Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Collaborations!

Synopsis
Faith, family, and forgiveness are at the heart of this powerful story collection from four bestselling African-American authors. Meet a group of unforgettable women in these tales of hope and inspiration and discover how doors can open if you just
Have a Little Faith.

Reviews
In this anthology, four authors tell inspirational stories about life, love, and faith. In "Signs of Light," Thomas tells the story of Brittany, who puts off college when her son is diagnosed with leukemia. Lorna Hamilton, a local merchant, writes her off as a young, unfit mother living off of welfare. When their paths cross, they both finally see the light. Tate Billingsley writes about Faith, a young woman who uses her body to gain the affection of men. She was raised by her Bible-toting grandmother, who shattered her self-confidence. "Faith Will Overcome" is about true love. In "Maybelline," J.D. Mason shares Olivia's struggles with breast cancer. Maybelline always appears with words of encouragement when Olivia is at her lowest. In "Survival Instincts," Lynn Hayes has had her share of disappointments. Instead of being bitter and vengeful, she has chosen to survive and forgive. When she is mugged and a stranger attempting to help is shot, she reaches out to her attacker and her Good Samaritan to share her wisdom and compassion. Lillian Lewis
Copyright © American Library Association.




Synopsis
National bestselling authors J.D. Mason and Victor McGlothin come at you with a double dose of intrigue...
"The Lazarus Man" by J.D. Mason
When a young female city employee is murdered, the case brings together an investigative reporter whose career is on the line, a lead detective who would rather work alone, and an elderly, homeless man whose hold on reality is questionable. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and with the detective at the helm, the trio soon unearths a shocking truth no one would have ever suspected. . .
"Tomorrow's Edge" by Victor McGlothin
Smart, sexy P.I. Vera Miles is an expert at finding people who don't want to be found. But her latest client is a rare, and possibly dangerous, exception: a handsome drifter with amnesia who believes he's killed someone--though he can't remember who or why. But as Vera gets closer to solving the mystery, she has to wonder if her client is better off without his memory. . .

Review
“Enticing to those who appreciate a good thriller." --The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers



Synopsis
Three national bestselling authors join talents in a multi-dimensional novel that illustrates the importance of love, family, and forgiveness.

After a lifetime of womanizing, making babies, and then disappearing and taking no responsibility for his actions, Amos Davis has finally reached an impasse—literally crashing his car down a one-way street. It may be the only road to redemption for the aging musician, now afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease, for it has brought together the three daughters he abandoned. But when it comes to their deadbeat dad, their hearts may already be sealed…

Cass, the child of Amos’s mistress, has had enough heartache, from losing her mother to the tragic end of her marriage. Amos was never there for her—why should this talented cake maker be sweet to him now?

Toya, always the “other woman” in her affairs with married men, was deeply scarred by Amos’s public denial of her existence years ago. Will seeing him again send her further down a troubled path?

A gifted writer, Tomiko channels her pain into her stories of the father she never knew. In her imagined world, she is safe—but will she ever risk her heart on real love?

A powerful interplay of memory and reality, this emotionally taut novel weaves the voices of three authors to deliver an unforgettable tale of one man’s struggle to make peace with his failures, his family and the destinies of those who must forgive to move forward with their own lives and dreams.

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Standalone Titles on JD's Backlist....


Synopsis
Thirty years ago, three high school friends were closer than sisters, but a dark, emotional secret tore them apart.  Now, back together at their high school reunion, each of them are tormented and haunted that their greatest fear will come to light.
Renetta Jones' childhood had been anything but happy.  After her mother walked out on them, Renetta was left to live with an unsympathetic father and her own insecurities.  She fell for the first man to come along after high school, and spent years in an abusive marriage with a man named Vincent, who used her secret to control and punish her. That is, until he suffered an untimely stroke, under questionable circumstances. 
Phyllis Neville sacrificed everything for her career, including her marriage to a man she'll love forever, and a positive relationship with her adult daughter.  But when she is passed over for the promotion of a lifetime, it’s just the first thing to go wrong in her once perfect life as the past rears its ugly head.
Freddie Palmer is bored by the routine that her life has become.  Married thirty years to her husband, Don, the two of them have become empty-nesters and Freddie is anxious to start the next phase of her life.  After meeting successful author, Bianca Hightower, at a local bookstore signing, Freddie decides to take her passion for reading to the next level and signs up for writing classes being taught by her new author friend.  But Bianca sees potential in Freddie that transcends simply writing, and introduces her to the kinds of experiences a woman like Freddie never even knew existed. But when the past catches up to her, it becomes one more dark secret she’s not sure she’ll be able to keep.
Tasha Darden has lived her life in foster care, and has finally gathered up the courage to try to find her birth mother. One of the three women holds the answers she seeks and she will stop at nothing until she gets them.
Review
“The day of reckoning is unavoidable for all four women in this fast-moving and fascinating look at friendship, the repercussions of keeping secrets, and the power of forgiveness.”—Publisher’s Weekly



Synopsis
When Faylene Watkins begins counseling women of her husband’s congregation at Hope Filled Christian Center church, three women teach her the perils of love, sex and obsession. Choir girl Elise thinks she’s found a good man in Jay, a truck driver who came blowing into her life one sultry night. Irresistible and sensual, he’s caught up in romancing Elise. However, when she’s ready for happily ever after, he realizes that he can’t just walk away from his wife and two children. And Elise just can’t seem to let him go. Everyone knows that singles ministry leader Renee is full of herself. When she starts her latest interior decorating project, she thinks her client’s husband is hot, and together, they’re on fire. Meanwhile his wife wants to be friends, and it’s not long before a twisted game starts to unravel. For twenty-five years Tess’s life revolved around her unfaithful husband (who sits on the deacon’s board) and their two wonderful sons. But now the kids have left the nest and Tess wants to spread her wings. While busy seeking her first job and creating a new social life outside the church, Tess meets a new man—a most forbidden man—who rides into the picture to rock her world off its steady axis.  All the while, First Lady of the church and counselor, Faye is keeping a secret of her own that is much deeper than any one of them could ever imagine.

Review
Readers of commercial African-American fiction who haven't yet discovered Mason would do well to pick up this steamy cautionary tale. Publisher’s Weekly



Synopsis
When Bishop Fontaine passed away he left behind more than a list of good deeds.  He was known as a caring friend and doting father. . .but he was also manipulative and controlling, especially to those he loved.  His death begins to unravel deep secrets and shocking desires among the people he cared about the most. . .
His daughter, Kristine, feels that with her father’s death she is finally free.  His best friend and business partner, Lamar, feels that now can finally have what he has longed for all these years: Kristine.  His protégé, Cole, the boxing champion and rising star, married a woman Bishop never approved of and may have been right about.  Rayne, the blues singer and ex-junkie relied on Bishop to keep her clean and is now slipping down a dark path without him.  And Rhonda, Lamar’s wife, is determined to ignore what has been unfolding in front of her if it means that her predictable life will go unchanged.  And then a newcomer steps onto the scene and threatens to turn everything upside down.
Five very different people whose lives are only connected by Bishop suddenly find themselves up close and personal as desires, dreams and passions collide.

Review

"Mason has become a major name in African American fiction. Her stark portrayals of her characters and their innermost thoughts bring the readers right into the emotional center of the story. Those who enjoy Carl Weber and Eric Jerome Dickey will add Mason to their list of favorites." --Booklist



Synopsis
Four different women come together under the sometimes tenuous but always unbreakable bond of friendship.

Ruth Johnson has finally left her abusive husband of fourteen years and jumped feet first into "What the hell do I do now?" oblivion. Then into her life come three unforgettable women who turn her world upside down. Feisty, outspoken Bernice, a.k.a. "Bernie," has been there and done that when it comes to love and marriage. Her ex-husband is settled down with his much younger wife and her kids are grown, and Bernie is looking to enjoy her fellow man--in more ways than one--no strings attached...or so she thinks. Sweet Southern belle May has it all: a beautiful home, two wonderful children, and a fine husband who worships the ground she walks on, yet a shadow hangs over what should be her equally perfect life, threatening to shake up her happy home. The older, wiser Clara is their guiding force, and when disaster strikes, all three women rally around her, determined to see her through it. Life is just getting interesting, and if they hold on to each other, they just might make it.

Review
Mason’s book weaves an incredible tale of a black woman’s...journey to empowerment, freedom, and the hope of love once again.—The Urban Spectrum

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