multicultural authors

Get to Know @Ursula_Renee author of A Bookie’s Odds

October 20, 2015 by ReeseRyan

I was excited when Ursula Renee accepted my open offer to stop by the blog and chat. I read her story Sweet Jazz while doing some research for a historical series I was in the midst of writing nearly a year ago. Sweet Jazz is about an interracial couple working in a jazz club with a “Coloreds Only” policy during the Harlem Renaissance. I became an instant fan of her delicious writing voice and juicy characters. Now, let’s talk to Ursula and find out more about latest release, A Bookie’s Odds.

Welcome, Ursula. Please tell readers three things we should know about you.

Thank you for having me here today.

For starters, I love to cook and I transfer that love to my novels. In Sweet Jazz, Cass proves she can cook as well as she sings, while the men in A Bookie’s Odds prove they know their way around a stove.

Another thing readers should know is that I enjoy music. My favorite is Alternative, yet, on a particularly stressful day, I find Goth soothing. When I write, I play music based on the time period the story is set and my characters’ preference.

Finally, I believe everyone should follow her dreams. Do not sit back and wish you did something…go out there and do it.

First, I have to tell you that I loved Sweet Jazz. It’s an engaging story with two strong characters, both of whom I loved. Tell us a little about that story and what prompted you to write it.

Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it.

Sweet Jazz, which is set in 1938, explores the difficulties Randy Jones faces when he not only breaks the color barrier at The Big House, but falls for Cass, who is reluctant to open her heart after a past hurt.

After remembering several incidents that occurred when I was in an interracial relationship, I decided to explore the challenges Randy would have if he decided to break the color barrier.

Your recent release is A Bookie’s Odds. Give us a quick rundown of the story.

Because she looked beyond the surface and befriended a girl, Georgia Mae Collins grew up under the protection of the Santiano family. But, after a series of tragedies, Nicholas has to protect her from herself as well as his growing feelings for her.

What makes your hero and heroine, Nicholas Santiano and Georgia Mae Collins right for each other?

Nicholas understands Georgia’s desire to follow her dreams and is willing to help her achieve her goals. And, though they do not always see eye to eye on the best way to deal with a problem, Georgia will always be there to comfort Nicholas.

What should we expect from Ursula Renee in the near future?

I am currently working on a historical romance set in 1856 that will explore two families’ fight to maintain their homes that are being threatened by eminent domain.

Sounds intriguing! To connect with Ursula Renee, follow her on social media at the sites listed below:
Website: UrsulaRenee.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ursularenee.author
Twitter: @Ursula_Renee

Get your copy of A Bookie’s Odds at one of the links below:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | The Wild Rose Press

Get to Know Shelly Ellis, author of Best Kept Secrets

September 22, 2015 by ReeseRyan

Today I’m excited to play host to the blog tour for Best Kept Secrets, the lastest release by author Shelly Ellis. Shelly is an author I admire and have gotten to know a little via Twitter over the past couple of years. So it was fun to get to know her better and talk more about her latest release.

Shelly, thanks for visiting with us today. Tell us three things we should know about you.

Revelation 1: I’m a socially awkward introvert. It has its downside, speaking in front of audiences makes me freak out but the upside is that I’m a natural born observer. I like to watch people and walk around places and just get a feel for them. I don’t feel the need to interact and am perfectly comfortable with sitting on the sidelines. You learn a lot about people and places being that way and you can use it in your writing.

Revelation 2: I have eclectic taste from books to music. One week I can be deep in a horror novel and the next week I’ll pick up funny women’s fiction. I love 90s HipHop like Pharcyde but have been a fan of Bjork since college. I refuse to limit my tastes.

Revelation 3: Before I decided to become a writer, I flirted with the idea of becoming an artist. I paint on occasion as a stress reliever. My paintings are around my house. I’ve done them for friends and family too at their request.

Tell us a little about what genre(s) you write and what we should expect from a Shelly Ellis story.

I write primarily romance and women’s fiction FOR NOW. But I might expand in the future. If you’re reading a Shelly Ellis book expect lots of drama, some snark, some humor, and a multicultural cast of characters.

Your new release, Best Kept Secrets, is the first installment in your Chesterton Scandal series. Tell us a little about the series.

The series is set in the fictional town of Chesterton, Virginia, and it’s about the wealthy Murdoch family—Evan, Terrence, and Paulette—which is both admired and envied in their small town.

There is lots of drama in Best Kept Secrets. Shady business deals. Scandalous affairs. Tell us more about the Murdoch family and the entanglements they find themselves in.

At the beginning of the novel the former patriarch, George Murdoch, is deceased and now his eldest son, Evan, is taking over the family business and is now considered the leader in the family. We follow his tribulations in his marriage to his alcoholic wife, Charisse, and his feelings for his best friend, Leila. We also see the secrets and drama that his little sister Paulette is going through. It’s basically a night-time soap. My editor was like, shoot for something like Scandal, and that’s what I did.

What’s next in the Chesterton Scandal series and are you working on any other projects that we should expect in the near future?

The next book in the series is called Bed of Lies and it comes out in April 2016. It continues many of the storylines from the previous book but also introduces some new ones and new characters. I had a lot of fun with it. I also get to explore Terrence Murdoch as a character a lot more in this novel than I did in Best Kept Secrets. He goes through a lot and evolves. It was rewarding to take him on his journey.

I have other projects in the pipeline but nothing I can really talk about now. I hope I can share more about them in the future.

Get to know Shelly Ellis better, grab your own copy of Shelly’s latest release, and enter the $25 Barnes and Noble Gift Card raffle contest using the info below:

Shelly Ellis $25 Barnes & Noble Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Summary

Between the fall-out from his father’s latest shady business dealings and his wife Charisse’s alcoholism, Evan Murdoch has his hands full. But he should be most concerned about the scandalous affair Charisse is having right under his nose–with his half-brother. Evan’s being pushed to the edge, and no one knows that better than Leila Hawkins…

Leila is back in Chesterton, divorced, penniless, and desperate enough to do anything to save her mother’s home from foreclosure–including turning to Evan, her former best friend. But Evan isn’t interested in friendship. Instead he makes Leila a shocking indecent proposal…

Meanwhile, Evan’s newlywed sister, Paulette, wants to be the perfect wife. But a blackmailing bad boy ex has reappeared in her life–and he’s threatening to reveal her most painful secret…

The scandals just won’t quit–and for everyone involved, desire, betrayal, and lies are all in a day’s work…

Buy the Book

Amazon: http://amzn.com/1617733997

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/best-kept-secrets-shelly-ellis/1120843660?ean=9781617733994

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25739781-best-kept-secrets

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/best-kept-secrets-11

Indie Bound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781617733994

Get Social with Shelly

Website: ShellyEllisBooks.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Shelly-Ellis-554332437931239/timeline/

Twitter: @EllisRomance

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6464591.Shelly_Ellis

Get to Know Erin Ashley Tanner author of Dirty Little Secrets

August 4, 2015 by ReeseRyan

Today we get to know author Erin Ashley Tanner who shares her love of all things Marilyn Monroe, reveals the book that made her want to be a writer, and lets us in on her Dirty Little Secrets.

Welcome, Erin. Tell us three things we might be surprised to learn about you.

I am an amateur genealogist who traced both sides of my family tree. My dad’s to the early 1800’s and my mothers to white ancestors from Massachusetts in 1798.
I am an avid collector of Marilyn Monroe and The Little Mermaid items.
I’m a little bit of everything: Black, Irish, Middle Eastern and Native American.

With such a diverse genealogy, that must be fun. Like solving a great mystery. In which genre(s) do you write?

I’m a multi-genre author. I started off writing paranormal or urban fantasy romance. Currently I’m writing contemporary romance with heavy suspense but I want to try my hand at a little of everything in the future.

What book(s) made you want to become a storyteller?

The novel that made me want to become a storyteller was Jackie Collins’ Dangerous Kiss. At the time I read it, it was the most recent of her Lucky Santangelo series and I fell completely in love with it. I loved her writing style. It was an engaging read. I loved the plethora of characters she had from all races and backgrounds, but most of all I loved that she had written a kick ass heroine that took no mess from anyone.

Seems like that love of kick-ass heroines has filtered into your stories. Congrats on Dirty Little Secrets, your recent release with Samhain. Tell us about the premise of your story and its kick-ass heroine.

The premise behind Dirty Little Secrets is that we meet this beautiful young widow, Ava Hill, who is doing like most women these days, trying to build her own legacy and raising her child. But Ava’s had a rough go of life. Her husband Joseph, was a mob boss who recently died. There is an interesting backstory of how they met, but I won’t spoil that. Now Ava finds herself really free to live her own life and then her comes Dominic Sambarino who claims to be Joseph’s son and he wants his share of everything Joseph left behind. Naturally he and Ava are at odds. She actually attacks him with a baseball bat when they first meet. So you have this two strong personalities going at one another, and we all know where there’s smoke there is fire. The way this two come together is pretty interesting. Needless to say they both soon find themselves having to work together to face their pasts when secrets are revealed.

What was your favorite (or least favorite) scene to write in the book?

My favorite scene in the book to write was the bathroom scene on the yacht. The sexual tension really flowed and when they came together, talk about hot.

What can we expect from you in the near future?

Well at the current moment I’m working on a contemporary romance series with stronger mafia ties and revising a possibly historical romance to send to my agent. I also have another novel with Samhain called Devious Little Lies that will be releasing next year so stay tuned.

Thank you for being with us, Erin. We wish you many sales!