Spin” and I wanted to fly plains.


ELF:  What do you like to do when you're not writing?

BB:  When I’m not writing, I love to hang out with my family and play with my daughter, play basketball, work out, and…play video games! LOL!


ELF: Do you write on a computer, dictate or longhand?

BB:  I do all of the above. I’m an NYPD Detective so whenever I have a free second; I’ll either jot something down on my Samsung Note 5, use the voice recorder, or type something quickly on my laptop. I like to write things down as soon as they come to me.


ELF:  Did you make any marketing mistakes or is there anything you would avoid in future?

BB:  Book marketing is a gamble. Somethings are effective; some aren’t. With each book, I try to focus on which marketing tools have been the most effective and stick with what works. I don’t continue to use strategies that I feel have not been effective. I also talk to other authors about what has been successful with them; I research companies online, and I read articles in book magazines to gain ideas for successful marketing. The mistakes I’ve made in the past is not doing my homework with book marketing promoters and companies.

*********************************

BOOK INFORMATION

Daddy's Girl

by

Ben Burgess Jr. 

GENRE – Contemporary Romance/ African American Fiction/ Urban Fiction
PUBLICATION DATE – June 13th, 2016
LENGTH – 478 pages
PUBLISHER – Legacy Books LLC
COVER ARTIST – Leah Frieday



BOOK SYNOPSIS:

Nick Johnson has always been an underachieving, borderline alcoholic. He soon finds himself in over his head when his affair with Vickie, an unhappily married homemaker, results in an accidental pregnancy. Vickie abandons Nick to raise their biracial daughter, Lynn, alone. Overwhelmed by the difficulties of single fatherhood and seeking comfort and help for himself in that stressful journey, Nick dates numerous women who will change his life forever.

Will raising Lynn force him to mature? Can a single father with a challenging past teach his daughter to become a strong, successful woman? Will a Daddy's Girl, raised primarily by her father, leave Lynn destined to fail from a lack of female guidance?

 

BUY & TBR LINKS

AMAZON KINDLE US – GOODREADS

AUTHOR BIO

Ben Burgess Jr is the author of the award-winning novels Monster, Wounded, Love and Happiness, and the new novel Daddy’s Girl. He is an active performer of spoken word poetry. Ben Burgess Jr uses his love of writing to inspire and influence youths to strive for what they believe in, and to never give up on their dreams. His novels Monster and Wounded are currently used in schools on the lower east side of Manhattan. Ben Burgess has a BA degree in Business Management and an MA degree in Educational Leadership. He is the proud father of his daughter Jaelynn and is active in trying to improve urban neighborhoods and communities.






AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS:

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE – WEBSITE / BLOG FACEBOOK – TWITTER GOOGLE+ – PINTEREST GOODREADS

 

********************

GIVEAWAY PRIZES


(5) Kindle Copies

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Love & Happiness (My Family's Heart)

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Love and Happiness  
AUTHOR – Ben Burgess Jr.
GENRE – African American Fiction/ Urban Fiction  
PUBLICATION DATE – April 24th 2015
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 240 Pages
PUBLISHER – Self Published (CreateSpace/IngramSpark)  
COVER ARTIST – Leah Friday

---

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Karen has it all: a handsome husband, beautiful twin daughters, a lovely home and a great job. Karen also has a secret; she’s cheating on her husband, with not one man, but two. On the outside her life seems perfect, but on the inside Karen feels neglected, bored and unappreciated. Yearning for affection and excitement, she falls into the arms of first Raheem and then Tyrell. Out of fear of losing her husband and breaking up her family, Karen ends the affairs but things don’t turn out how she planned. When Karen’s dirty secrets are revealed she must fight to keep her family together. Chris is doing all he can to hold his marriage together. He loves Karen but she grows more distant every day. When she starts coming home later and later, he suspects she is being unfaithful. When Chris accidentally takes her cell phone what he finds changes their lives forever. When tragedy strikes, Karen must decide if she should sacrifice her happiness for her husband’s love, and Chris wonders if he should stay with Karen because he still loves her despite her infidelity. But if they do stay together, will they ever find love and happiness again? Sexy and relatable, insightful and inspiring, Love and Happiness shows us both sides of Chris and Karen's story, and reminds us that sometimes to have it all, you must first lose it all.

---

---

EXCERPT

When we got home, I decided to put all our bickering aside and make love to my husband. While Chris pleased me sexually, our busy work schedules had reduced our lovemaking to mundane quickies. I knew if I was bored, he must be too.

To spice things up, I’d read magazines, watched porn, and gathered tips from my friends. He loves lacy lingerie, so I wore my black bustier, black French-cut panties, and fishnet stockings. I lit scented candles and put on soft jazz to set the ambiance in the bedroom. Chris walked in. 

“Damn!” he said. 

He tugged on my lingerie to take it off. I couldn’t hide my smile. His hands hungrily roamed my body. 

“Easy, baby. Enjoy what you’re looking at.” 

I felt self-conscious as he groped me because his earlier comment about me looking chunky, kept replaying in my mind. 

We made love. I used a lot of the new ideas I learned to spice things up, but he didn’t seem to notice. Chris always has the decency to make sure I cum, but again we ended up having another quickie because he had to wake up early the next morning. He rolled over on his side and went to sleep almost immediately after. I frowned, shook my head and stared at the ceiling. Was it me? Is this how marriage was supposed to be? Had we both gotten too comfortable? 

I decided I’d start going to the gym and get a personal trainer. I hoped working with a trainer would change me enough that even Chris would have to say something positive about it. I didn’t imagine how much it would change me.

BUY & TBR LINKS

AMAZON KINDLE US

AMAZON KINDLE UK

BARNES & NOBLES NOOK

ITUNES

GOODREADS

---

AUTHOR BIO

Ben Burgess Jr is the author of the award winning novels "Monster", "Wounded", the poetry book "Times Have Changed and Life is Strange" and the new novel "Love and Happiness" He is an active performer of spoken word poetry. Ben Burgess Jr uses his love of writing to inspire and influence youths to strive for what they believe in, and to never give up on their dreams. His poetry book "Times Have Changed and Life is Strange" and his novel "Monster" are currently used in schools on the lower east side of Manhattan. Ben Burgess has a BA degree in Business Management, and a MA degree in Educational Leadership. He is the proud father of his daughter Jaelynn and is active in trying to improve urban neighborhoods and communities. facebook.com/BenBurgessJr Twitter: Ben_Burgess_Jr

---

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE 

WEBSITE / BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER 

GOOGLE+ | PINTEREST | GOODREADS

SHELFARI

---

 

GIVEAWAY PRIZES

(5) Five paperback books to (5) selected winners.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

---

This tour has been organized & hosted by

Mama's Boy by ReShonda Tate Billingsley (spotlight)

 

Mama's Boy

ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Gallery Books

July 7, 2015

$15.00

A novel as timely as today’s headlines.

“…There’s plenty of top storytelling to keep pages turning. Her authentic portrayal of the fear an African American mother endures when her son is captured by police makes this a timely novel that belongs in all urban fiction collections.”

—Library Journal, Starred Review and PICK OF THE MONTH

“This is an outstanding story that handles every mother’s nightmare from multiple views while addressing one of society’s deepest controversies. The real emotions in this story caused this reader to finish the book in one sitting. The end was like watching a cliffhanger that one did not see coming!”

—RT, Four and a Half Starred Review and TOP PICK!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

When her son is in trouble, a heartbroken mother finds the courage and faith to save him, in ReShonda Tate Billingsley’s powerful family drama Mama's Boy—a novel as timely as today’s headlines.

The breaking TV news rocks Jasper, Texas, to the core: a white police officer is fatally shot in a scuffle with three black youths—and a cellphone video captures Jamal Jones, the sixteen-year-old son of esteemed Reverend Elton Jones, escalating the tragic encounter.  Now, as the national spotlight shines on a town already rife with racial tension, Jamal is a murder suspect on the run. And all of Jasper—even the reverend’s congregation—rushes to judge the teen they thought they knew.

But Gloria Jones knows her son best, and she races to find Jamal before the law does—to the outrage of her workaholic husband. Once she finds him, she has to decide whether to turn him in or help him run. With ruthless prosecutor and Houston mayoral candidate Kay Christensen hungering to put another young thug behind bars, Gloria will face her biggest battle yet. And when long-hidden secrets and shocking lies come to light, throwing Jamal’s case and his destiny into a tailspin, all Gloria can do is pray that the truth—and a mother’s unconditional love—will be enough to redeem the mistakes of the past and, ultimately, save her son.

Mama's Boy will have readers engrossed in thoughts of what they would do if facing the same situation, and inevitably having the conversation with others—a page-turner and conversation-starter all in one.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

ReShonda Tate Billingsley is the national bestselling author of 35+ books. Her sophomore novel, Let the Church Say Amen, has been made into a movie, directed by actress Regina King and produced by Queen Latifah's Flavor Unit Productions. Let the Church Say Amen will premiere on BET on August 30, 2015. ReShonda’s entire Amen series, as well as the novel I Know I've Been Changedhas been optioned by BET, and she recently secured a deal with TV One to bring two more of her books to film in the fall of 2016. ReShonda is a winner of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literature for her book, Say Amen, Again, and she was subsequently nominated for her book, The Secret She Kept. An Arkansas native, ReShonda is proud to have been inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. 

In 2014, ReShonda co-founded Brown Girls Books, a boutique publishing company aimed at producing quality books from fresh voices and fan favorites. A proud University of Texas at Austin graduate, ReShonda is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Jack and Jill of America. She is the wife of Dr. Miron Billingsley, a vice chancellor at North Carolina Central University, and the mother of three children.

Facebook
Twitter
Website

My Carolina Today (7/7/15)

COME MEET RESHONDA!

Saturday, July 11^th, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Books and Brunch, Forum Caterers, 4210 Primrose Ave., Baltimore MD

Brunch Early Bird, $35 / Brunch and Writers Workshop, $55 / Writers Workshop, $25

To register and make payment: http://www.jotform.us/form/50846354427156

Sunday, July 12^th, 3:00 – 6:00 pm

Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex, 8001 Sheriff Rd., Hyattsville, MD 

General Admission $25. To register and make payment:

http://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-summer-tea-tickets-038133516?utm_campaign=201308&ref=esfb&utm_source=Facebookenivtefor001

Monday, July 13^th, 6:00 pm

Big Blue Marble Bookstore, 551 Carpenter Lane, Philadelphia, PA

Wednesday, July 15^th, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

The Twig, 306 Pearl Parkway Suite 106, San Antonio, TX 

Saturday, July 18^th, 2:00 – 4:00 pm

Houston Public Library, 5411 Pardee St., Houston TX 77026 

*An event with ReShonda’s daughter Morgan Billingsley

Tuesday, July 21^st, 7:00 pm

Barnes & Noble, Westheimer Crossing, 7626 Westheimer, Houston, TX

*An event with Victoria Christopher Murray

Thursday, July 23, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Epps Memorial Library, 1324 North Simmons St., Lake Charles, LA

Saturday, July 25, 1:00 pm

Barnes & Noble, 4155 Dowlen Rd., Beaumont, TX 

Sunday, August 9^th, 3:00 pm

Durham County Main Library, 300 N. Roxboro St., Durham, NC

BOOK FESTIVAL: September 4^th – 6^th, 2015

Decatur Book Festival, Decatur, GA (10 minutes outside Atlanta)

BOOK FESTIVAL: Saturday, September 12^th, 2015

2^nd Annual Literacy Mid-South Book Festival, Memphis, TN

Saturday, September 19^th, 9:30 – 6:00 pm

Durham County Library, Southwest Regional Library, 3605 Shannon Rd., Durham, NC

For Your Love by Beverly Jenkins (Promo, excerpt and GIVEAWAY) Tasty Book Tours

-->

For Your Love
Blessings # 6

By: Beverly Jenkins

Releasing April 28^th, 2015

William Morrow

NAACP nominee and bestselling author Beverly Jenkins returns to Henry Adams, Kansas-an unforgettable place that anyone would want to call home-with a story of family, friends, and the powerful forces from our past that can irrevocably shape our future.

Blurb

Mayor Trent July and his wife Lily are enjoying life as newlyweds and embracing the challenges and joys that come with being adoptive parents to two wonderful boys. But being a father has inevitably forced him to think about his own birth mother. Raised by his grandmother Tamar—and in many ways the good people of Henry Adams—Trent was blessed with a childhood full of love.

But now he can’t help wondering what happened to the scared teenage girl who gave birth to him. And questions that he’s never voiced are now begging to be answered: Who was she? Is she still alive? Why didn’t she want him?

Trent has always believed no good comes from dwelling on the past, especially when you have a loving family, a strong community, and folks who depend on him. But when the past comes to Henry Adams, Trent has no choice but to face it—and the woman who left him behind. The truth will shake his very being and everything he thought he knew about life, love, and the bonds that hold families together…yet can also tear them apart.

 

Excerpt

When Trent and the boys returned home, all the ladies’ vehicles were gone and the interior was quiet. They found Lily in the kitchen feeding the dishwasher.

“Hey baby,” he said affectionately. “Did you and your girls have a good time?”

Her smile said it all. “Yes we did. No one wanted to go home. How was your afternoon?” Her eyes brushed her sons.

“The Chiefs lost.” Amari said speaking first.

“We saw Zoey and Wyatt,” Devon said.

“Did you wave?” Lily asked.

He shook his head.

“Did you want to?” she pressed gently.

“She doesn’t want to be friends with me so I don’t want to be friends with her.”

“She might be waiting for you to make the first move, Devon.”

But her son wasn’t buying. “She’s the one who started it, so she should make the first move.”

Apparently Amari wasn’t buying either. “No. You were the one who started it.”

Devon tensed but Amari ignored him and asked, “Is it okay if I go hang out at Brain’s for a little while?”

Devon’s eyes shot daggers.

Trent asked, “What’s wrong, Devon?”

“Nobody ever agrees with me."

“That’s because you’re always wrong,” Amari pointed out.

“Amari,” Trent cautioned.

“Well, he is.” Under Trent’s mild look of censure, Amari amended his answer. 

“Okay, maybe not all the time, but for sure ninety-nine point nine percent of the time. So, can I go?”

“The colonel’s out of town but if Mrs. Payne’s okay with it, you can stay until half-time.” He then sent Amari a speaking look.

Amari sighed loudly before asking his brother, “Do you want to go?”

Trent and Lily had been encouraging Amari to include him in some of his activities with the hope it might help Devon chill out. They knew Amari would rather walk to Topeka through the snow with bare feet than do so, but he never overtly balked.

“No. I’m going up to my room and watch some videos.”

“Okay. Be back at the half.” Amari left to get his coat and Devon headed for his bedroom upstairs.

Once both boys were gone and Trent was alone with his wife, he draped his arms around her waist and looked down into her dark eyes. To him she was still beautiful as she’d been when they were in high school together. “This parenting business is more than a notion.”

“No kidding.”

“Have I kissed you today, Mrs. July?”

She made a point of thinking, “Hmm. I don’t remember so you should probably get busy.”

Chuckling softly he did as requested. When they finally came up for air, she whispered, “Very nice.”

“Do you want help cleaning up?”

“Men who help with housework are considered very sexy.”

“Really?”

“Yes, and later, after the knuckleheads are snuggled in their beds, I’ll show you just how much.”

“I like the sound of that.”

She waggled her eyebrows. “Thought you might.”

It took only a short while to remove all the spent plastic cups, plates, and reposition the furniture. As they worked, Trent watched the way she moved, the flow of her walk and savored the way his heart rate accelerated like a teenage boy each time she glanced his way and smiled. Circumstances tore them apart after high school but after nearly two decades apart they’d settled their differences and were now man and wife. He loved her as much as he did breathing. When his first two marriages crashed and burned, he never thought his life would ever hold happiness again, but his Lily Flower brought all that and more. He felt blessed.

When they had the space cleaned to their satisfaction, Lily walked over and circled her arms around waist. “Have I thanked you for my beautiful room?”

Mimicking her, he paused for a moment to think. “Hmm. Not today, so tonight,

I’ll be looking for a little extra in my reward package.”

“I think that can be arranged.”

“You know that silky little black number you brought back from Spain?”

Mischief shone in her eyes. “Yes.”

“I want my reward package wrapped in that.”

Laughing she nestled against him. “You got it.”

Goodreads Link

Goodreads Series Link

Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo | Publisher

Author Info

 Ms. Jenkins is the nation's premier writer of African American historical romance fiction and specializes in 19th century African American life. She has over thirty published novels to date.

She has received numerous awards, including: five Waldenbooks/Borders Group Best Sellers Awards; two Career Achievement Awards and a Pioneer Award from Romantic Times Magazine; a Golden Pen Award from the Black Writer's Guild, and in 1999 was named one of the Top Fifty Favorite African-American writers of the 20th Century by AABLC, the nation's largest on-line African-American book club.

She has also been featured in many national publications, including the Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, Dallas Morning News and Vibe Magazine. She has lectured and given talks at such prestigious universities as Oberlin University, the University of Illinois, and Princeton. She speaks widely on both romance and 19th century African-American history and was the 2014 featured speaker for the W.W. Law Lecture Series sponsored by the Savannah Black Heritage Festival.

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Goodreads

*********************************************

GIVEAWAY

Ten Print Copies of For Your Love


a Rafflecopter giveaway


 Link to Follow Tour