Virtual Book Tour Dates: 1/6/14 – 1/20/14
Genre: Christian Fiction
ASIN: B00GLF5BW0 ISBN: 978-0989969109
Publisher: Thy Word Publishing (November 10, 2013)
Goodreads
Blurb: Four Friends, One Secret and The Weekend That Changed Their Destiny Candace Walker, Kaylan Smith, Jordan Tate, and Tiffany Thomas have their share of sorrows, but neither of them realizes how deep the sorrow goes. What happens when they agree to meet for a weekend of relaxation in beautiful Napa County? Which one will leave the same or worse? For Candace Walker, life has left her battered and bruised. Kaylan Smith has struggled with prejudice from her in-laws. After fifteen years of marriage, bitterness is trying to raise its ugly head for Jordan Tate, whose husband wants to call it quits. And for Tiffany Thomas, dealing with rejection has never been one of her greatest feats. Although they have been friends for years, they thought they knew each other well. But will a secret destroy their relationship and bring the sisterhood to a complete halt? Will they be able to forgive and allow God to mend that which might be torn?
Excerpt: “Who cares anyway if I die? I hate my life; I curse the day I was born,” said Candace as she rolled out of her twin bed to face yet another day of sheer disappointments. Her feet landed on the beige, shaggy, dirty carpet that had seen better days. As she sat on the edge of her bed, she looked around the small apartment as though she was expecting to see something different, but nothing had changed. “Lord, can I get a break? Can something good happen in my life?” she cried as her head collapsed in her hands. She knew within herself that today would be like all the rest: gloomy, sad, and most of all, lonely. After all she had experienced in life, how could she think today would be any different? Candace lived in a small studio apartment off of School Street in the city of Pittsburg, California, a city surrounded by the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area. Her apartment had enough room for only one dresser and a nightstand, which she got at the neighborhood Goodwill store. The walls of her apartment were dirty from years of cigarette smoke that didn't escape out of the window. Her kitchen table was made of plywood, which she covered with a red tablecloth. The table was encompassed by two chairs, one for her and the other one she had hoped would be occupied by someone who genuinely wanted to be with her. The blue and cream décor in her kitchen came from visiting the neighborhood garage sales. Her neighbors knew her so well because of the frequent visits she made to their sales. Although Candace always had a roof over her head, she did not like the environment in which she lived. After looking intently at her dwelling place, she lay back on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Her thoughts shifted from her disappointing apartment to her anger about the issues she had to deal with, problems that had been with her for years, issues with her family. Since high school, life was hard for Candace. Almost every decision she made never returned a good dividend. The men in her life came and went, except for Derrick. He stayed the longest, but his bout with kidney failure ended whatever dreams she had of getting out of what she called the “ghetto.” Derrick was her sure ticket to a better life, she’d hoped. The only consolation to his memory was the pictures on the stained walls and a locket she wore around her neck. Candace grew up with both parents and two siblings. Her sister, Monique, was three years younger than her; her brother, Zach, was two years younger. Candace always felt that she got the worse end of the stick when it came to Monique. Monique was light-skinned with long, black, wavy hair, which belonged to her, by the way. Candace’s skin tone was a few shades darker than Monique’s. She was short in stature, five feet, three inches tall, to be exact. She wore her hair down and straight, although it mostly contained black hair extensions, which she bought from the neighborhood beauty supply store. Monique was the image of her mother, minus a few inches of hair. She stood five feet, eleven inches with a small frame; she could have been chosen as America’s Next Top Model. But Monique decided to study law, passing the bar on her first attempt; she then started her own practice and moved it to Los Angeles. Monique and her parents could not figure out why Candace didn't make more of herself. To them, Candace was merely existing and taking up space. They wrote Candace off years ago.
Guest Post:
No, I’m Not A Speaker
No, I’m
not a speaker. I've heard that before! But the truth of the matter is, once you
become an author…. People assume you can speak. People will categorize you as
an expert in your field; therefore, speaking about what you have written will
be something you can market.
Speaking
engagements are highly effective at building an author’s reputation, getting
people talking about your book (i.e., word-of-mouth), and selling more copies.
Fortunately, there are many organizations that need – some desperately –
speakers for their meetings. Such events create a great opportunity for authors
to promote themselves and their books. However, a blatant sales pitch is often
discouraged because the organization wants you to provide useful information to
their members rather than be a live commercial.
The
best way to get started with speaking engagements is to begin small and in your
home town area. As you get more comfortable you can begin talking to larger
audiences that are farther away from your home. You may even begin earning
speaking fees after you’ve established a good reputation.
Before
contacting any of the sources identified below:
- Have a discussion topic in
mind.
- Write down reasons why the
topic you are proposing to discuss would be relevant to the organization
or group.
- Remain flexible so you can
adapt to meet the needs of the organization or group.
Here
are five sources for your next speaking engagement:
- Libraries may be interested in
authors talking about their book specifically or the topic addressed in
the book.
- Chambers of Commerce brings in speakers to
discuss topics that meet the needs of, or are of interest to, the local
business community. Contact the events coordinator or president to discuss
how you can meet the needs of the local business community.
- Rotary Clubs welcome speakers who can
meet the needs of their volunteer-oriented members. Contact the events
coordinator or president to discuss your topic.
- Churches often have outside speakers
discuss topics of interest to their congregation and/or community. Contact
your local churches to determine if there is a good fit.
- Look under “Community Centers” or “Recreation Centers” in your local
phone book.
Buy Links:
Paulette Harper is an award-winning and best-selling author. She is the owner of Write Now Literary Virtual Book Tours and is passionate about helping authors succeed in publishing and marketing their books. Paulette has been writing and publishing books since 2008. Paulette is the author of That Was Then, This is Now, Completely Whole and The Sanctuary. Her articles have appeared on-line and in print.
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