The Book Connection's Picks for Black History Month

Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou

From Publishers Weekly

From the mellifluous voice of a venerable American icon comes her first original collection of writing to be published in ten years, anecdotal vignettes drawn from a compelling life and written in Angelou's erudite prose. Beginning with her childhood, Angelou acknowledges her own inauguration into daughterhood in "Philanthropy," recalling the first time her mother called her "my daughter." Angelou becomes a mother herself at an early age, after a meaningless first sexual experience: "Nine months later I had a beautiful baby boy. The birth of my son caused me to develop enough courage to invent my life." Fearlessly sharing amusing, if somewhat embarrassing, moments in "Senegal," the mature Angelou is cosmopolitan but still capable of making a mistake: invited to a dinner party while visiting the African nation, Angelou becomes irritated that none of the guests will step on a lovely carpet laid out in the center of the room, so she takes it upon herself to cross the carpet, only to discover the carpet is a table cloth that had been laid out in honor of her visit. The wisdom in this slight volume feels light and familiar, but it's also earnest and offered with warmth.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


Wench: A Novel by Dolen Perkins-Valdez - A recent Top 10 Pick in O Magazine!


Situated in the free state of Ohio, Tawawa House offers respite from the summer heat. A beautiful, inviting house surrounded by a dozen private cottages, the resort is favored by wealthy Southern white men who vacation there, accompanied by their enslaved mistresses.

Regular visitors Lizzie, Reenie, and Sweet have forged an enduring friendship. They look forward to their annual reunion and the opportunity it affords them to talk over the changes in their lives and their respective plantations. The subject of freedom is never spoken aloud until the red-maned, spirited Mawu arrives and voices her determination to escape. To run is to leave behind the friends and families trapped at home. For some, it also means tearing the strong emotional and psychological ties that bind them to their masters.

When a fire on the resort sets off a string of tragedies, Lizzie, Reenie, and Sweet soon learn tragic lessons, that triumph and dehumanization are inseparable and that love exists even in the cruelest circumstances as they bear witness to the end of an era.

The Amen Sisters

by Angela Benson

After witnessing the suicide of a church sister, Minister Francine Amen is disgusted with herself for turning against the young woman and refusing to accept her claim of abuse by their pastor. Now, after a short stay in a psychiatric hospital, Francine is trying to pull her life and her ministry back together. But first she must face all of the people she has hurt so deeply—including her younger sister, Dawn. But can Dawn trust her? Francine used to date Dawn's husband, Sly—who now seems just a little too interested in Francine's recovery. As far as Dawn is concerned, Sly would be better off spending his time making amends to her for his own sins.


When A Man Loves A Woman by LaConnie Taylor Jones

Nursing administrator Victoria Bennett has soured on love. She has sworn off men; they bring too much drama and too much pain into her life. That is, until she meets pediatrician A. J. Baptiste, a single parent who is determined to woo her. A. J. will stop at nothing to have her, and Victoria finds her resolve put to the test…but is this a fight she really wants to win?



Uncle Tom's Cabin (Bantam Classics) by Harriet Beecher Stowe


Amazon Decription:

This 1852 novel provides a powerful, historical look at the treatment of slaves in the pre-Civil War South.

Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story (King Legacy) by Martin Luther King Jr.

Amazon Description:

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s account of the first successful large-scale application of nonviolence resistance in America is comprehensive, revelatory, and intimate. King described his book as "the chronicle of fifty thousand Negroes who took to heart the principles of nonviolence, who learned to fight for their rights with the weapon of love, and who, in the process, acquired a new estimate of their own human worth.’’ It traces the phenomenal journey of a community, and shows how the twenty-eight-year-old Dr. King, with his conviction for equality and nonviolence, helped transformed the nation—and the world.

February Featured Book: When I'm With You by LaConnie Taylor-Jones

Today's featured romance novel comes from Award-winning author LaConnie Taylor-Jones. When I'm With You tells the story of wealthy philanthropist Marcel Baptiste. When Caitlyn Thompson, the director of a struggling youth center applies to Marcel's foundation for funding, Marcel is immediately drawn to her. But Caitlyn had to escape a stalker and leave town before moving to Oakland, so she's not eager to trust Marcel or any other man.

This is one romance novel that I could read over and over again. The characters and the plot make for an excellent read that you won't be able to put down.

Read my review of When I'm With You here.

You can visit LaConnie online at http://laconnietaylorjones.com/

When I'm With You by LaConnie Taylor-Jones--Book Review

Passionate, heart-warming, and filled with suspense, When I'm With You by LaConnie Taylor-Jones is a must read for romance lovers everywhere.

Born into wealth, Marcel Baptiste lives a life far different than that of Caitlyn Thompson. The director of a struggling youth center, Caitlyn had to leave all she knew to escape a stalker--a man who she once trusted. Now living in Oakland, she does everything to make sure he never finds her again. When Caitlyn applies to Marcel's philanthropic foundation to save the youth center, Marcel is immediately taken with this young woman with the cat eyes. Falling deeply in love, Marcel must find a way to get Caitlyn to trust him, to love him, and to be his forever; but fear of the past gets in the way and Marcel knows he must help Caitlyn vanquish the ghosts of her past if they are ever going to be truly happy.

This fast-paced and entertaining romance is one you will want to read over and over again. It is difficult to believe that this is Taylor-Jones's debut novel. The story is so well done, so gripping, so real that the reader believes that the author must have decades worth of publishing experience under her belt.

Fully developed and complex characters come together in a plot that draws you right in and begs you not to stop reading until you reach the end. A story of learning to love and trust after horrible betrayal and abuse, Taylor-Jones handles these issues with compassion and understanding, no doubt a result of her work in the field of public health. But this is also a story of family and friendships; being able to count on those you love and those who love you.

No wonder this novel won the Romance Slam Jam 2008 Emma Award for debut novel. Romance novels don't get any better than LaConnie Taylor-Jones's When I'm With You!


Title: When I'm With You
Author: LaConnie Taylor-Jones
Publisher: Indigo (an imprint of Genesis Press, Inc.)
ISBN-13: 978-1-58571-250-2
ISBN-10: 1-58571-250-7
U.S. Price: $6.99

Read my interview with LaConnie Taylor-Jones here.

Tips for Writing Romance by LaConnie Taylor-Jones

Aspiring authors and newly published authors, welcome to the wonderful world of romance!

Whether you’ve written one chapter or finished a completed manuscript, you’re to be commended on your efforts. The road to publication is long, hard, and bumpy. However, you’ll make it with a little talent and a ton of determination.

Hopefully, these tips will assist you on your journey to publication:

• NEVER GIVE UP AND NEVER GIVE IN

Writing is not for the faint at heart and the competition is fierce. Tenacity and perseverance will become your two best friends.

• ENROLL IN WRITER’S COURSES

Writing is a craft. In order to master this craft, there are some fundamental techniques you’ll need to learn. There are a number of on-line writing courses that teach a wide range of topics and are fairly reasonable. So, sign up today!



• SEEK THE ADVICE OF VETERAN AUTHORS

For an aspiring author or newly published author, having a veteran author as a mentor can greatly benefit your career. Tremendous insights can be learned from this mentorship over a short period of time, which normally could take years to learn, otherwise.

• JOIN A WRITER’S GROUP

Being connected with others who have the same interest and goals you have will not only keep you motivated to write, but will also keep you abreast of the latest industry trends.



• ATTEND WRITER’S CONFERENCES

Not only are various sessions on a variety of topics offered, it’s an excellent chance to network with industry professionals such as agents, editors, and published authors.

Good luck and no matter what, keep writing!!


LaConnie Taylor-Jones is the author of When I'm With You, which won the Romance Slam Jam 2008 Emma Award for debut novel and When A Man Loves A Woman.


The WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on June 1, 2008 and continue all month long. If you would like to follow LaConnie's tour in progress, visit http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in June. Leave a comment at any of her blog stops and become eligible to win a free copy of her book! One lucky winner will be announced at her tour page on June 30!

This virtual book tour has been brought to you by:

Creating a buzz for your book

It is not often--actually, I think this is the first time--that I've ever taken the floor and reached out directly to the readers here. I felt compelled to explain something that is important for every writer to know: networking is key!

I've been coordinating virtual book tours for Pump Up Your Book Promotion since October 2007. In that time, I've coordinated tours where the response has far exceeded what I imagined and tours that were a far greater challenge than I expected.

This month, LaConnie Taylor-Jones is traveling the blogosphere to promote her debut novel, When I'm With You. The response to her tour has been amazing. I already had twenty scheduled stops for LaConnie prior to the February 1st kick off of her tour. Since then, two other bloggers have joined. I didn't know it at the time, but many of the bloggers who I contacted when setting up the tour, knew LaConnie and were more than happy to host her.

Networking is vital to the success of your work. Places like Communati, Book Marketing Network, Book Place, Gather, and other social networking sites give writers the opportunity to get their names out there in ways that were impossible for authors ten to twenty years ago.

Take advantage of what the Internet has to offer. Sign up for some of these social networks. Make friends. Write articles related to the topic or genre of your book. Promote your book/books constantly. It will make all the difference in the world.

May 2008 bring about the fulfillment of your publishing dreams!

Cheryl

LaConnie Taylor-Jones and When I'm With You

Here at The Book Connection we are going to start the week off right. Today’s guest is a debut author who writes contemporary romance. LaConnie Taylor-Jones’ novel When I’m With You was released in November 2007 by Genesis Press. I’ve had the pleasure of coordinating LaConnie’s first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion and the response has been amazing. We’re going to chat with LaConnie about her debut novel and that wonderful juggling act known as balancing a writing career and home life.

Welcome to The Book Connection, LaConnie. It’s great to have you here!

Hello, Cheryl!! Thanks so much for having me here at The Book Connection.

Before we begin talking about When I’m With You, why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself. How long have you been writing? Do you write full-time? What do you do to unwind after a long day?

Well, I’m married and the mother of four (yes folks, my husband and I were two crazy people!!). By trade, I’m a public health educator. About four years ago, I left my position with a major voluntary non-profit health organization to become a consultant in community public health.

Since the launch of my debut novel, I’ve slowly, but surely managed to clear my plate so I can write full-time.

Boy, what do I look forward to the end of the day!! There are two things that really help me relax: a glass of wine followed by a hot bath.

You are a wife, a mother of four, a health educator, and you volunteer in your community. When exactly do you make time to write?

I’ll be the first to admit that it was tough finding the time to get those thoughts for a storyline from my head onto paper.

After a few failed attempts, I succeeded. For me, the right time to write is when I say goodbye to the duties of wife, maid, cook, chauffer, doctor, business owner and referrer and stumble down the stairs, groping in semi-darkness for my best friend, the coffeepot.

The illuminated numbers on the microwave indicate one o’clock in the morning.

Do you have any advice on how other busy women might make time in their lives to write the story they’ve always wanted to?

Ladies, learn how to say the word No!! Remember, saying no doesn’t mean never. It simply means not right now.

Writing has to find its way to the top of the priority list. Otherwise, a zillion things will come along and suddenly the day has ended without one word having been written.



Let’s move on to When I’m With You. Tell us about this story and what inspired you to write it.

When I’m With You is a story that shows the damage caused by an abusive relationship, how the person who’s abused suffers, how to trust again, and why one has to FFF: forgive, forget, and move forward.

The inspiration for this story came from my experience as a health educator. For the last fifteen years, I’ve taught health education primarily to African American women in community-based settings. Oftentimes, before I can lecture on the risk factors associated with chronic diseases disproportionally impacting African Americans, I have to deal with the soci-economic deterrents women face. Unfortunately, abusive relationships top the list.


Tell us about Marcel Baptiste. What will readers like about him? Will they dislike anything about Marcel?

Although Marcel is the epitome of success and wealth, he doesn’t allow money to rule his life. He’s also intelligent and savvy, with a heart of gold. I’ll let readers decide if his two personality flaws: arrogance and stubbornness coupled with his inability to accept the word "no" or not getting his way are reasons to dislike him.

What about Caitlyn? Who is she? Why will readers care about her and want to see her get together with Marcel?

Caitlyn is independent-minded with the ability to think on her feet. Readers will see how Caitlyn deals with the trauma of being a victim of domestic abuse and how she overcomes it. They’ll also how she responses to Marcel’s plan to get her to trust and love again.

We actually meet Marcel in the prologue before Caitlyn is introduced and we get a brief glimpse into who Marcel is and what kind of life he lives. Why did you decide to introduce Marcel first? How did you go about deciding what details to share with the reader in the prologue?

The prologue sets the stage for the circumstances that initially bring Marcel and Caitlyn together. It also plays a pivotal role in the story plot and helps readers understand how the life Marcel lives ultimately frees Caitlyn from the fear she’s tried to escape for the past three years.

You were pretty mean to Caitlyn when we first meet her. She’s sitting in her car in triple-digit California heat, hoping the darn car doesn’t die on her in a tunnel while she is on her way back home from an important meeting that never happened because the other person cancelled unexpectedly. Oh, and she skipped lunch and is now starving. Why was it important for us to meet her this way?

Well, I wouldn’t say that I was mean to Caitlyn. Instead, I would say it was a good lead-in for readers to understand how strong Caitlyn truly is and despite the most dramatic circumstances in her life, she always manages to find a way to get through them and land on her feet.

I assume there will be plenty of obstacles for Marcel and Caitlyn to overcome before they can have their happily ever after. Can you share any of them without giving too much away?

Yes, there a few hurdles and twists Caitlyn and Marcel will face and readers will see how they overcome them together. Because of those challenges, each character learns what’s really important in life and most importantly, that trust is the best proof of love.

Tell us where readers can pick up a copy of When I’m With You.

Readers can find their copy in all the major bookstores and on-line at Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobles.com, Books-A-Million.com, to name a few.

What’s up next for you? I think there is a sequel to this story coming out, right?

When a Man Loves A Woman hits store shelves April 1st and is the sequel to When I’m With You. The premise of this story is betrayal—not just any kind of betrayal, but the ultimate unfaithfulness no woman should ever have to go through. Readers will see how a woman’s life that was once shattered is made whole again.

My readers have totally embraced the Baptiste Clan and I want them to hold on to their seats. I recently sold the third saga entitled, If I Were Your Woman, which hopefully will make the ’08 production schedule. Also, there are two other Works in Progress as well. With all of this, I plan to stay pretty busy in 2008.



Is there anything else you would like to add?

With all of my stories, there are three things I’d like readers to take away. First, I want them to understand the beauty and power of love that exists between the right man and woman, Secondly, I want readers to know and cherish the importance of family. Finally, I hope readers can discover strategies that they can apply to whatever real-life situation they’re facing to help overcome it.

Thanks for joining us today, LaConnie. It’s been fun finding out more about you and your work. I’m eager to read my copy of When I’m With You. Best of luck with the rest of the tour. I hope we’ll see you again soon.

Check out LaConnie’s website at http://www.laconnietaylorjones.com/to see how you can win a $100 gift certificate to Amazon.com!

This virtual book tour has been brought to you by: