TELL-TALE BY DANIELLE ALLEN

True, I’d been nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous—to have the conversation with him. I knew he was going to think I sounded crazy. I knew he was going to think I was crazy. But I’d nervously fretted about my feelings for him for years. My nerves had sharpened my senses—not destroyed or dulled them. And above all was my ability to listen.

I’d heard all the reasons why we shouldn’t be together. I know I’d given every excuse in the world, every excuse from heaven to hell as to why we couldn’t be together. But my feelings wouldn’t go away, so… how does that make me crazy?

Listen! Sanely and calmly, I’ll tell you the whole story.

** Tell-Tale is a contemporary romance inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart **

AVAILABLE ON:

AMAZON

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ABOUT DANIELLE ALLEN

Danielle Allen is a novelist, professor, and life coach. Living authentically has been the key to her living her best life. With a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a Master’s in Human Services, Danielle plans to pursue a Ph.D. in the very near future. Helping people better understand themselves so they can become the best version of themselves is one of her passions. Writing contemporary romance novels that change the status quo of the genre is another.

Danielle Allen is the author of the Back to Life Series (Back to Life, Back to Reality, Back to December), Love Discovered in New York, Autumn & Summer, the Heartache Series (Heartache, Heartfelt, Heartless*), Work Song, The One Series Duet (The One and After The One), Nevermore, The Art of Being, Disasters in Dating Choose Your Dating Adventure (Disasters in Dating, Brink of Disaster: This One, Brink of Disaster: That One), Broken Clocks, Sweatpants Season, Cuffing Season, and the upcoming The Women of V Series.

CONNECT WITH DANIELLE ALLEN

AUTHOR SITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | BOOK + MAIN | NEWSLETTER | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

 

Discover Danielle Allen – Broken Clocks

 

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According to my grandma, a broken clock being right twice a day meant that in any given situation, there are only two opportunities for perfect timing.

I fell for William Grayson in a matter of minutes. The connection between us was undeniable, but our timing was off. I was dating someone and by the time I was single again, he was taken. And a year later, when we finally got together, it was clear that we were soulmates. But circumstances out of our control cut our time short.

We were a little older, a little wiser, when our paths crossed again. I was entering a new phase of independence in both my career and my life. He was growing professionally and moving to a new city. And even though our timing was off, it was still clear that we were soulmates. But for the second time, circumstances out of our control cut our time short.

My grandma was a wise woman, but my love life taught me that there’s no such thing as perfect timing. There’s just timing… Because nothing is perfect. There’s just right now… Because tomorrow isn’t promised.

For as long as we’d known each other, William and I just wanted to be together. It was as simple and as complicated as that.

 

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Danielle Allen is a lover of football, fashion, film and fiction. From karaoke nights to vacationing and everything in between, she enjoys making the most out of the life in which she’s been blessed by living authentically and intentionally. Danielle spends her days teaching college students and her nights writing. And ultimately, she lives her life like it’s golden.

Danielle Allen is the author of the Back to Life Series (Back to Life, Back to Reality, Back to December), Love Discovered in New York, Autumn & Summer, the Heartache Series (Heartache, Heartfelt, Heartless*), Work Song, The One Series Duet (The One, After The One), Nevermore, The Art of Being, Disasters in Dating Choose Your Dating Adventure Series (Disasters in Dating, Brink of Disaster: This One, Brink of Disaster: That One), and Broken Clocks.

*spinoff from series, featuring different characters, coming early 2018

www.authordanielleallen.com | Newsletter

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Lachelle Weaver – Sister Surrogate

Im so excited!!!! It’s here! The debut novel of my sister scribe Lachelle Weaver is here!

Lachelle’s worked very hard to get this done.  You know her from The Ex Chronicles but she is back with her own!

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Are you ready for the ride? I can’t wait to dig in! I’ll post my review and when I do, be sure to comment  one lucky reader will win a e-book version!

Stay tuned! And if you’re just too hungry to wait…go ahead and snag your your copy here!

 

Virtuous Deception 2 – Leiann B. Wrytes

You don’t want to miss Virtuous Deception 2!  Check it out!

 

Last month, Michelle tunneled into her family’s history, triggering a truth bomb that exploded into an inferno scorching everyone in its wake. When the smoke cleared, Michelle had lost her father to the grave and her mother to a truth so painful recovery seemed improbable. Teetering along the edge of hopelessness, her grasp on reality is rapidly thinning as her world collapses. When infidelity strikes her last safe place, the effects of the betrayal are brutal, pitting Michelle against everyone and everything she loves.

Sophie Lewis is in the midst of building a relationship with her estranged daughter, Brianna, when an old love returns, bringing a consortium of hurts along with him. Peter Baxter is intent on rekindling their flame but Sophie has good reason to be hesitant. His presence breathes life into parts of her she’d rather leave buried, further complicating her fragile situation. Will Sophie survive the revival of her past in her present, or will she be forced to disappear, again?

After narrowly escaping death at the hands of her ex-lover, Javan, Brianna views life in a completely different light. Struggling to recapture the peace she once enjoyed, Brianna seeks comfort in all the wrong places. Desperation permits the unthinkable as she finds herself on the wrong end of a love story. Will this love offer her salvation, or will it bring death back to her door? They each soon learn that even a lie is stitched with a pocket of truth as their lives continue to unravel and twist in ways they never imagined; cementing in their minds, above all else, that life isn’t a game you venture to play…unless you’re playing for keeps.

 

About the Author…

Leiann B Wrytes is an author, poet, and playwright. Leiann found a love for words early on as a spoken word poet and was inducted into the International Society of Poets at 15 years of age. She has served as an editor for several small publications, mentors aspiring writers, and manages a small custom poetry business. Leiann’s debut novel, Virtuous Deception, named one of the top 100 books of 2014 by Conversations Book Club, garnered her a nomination for AAMBC author of the year, AMB Ovation Award for Outstanding Debut Author In Urban Literature nomination, and glowing reviews. Leiann B. Wrytes currently resides in Dallas TX with her family, feverishly working on her next novel and preparing to take on her next role as Associate Producer for the fascinating documentary, Behind The Mask, which goes into production this summer.

Leiann is very active on social media. Reach her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook: @leiannbwrytes, via email leiannbwrytes@gmail.com, or through her website www.leiannbwrytes.com.

Sadeqa Johnson is back!

The award winning author of Love In a Carry On Bag is back!  Her sophomore novel, Second House from the Corner is out and is sure to make you keep coming back for more.

About the book…

Felicia Lyons, a ­­­­­­­ stressed out stay-at-home mom struggles to sprint ahead of the demands of motherhood while her husband spends long days at the office. Felicia taps, utters mantra, and breathes her way through most situations but on some days, like when the children won’t stop screaming her name or arguing over toy trucks and pretzel sticks, she wonders what it would be like to get in her car and drive away.

Then one evening the telephone rings, and in a split second the harried mother’s innocent fantasy becomes a hellish reality. The call pulls her back into a life she’d rather forget. Felicia hasn’t been completely honest about her upbringing, and her deception forces her return to the Philadelphia of her childhood, where she must confront the family demons and long buried secrets she thought she had left behind. 

From a phenomenal fresh voice in fiction, comes the compelling story of what happens when the dream falls apart. It’s the unforgettable tale of love, loss, rediscovery, and the growing pains of marriage.

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I can’t WAIT to dig in!  I had the pleasure of interviewing Sadeqa 2 years ago.  Feel free to check that out here.  Here’s more about her…

SADEQA JOHNSON is a former public relations manager who spent years working with well-known authors such as J.K. Rowling, Bebe Moore Campbell, Amy Tan and Bishop T.D. Jakes before becoming an author herself. Her debut novel, Love in a Carry-On Bag was hailed by Ebony.com as “this summer’s hottest read.” It was the recipient of the 2013 Phillis Wheatley award for Best Fiction and the 2012 USA Best Book award for African-American fiction .Originally from Philadelphia, Sadeqa Johnson currently resides in Virginia with her husband and three children.Second House from the Corner is her second novel.

Go on over and visit her at www.sadeqajohnson.net and get your copy of Second House from the Corner!

Nicole Hampton

MRIA:  Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed on Miss Read it All. 

NH:  Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be interviewed. I greatly appreciate your time.

MRIA:  Tell us a little bit about your writing journey.  What’s been your favorite part?

NH:  My desire to become an author developed in 2006.  Although, I loved being a social worker, I was not completely satisfied.  I wanted to touch the lives of others on a larger scale.  It was a long process getting from having a thought to actually writing a novel.  When I finally built up the nerve and become serious, I took writing courses and was surprised to find out that I knew quite a bit about the process.  I didn’t stop there, I have attended as many workshops as I possible could about writing and publishing and sought the advice of other authors and people in the writing and publishing business.  Doing those things was a great investment of my time and resources.  It took a couple of years to actually finish Glimmer in the Darkness, but I learned a lot during the process; the most important being how to become disciplined with my time.  

My favorite part about this particular journey was the end.  That is because it is my first novel and I consider it a huge accomplishment to have come this far.  In the future, I am sure other parts of the process will become my favorite. 

MRIA:  I love the part where you say you took writing courses!  True…many are gifted with the ability to write…but nothing’s wrong with learning more about your craft!  I love your work already! lol..

Give us some information on your latest work.

NH:  Glimmer in the Darkness, my debut novel, is the first in my Forgiveness series.  It is a women’s contemporary fiction novel that addresses the topics of infidelity, and learning how to forgive.  Readers share in the life of Shannon Johnson as she figures out whether or not she can love her husband, a man whom she once thought to be extraordinary in all facets of his being.  It nearly destroyed her when she found out that he was just ordinary in one particular area. 

MRIA:  What kinds of things do you like to read? 

NH:  I am a versatile reader.  If a book has a good story line, and character depth, I will read it.  However, I tend to read more mystery and suspense, as well as women’s contemporary novels.

MRIA:  Do you have a favorite book?  A favorite author?

NH:  When I was a little girl, I had two favorite books.  They were, The Box Car Children, by Gertrude Chandler Warner and Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing, by Judy Blume.  However, I absolutely love reading and as an adult enjoy the works of a considerable number of authors, so it is difficult for me to choose just one author as a favorite.  My top four are women’s contemporary author, Trice Hickman; mystery and suspense authors, James Patterson, Jan Burke and Kathy Reichs. 

MRIA:  Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing!!! YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!  That brings back memories! 

What was the last book you read?

NH:  The very last book I read was Glimmer in the Darkness.  I was completing the final proofread, as recommended by my editor.  Prior to that, I read, Seen it All, Done the Rest, by Pearl Cleage.   

MRIA:  Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

NH:  My advice for aspiring authors is to put God first in everything that you do.  Stay in prayer, and ask him to frame your every move.  Write with the idea of wanting to touch someone’s life.  Always remain determined and be willing to travel the distance.  Leave room for error and learn from your mistakes.  Take classes, attend workshops, seek and take advice from other professionals in the business.  Finally be willing to work hard for free.

MRIA:  What can we expect next from you?   

NH:  I am working on two books that will be a part of my Forgiveness series, and will focus on the lives of characters in Glimmer in the Darkness.   I will be writing a novella the will be dedicated to Jolene, a support character in Glimmer in the Darkness.  It will delve into why she is on a man strike.  I am also working on my second full length novel, which will focus on Vaneetra, a main character, and the emotional fall out of dealing with a health issue, as well as why she is so cold hearted.  There will definitely be a lot of drama.  Other Glimmer in the Darkness characters will resurface, as well as a few new characters.

MRIA:  Okay…okay…sounds like something I need to find out more about!  Excited….

How can fans get in touch with you?

NH:  Fans can contact me through my website: www.thenicolehampton.com.  You can track where I am and what I am thinking.  I can also be reached via my email nicolehampton02@yahoo.com. They can also follow and message me on my FaceBook page Nicole Hampton, and Twitter account: @nicolehampton01, Google+: thenicolehampton@gmail.com. 

MRIA:  There you have it!  Check out Nicole’s debut, Glimmer in the Darkness!

Been So Long by Adrienne Thompson

A woman, her married lover, an ex-boyfriend, and the ties that bind them together….

Mona-Lisa Dandridge left her past life behind her years ago and never looked back. But when unforeseen circumstances throw her into the path of a former lover, she is forced to not only face her past, but to relive it. An unlikely love triangle ensues leaving her questioning the decisions she once thought were sound. Will Mona-Lisa make a change or stay the course with her lover? *this is not your ordinary inspirational novel*

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Well…Mona-Lisa Dandridge…is the side chick of all side chicks!  Well…Okay…that’s a give away…so I won’t say too much about this.  You get to see the best and the worst of this world.  I’m not saying what I’d do in her situation…because you never know…but it is HER situation.  I quite enjoyed this book.  It was a very quick read for me.  Adrienne had a way of making me keep turning the pages.

The best part of this book is how Mona-Lisa (Mo) comes into her own.  This book is really her journey of self discovery.  Even though she is fully grown, it’s a coming of age story of sorts…she really has some growing to do here.  She has to deal with some demons from her past in order to move forward.  Help her fight through!  Cheer for her…Boo her!  DO IT ALL!  lol…Nothing about this story is ordinary.  You’ll definitely want to know what happens next.

The good thing about reading a book that’s part of a series late is that many times, all the rest of the books are already out.  I hate that I missed out on the anticipation of the new books though.  I’ve had this book for awhile, but for whatever reason, I just hadn’t read it.  There are two prequels to it…There’s If (Wasif’s Story) and Rapture.  Then, there’s a companion novel…called Little Sister…finally, there are parts 2 and 3 of Been So Long…so…I’ve got 5 more books to read!  I’m excited!

You two can get twisted up in this love triangle.  Read Been So Long!  Check out my interview with the author Adrienne Thompson!

A Virtuous Ruby (Migrations of the Heart Book 1) -Piper Huguley

An unexpected love in a small, Southern town.

Migrations of the Heart, Book 1

After fifteen months of hiding from the shame of bearing an illegitimate child, two words drive Ruby Bledsoe to face the good citizens of Winslow, Georgia. Never again. She vows to speak out against injustice. For her sisters. For her parents. For her infant son, Solomon.

When she comes to help an injured mill worker, she bristles when a tall, handsome man claiming to be a doctor brushes her aside. Despite his arrogance, Ruby senses he’s someone like her, whose light skin doesn’t quite hide who he is.

Up north, Dr. Adam Morson easily kept his mixed race a secret. Now that he’s in Georgia, summoned by his white father, he can feel restrictions closing in around him.

Something powerful draws him to the beauty whose activist spirit is as fiery as her name. And soon, Adam wants nothing more than to take Ruby and her child far from Georgia’s toxic prejudice. But Ruby must choose between seeking her own happiness and staying to fight for the soul of her hometown.

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Once upon a time I told people…”I don’t read romances”….then I wrote one…so…then I read them more…and I discovered….HISTORICAL ROMANCES!  Oh my goodness!  I love them!

So…let’s get to it.  Poor Ruby…she’s got it tough.  She just had a baby and she isn’t married…In this time period, she has to bare the shame and does so by basically never leaving home.  There’s more to her secret though.  There’s so much that is buried in her and in her family.  But she only wants what’s best for people like her and the people she loves.

In the time they live in, Ruby is considered a troublemaker.  She is participating in the early #blacklivesmatter movement.  Again, all she wants is equality!  Ruby is proud to say “I am somebody!” and doesn’t care who has a problem with it.  It’s not until someone close to her is hurt that she feels like maybe she should cool her jets.  But when she realizes that the cause is more important…she fights on.  This isn’t a period piece per se…it’s an awesome love story.  You watch these two people grow.  You see how they learn about the other.

I love how Dr. Morson comes into his own.  He, the mixed race son, of the most important white man in town…the town’s namesake….comes to town after being summoned by his white father….but get this…he wants him to be the doctor for THE COLOREDS…I remember reading that thinking…”this dude has some real balls…”…but considering the time frame…I get it…Anyway…Dr. Morson has to get his own identity together before he has a chance to look at ways to help others.  He has to help himself!   I absolutely love t his story.

Aside from it being an amazing story, here are 5 reasons why I love this book (one for each star I give it:

1.  It’s set in Georgia! (It’s my home!  DUH!)

2.  It’s set in the early 20th century.  (There’s such an innocence about that time…less distractions…they had different worries than us…but they were about survival…these days folks worry about “stuff”)

3.  Ruby and her sisters are jewels!  (Ruby, Garnet, Emerald, Cordelia and Margaret <Did you know it means Pearl?>)

4.  It’s part of a series!  This one came out on my sister’s birthday…the next one comes out on MY birthday (September 8)!

5.  It’s a romance…yup…I love love!

This is a great introduction to this author for me.  I can’t wait to read her other works!  Get ready to get in your feelings…Get your copy of A Virtuous Ruby today!

Never Breathe Again – Marissa Monteilh

Mahogany Cooper’s broken heart is literally killing her. She doesn’t believe she can survive the breakup of her marriage. She’s unable to work, eat, sleep, and breathe. Her husband of seven years, Julian Cooper, has left her for his friend named Golden Thomas. Mahogany is devastated and feels as though the best remedy would be for Julian to simply come back to her. She believes that’s the only way to stop the pain. But both her best friend and her sister insist that she must face the pain that’s causing her depression, and detox from the man whom she says she cannot live without. Will Mahogany survive losing her love, or will a broken heart be too much for her, and for him, to bear?

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You’ve been married…your husband walks in and says…”I’m leaving…” and the excuse he gives is that he is in love with someone else…What the deuce? Alright guy.  Alright…Alright…Marissa has laid down a doozy on us here.  We’re going through all these emotions with Mahogany as she goes through this with her crazy husband!  I call him crazy because I’own like him!  Just that!  To make matters worse, at some point, you kinda find yourself maybe on his side.  Do you want them to get back together or naw?

My favorite part of the book is the relationship advice that Mahogany gets.  It’s from Dr. Pat Allen.  When I say, I got some healing of my own from this…yeah…it’s good stuff.  You love who you love and you can’t help it…but if you want to be done…well…there are some tried and true ways that are given in the book.  You have to put a plan in motion.

What I love about this book is the end.  I won’t disclose that, but when you get there, you’ll understand why.  Marissa does a fabulous job putting us in this story.  I love Mahogany’s sister.  She is no nonsense and tells Mahogany about herself when the time is right.  Watch out for Mahogany’s mom too!  She has a zinger or two in there as well!

I give this one 5 stars.  Get your copy here!

Stand Your Ground – Victoria Christopher Murray

A black teenage boy is dead. A white man shot him. Was he standing his ground or was it murder?

Janice Johnson is living every black mother’s nightmare. Her seventeen-year-old son was murdered and the shooter has not been arrested. Can the D.A. and the police be trusted to investigate and do the right thing? Should Janice take advantage of the public outcry and join her husband alongside the angry protestors who are out for revenge?

Meredith Spencer is married to the man accused of the killing and she sees her husband and the situation with far more clarity than anyone realizes. What she knows could blow the case wide open, but what will that mean for her life and that of her son? Will she have the courage to come forward in time so that justice can be done?

#1 national bestselling and award-winning author Victoria Christopher Murray’s Stand Your Ground is a pulse-pounding meditation on race, motherhood, marriage, and vigilante justice that will have readers spellbound until its shocking end.

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Now…when I first saw the cover of the book…I thought, “Is that Victoria?”…but then I saw the title…and I knew I had to get this book!  I. Just. HAD. TO!  Now…I’m not much into politics, or current causes or things like that…because it simply pains me.  I’m an emotional person, and when I see all the stuff on the news about what I can call attacks on the black man…I’m just literally in pain.  So, I have to tune it out.  This doesn’t mean I don’t keep up, I just can’t watch.  From following her on Facebook, I know that Victoria is very much a news watcher just like my mom (they should totally meet)…and after reading this book, I can tell that she is hurting by these types of things too.

Now about the book…just like in her book Never Say Never, we know from the beginning that someone is dead.  It’s on the back cover.  She tells us.  SO WHY IN THE SAM HILL DOES IT HURT SO MUCH TO FIND OUT!? You become Janice as she receives the news of her son’s death.  You feel her disbelief when she is facing the officer.  As a mother, I was particularly hurt here, because it’s every mother’s fear when your child is away from home without you that something bad might happen.  But when you think your child is in his room…then someone comes with news of his death…you can’t believe that!  I felt her pain.  I put the book down for a week after I read that first chapter.  I couldn’t be that emotional.  I had to leave it alone.  Well, I finally picked it back up and could not put it down…(been having that problem a lot lately).

Janice and her husband only want justice for their son.  Their son’s killer is out simply using that stand your ground defense and no charges have been filed.  It sounds familiar right?  Yup.  It’s VERY familiar.  I was stunned through the whole book.  I’m glad Victoria changes the point of view though and lets us see things from the eyes of Meredith…the wife of the man accused of killing…oh my goodness…There’s a scene in here where they’re in a hotel…(because you know that man couldn’t stay in his home!)…and the discussion between him and a lawyer friend made me want to vomit.  I was so disgusted.

You just HAVE to read this book.  It’s absolutely awesome.  Stand Your Ground puts you right in the action.  It gives you all the details.  You will love and hate it…Love it because it’s a great book…hate it because of the emotional roller coaster…I almost threw the book across the room about the middle of the book…buuuut I was reading on my iPad…soooo…yeah…didn’t wanna crack it…lol.  But it’s an awesome read.  As is her style…there are a few twists and turns in there that take you for a loop….but it wouldn’t be a VCM novel without it.

Please get your copy here!  You need to read it.  Every person who has every been touched by the recent injustices needs to read this book.  Get it.  Tell a friend.  Tell another!

Five Stars…