Sample Sunday - DNA

If you haven't read DNA, here's a chance to sample what the story is about. 

Amoy chewed a bit of banana, feeling like a condemned prisoner consuming the last meal before execution. Try as she might, she couldn’t find a positive spin to put on this situation.

“You're taking the boys to your father?” Russ asked, without looking at her.

“Yeah, he's expecting them.”

“I'll take them,” he said.

His offer surprised her, but she said okay. She'd been looking forward to being out of the house and supposed Russ probably had the same motive. He was likely trying to get away from her.

“Will you be coming straight back?” she asked.

“Yes, I have some work to do.”

She stared at him, wondering if she'd heard right. How could he think of work when they had so much to discuss? Did he think the situation would change if he ignored it? His hurt would fester even worse if they didn't talk.

Amoy opened her mouth but realized she didn't know what to say to him. If last night was anything to go by, nothing she said would make an impression. Still, she had to try. She pitched her voice low and said, “We have to talk. Can we do that when you come back, since the boys will be out of the way for a while?”

“Whatever you want,” he said, getting to his feet.

She tipped her head back to look at him. “It’s not what I want, Russ, it's what needs to happen.”

“The only thing that needs to happen is you giving me room to breathe.”

She glanced toward the doorway as she responded. “There's no reason for you to treat me this way—”

He cocked one brow. “Really? You think you deserve anything from me after this?”

His words were like a blow to the chest and it took her a moment to catch her breath and regroup. “I understand—”

“You don't understand a damn thing, Amoy.” He pointed at her. “If I were you, I'd just let things be. Right now, I can't even stand the sight of you.”

Her throat closed and her eyes stung. The involuntary tears had been her default response since yesterday, but she was out of ideas. If Russ wouldn't allow her to explain anything, how would they resolve a problem with the power to destroy their marriage?

She could have continued pleading with him, but she chose not to aggravate him further.

Russ wasn't an unreasonable man. He would realize how much he was hurting her and adjust his attitude. Until then, she'd ride out the anger and distress that had him in their grip.

Read more ... bit.ly/DNAjlc

Sample Sunday - Dominic's Pride

The next book in the Virtues & Vices series is Dominic's Pride. Look out for it on March 21. You may pre-order at  https://bit.ly/DominicsPride

Nearby chatter interrupted Nick’s trip into the past. While sipping coffee, his eyes met those of the woman who told him a week ago that he got around. 

Seemed like she did too. 

She spoke into the phone, lifted her chin, then smiled. Something about her made him not only want to return the gesture but get closer. Frowning, Nick realized then that he hadn’t thought about being with anybody since he landed. As far as he knew, all his body parts still worked but he’d forgotten how much he enjoyed the chase.

Before he thought about what he was doing, Nick was halfway across the bistro to where the woman sat. He didn’t know her name, but that small detail wouldn’t stop him from reconnecting with her.

“May I?” he asked, pointing to the ladder-back chair.

“Sure.” 

He pulled it out and sat in the opposite seat. She was even more attractive up close. Her eyes were bright and shone with interest, a look he’d seen many times.

“I wasn’t wrong,” she said after sipping from a cup of orange juice.

“About what?” he asked.

She pushed away a saucer with a half-eaten rock cake. “The fact that you’d turn up again.”

He tipped his head to one side as he said, “You were thinking about me, huh?”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“Or what?” he said. “You’ll take me down a peg or two?”

“I don’t think anything I say will affect you.”

He studied her smooth skin, intense eyes and the braids pulled into a bun on top of her head.

She was right, but he wouldn’t tell her. People’s opinion didn’t bother him. His parents had instilled confidence and self-reliance in him. He just hadn’t bothered to stand on his own. Perhaps because he’d never needed to do so.

He didn’t want to come off as arrogant, so he shrugged. “Your opinion can’t affect me one way or the other since we don’t know each other.” He watched her over the next sip of coffee then said, “What’s your name?”

“What’s yours, pretty boy?”

“I beg your pardon?”

She hid a smile, then said, “You heard me just fine.”

Despite his habit of not letting things bother him, something about her words touched a nerve. His nostril’s flared, but he said, “My name is Dominic.”

“I’m Ashley.” Her smile turned into a grin as she added, “I see there are things that can and do hit a nerve.”

“You don’t know me, so some respect is very much in order.”

She raised one brow. “You’re the one who slid over here, trying to pick me up.”

“That’s not what I was doing.”

Now both her eyebrows levitated. “No?”

“Definitely not.”

She assumed a serious expression, but the light in her eyes betrayed her. “Okay, so why are you here?”

Nick ignored her amused tone. “It would have been rude of me to ignore you once we recognized each other.”

“Right.”

Despite his intention to keep a straight face, he chuckled. “So, how are things going between you and Antonio in terms of repairing your vehicle?”

“The car isn’t mine.” She stared over his shoulder and sat straight. “It belongs to my … ”

He waited, but she didn’t say anything more and her stubborn expression told him he’d be waiting a long time.

“Your friend almost got me in a world of trouble. For a couple days, he wouldn’t answer his phone.” She huffed. “Nearly made me have to set the police on his tail.”

Nick stifled laugher because Ashley didn’t crack a smile. He could imagine the hell she’d given Antonio when she caught up with him.

“I hear a little bit of something foreign in your accent,” he said. “D’you live here or abroad?

“Why d’you want to know?”

He swallowed more coffee and made her wait. “I’m just making conversation.”

“Liar.”

He stared hard at her. “What?”

A slow smile greeted him. “You’re asking because you’re interested in me. Not because you don’t have anything to say.”

He considered that, then said, “Busted.”

They laughed together before she answered his question. “Actually, I’ve been living in Orlando since I was a teenager.”

“So, what are you doing here, if you don’t mind me asking?”

She hesitated, then said, “I’m visiting family. Sort of.”

Her response hinted at a complicated situation, so he changed the subject. “How long will you be on the island?”

“Maybe another week or two. You?”

“Same as you,” he said. But the truth was, he didn’t have much to return to, other than debt and stress. Yet, he didn’t see himself staying in Jamaica under Marlon’s thumb. 

“How about going out with me on Friday evening?”

Ashley’s wide eyes reflected his surprise.

Nick’s mouth was moving faster than his mind, but he was grateful when she said, “I don’t see why not.”

King of Evanston

December 3 marked the start of another literary journey for me. The King of Evanston went live. The reviews have been positive so far and the book was also selected for a feature by Apple books! So about the King of Evanston ...

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Blurb

Shaz Bostwick’s personal views and business ethics collide when Camilla Gibson walks into his office, seeking his help. The treatment her daughter needs is available in Chicago, but Camilla is almost out of time and has several issues working against her. 

Raised as an immigrant, Shaz knows the heartache of family separation firsthand. In a race against the clock and the authorities, he calls in favors but receives a disturbing offer. Let baby Ayanna slip through the cracks in exchange for a handsome reward. Fed up with politicians and businessmen with too much money and too little scruples, Shaz and his fellow Kings of the Castle band together to stem the flow of illegal adoptions, while they solve the mystery of who wants their mentor dead.

Camilla Gibson has traveled the world in her capacity as an adventurer, sometime model, and blogging celebrity. In her eyes, the charming, but tough lawyer is her last resort before deportation. Shaz is smart and tenacious, with renowned negotiating skills and a reputation for making a way when there seems to be none. If she can get past the biggest crisis in her life, then maybe the spark of attraction that sizzles between them will develop into something magical.

bit.ly/KingofEvanstonAMZ
bit.ly/KingofEvanstonAppleBooks
bit.ly/KingofEvanstonBN
bit.ly/KingofEvanstonKobo

ABOUT THE KINGS OF THE CASTLE SERIES
Each King book is a standalone, NO cliffhangers

USA Today, New York Times, and National Bestselling Authors work together to provide you with a world you'll never want to leave. The Castle.

Fate made them brothers, but protecting the Castle, each other, and the women they love, will make them Kings. Their combined efforts to find the current Castle members responsible for the attempt on their mentor’s life, is the beginning of dangerous challenges that will alter the path of their lives forever.

These powerful men, unexpectedly brought together by their pasts and current circumstances, will become a force to be reckoned with.

Book 1–Kings of the Castle (the introduction to the series)
Book 2–King of Chatham
Book 3–King of Evanston
Book 4–King of Devon
Book 5–King of Morgan Park
Book 6–King of South Shore
Book 7–King of Lincoln Park
Book 8-King of Hyde Park
Book 9– King of Lawndale

The Heart of Things

SUNDAY SAMPLE

“I want us to have a baby.”

The sun’s rays slanted across the polished, hardwood flooring in the living area of the suite, heralding the new morning. We’d been up for an hour and ordered room service for breakfast because I needed the privacy of our room for this discussion.

The forkful of fish in Doug’s hand stopped halfway to his mouth, before he rested it on the plate. He squinted and then asked, “What did you say?”

My back stiffened as I answered, keeping a neutral tone. “You heard me.”

Doug looked at the plate as if he wasn’t sure he wanted the rest of the bammies and escoveitched fish, but the golden-brown cassava and the batter-fried fish—heaped with onion and pepper, steeped in vinegar—was a favorite of his. He picked up the cup of coffee next to his hand, sipped, and put it back on the saucer. Then he cleared his throat, but the puzzlement in his gaze was obvious.

This was the first time I’d ever seen him thrown way off balance. I was almost sorry for him.

“That was the last thing I expected you to say.” He waited a beat before asking, “Why?”

With one eyebrow raised, I said, “Why not?”

He sighed, rested his arms on the table, and frowned. “My kids are almost grown and…”

My raised eyebrow reduced his words to a trickle. Monique and Kimone—nineteen and seventeen—were as unalike as chalk and cheese. I didn’t doubt that marrying Doug would mean interesting times ahead.

Folding my arms, I cocked my head. “So the girls are adults. Your point is?”

He spread his hands while his frown deepened. “That’s just it. What am I going to do with a baby?”

I let my hands fall to the table and pulled my head back while the
bottom fell out of my stomach and my appetite disappeared. “I beg your pardon?”

With another heavy sigh, Doug continued, “All I’m saying is that I’m forty-six years old and…”

My patience ran out and I snapped, “I know how old you are.”

He stared into the cup, while I studied the ring on my finger. I still wasn’t ready to give up my new-found independence after my divorce, but I also knew Doug was serious about wanting to marry me. I hadn’t refused the ring he put on my finger last night and in both our minds that spelled acceptance.

I loved Doug, but we couldn’t have a relationship without give and take.

“Kally.” I looked into his troubled eyes as he spoke. “Have you thought about all the implications?”

My lips twisted and I reminded myself that I needed to be conciliatory rather than combative. “Of course.”

He laid a hand on his chest, which lifted in a deep inhale. “You never said anything.”

My voice turned sharp when I said, “I don’t tell you everything.”

“Yeah, but something this big…” He gazed through the plate glass at the street below, where traffic was already bumper to bumper. With one hand, he rubbed the stubble on his jaw.

Meanwhile, his behavior made me want to wring his neck. Instead, I tried reasoning with him. “Last night you said I could have anything I wanted if I married you. This is what I’m asking.”
Doug’s eyes narrowed as he stroked his moustache. “Khalila, that’s…”

I raised both brows. “Is ‘bribery’ the word you’re looking for?”

“Yes.” He rested both hands on either side of his plate and let out his breath in a gust.


“Call it what you will.” I dragged my fork over the fish on my plate, before adding, “That’s what I want.”

Buy Link - https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Things-Medias-Res-Book-ebook/dp/B07PF2VW8D/