JOSEPHINE BAKER’S LAST DANCE by Sherry Jones. Josephine Baker was a force of nature.

Write Now Literary is pleased to be organizing a book tour for

Josephine Baker’s Last Dance by Sherry Jones. The tour will run February 25-March 1, 2019. Book your own tour 
here. 

Read the first chapter

ISBN-10: 1501102443

ISBN-13: 978-1501102448

Genre: Historical

About Sherry Jones

Author and journalist Sherry Jones is best known for her international bestseller The Jewel of Medina. She is also the author of The Sword of Medina, Four Sisters, All Queens, The Sharp Hook of Love, and the novella White Heart.  Sherry lives in Spokane, WA, where, like Josephine Baker, she enjoys dancing, singing, eating, advocating for equality, and drinking champagne.   

 About the Book

From the author of The Jewel of Medina, a moving and insightful novel based on the life of legendary performer and activist Josephine Baker, perfect for fans of The Paris Wife and Hidden Figures.

Discover the fascinating and singular life story of Josephine Baker—actress, singer, dancer, Civil Rights activist, member of the French Resistance during WWII, and a woman dedicated to erasing prejudice and creating a more equitable world—in Josephine Baker’s Last Dance.

In this illuminating biographical novel, Sherry Jones brings to life Josephine's early years in servitude and poverty in America, her rise to fame as a showgirl in her famous banana skirt, her activism against discrimination, and her many loves and losses. From 1920s Paris to 1960s Washington, to her final, triumphant performance, one of the most extraordinary lives of the twentieth century comes to stunning life on the page.

With intimate prose and comprehensive research, Sherry Jones brings this remarkable and compelling public figure into focus for the first time in a joyous celebration of a life lived in technicolor, a powerful woman who continues to inspire today.

Guest post: Why did you write your book?

Working as a journalist for 30-plus years, I made little money--but I gained something more valuable: a conviction that I was making a difference in my community and in the wider world.

During my decades as a newspaper reporter and then as a correspondent for a national news agency, I discovered the power of the written word to tear down, uplift, and transform.

So it makes perfect sense that, when I turned to fiction, I would write books about women who made their mark on the world.

From the Prophet Muhammad’s favorite wife to four sisters who became European queens in the 13^th century, my protagonists are movers and shakers. Josephine Baker may be the most important of them all because of all she did for her “people” -- the African-American community.

Born in 1906 and raised in the St. Louis slums, she knew racism first-hand, abused by the white woman in whose home she worked at age 7; traumatized by the East St. Louis Race Riots in 1917, when white workers and their families set fire to black families’ homes and shot and lynched those who tried to escape; confronted by men in white hoods and “whites only” signs in the American South as a girl of 13 touring on the black vaudeville circuit, and much more.

In Paris at age 19, she discovered a different world, one in which black people and white ate together, sat in theaters and on streetcars and buses together, danced onstage together, and even married one another. She must have thought she’d died and gone to heaven.

But hatred wasn’t so easy to escape. It followed her: to Paris, where white Americans confronted her and even had her removed from the hotel where she was lodging; to Germany, where Hitler’s Brownshirts threatened her; and all around the world, as she performed her famous “banana dance” in spite of protesters’ calling her a “black demon”—and worse.

By the time the Nazis invaded Paris in 1940, Josephine Baker was already working as a spy for the nascent Resistance movement, seducing generals and diplomats to confide in her, then carrying the information across borders.

Empowered by these experiences, she embarked on her third U.S. tour in 1951 with another goal in mind: to put an end to racial segregation. She publicly declared that she would perform in no nightclubs or theaters and patronize no businesses that segregated their clientele.

As a result, many venues allowed black people through their doors for the first time—and Ms. Baker became the target of an FBI investigation into her alleged ties with the Communist Party. Her outspokenness resulted in many cancelled gigs and the loss of a movie deal, and ultimately the loss of her castle in southern France.

She never gave up or expressed any regrets about her activism, though. Indeed, she persisted. In 1963, she was invited to Washington, D.C., to speak at the March on Washington with Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.—the only woman to speak.

I wrote JOSEPHINE BAKER’S LAST DANCE to remind the world that the woman in the banana skirt was so much more than that. Josephine Baker was a force of nature and a force for change and gave everything she had in an effort to make a difference for African-Americans.

By telling her story as well as the stories of all my fictional heroines, I hope to make a difference, too. This is why I exist, and why I write.

  

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Book blast tour for My Last Baggage Call Aboard Air Force One by Glenn W. Powell.

Write Now Literary Book Tours is pleased to be organizing a book blast tour for My Last Baggage Call Aboard Air Force One by Glenn W. Powell. This tour will run Feb 22, 2019. Click here to book your own tour. 

Genre of Book: Memoir, Motivational, Military Life and History

ISBN-10: 1986878406

ISBN-13: 978-1986878401

               

           Meet Glenn 

Sergeant First Class Glenn W. Powell (Retired) is a native of Toledo, Ohio. He enlisted into the United States Army in 1982 and retired in 2002. During his military career, he served as a heavy vehicle driver, a squad leader, and non-commissioned officer.

In September 1991, SFC Powell joined the George HW Bush White House as a chauffeur, and in 1992, was promoted to transportation coordinator for the white house Press Corps, serving in the Clinton Administration.

In December 1995, he assumed the duties of transportation supervisor for Air Force One.

In January 2001, during his service under President George W. Bush, SFC Powell was transferred to the White House Military Office, Customer Support and Organizational Development where he served as deputy director.

SFC Powell retired with distinction from the Military in 2002. He received numerous awards and decorations throughout his service, including the Legion of Merit Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, and the United States Army Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters. He received U.S. Service Ribbons for both domestic and overseas service.

Glenn and Ronda Holloway Powell have been married for 25 years, and have three sons, Darius, Warren, and Glenn, II. They reside in Virginia. For more information, or to contact Glenn Powell regarding availability for speaking opportunities, please email him at glennwpowell@aol.com.

              About The Book

Sergeant Glenn W. Powell’s MY LAST BAGGAGE CALL is the story of a most unlikely young man who leaves his working-class environment of Toledo, Ohio, to become a soldier. Seeking excitement and a way to “make something of himself,” Glenn Powell’s journey exceeds his wildest dreams—a journey that began in basic training in Fort Hood, Texas ends at 1600 Pennsylvania avenue—the most important address in the world. MY LAST BAGGAGE CALL is about so much more than Glenn Powell’s military journey, but about poignant memories of family, friendships, sacrifices, and love—central to his story is Ronda Holloway, the beautiful young woman he falls in love with in Manheim, Germany, and, who joins him on his life journey as wife, soulmate and mother to their two sons. MY LAST BAGGAGE CALL offers readers a glimpse into Sergeant Glenn Powell’s 30-year transformation from the much-beloved boy who seeks more in life…to the man, who discovers it—in adventure, in friendships, and in service to three American presidents. a service he delivered with pride, unquestioned loyalty, distinction and in the end, great admiration.

Excerpt

A Soldier’s Story 

Shortly after I turned 18, I enlisted in the army. Around that time, I learned that the young woman I’d been dating was pregnant, so going into the army would be an opportunity to provide for my child. The army sent me to Fort Dix in New Jersey for boot camp training on April 22, 1982. It was the perfect enlistment site for me.

Because of the popular television show, Dallas, I had in mind that I wanted to go to Fort Hood, Texas and meet JR Ewing. Not only did I meet Larry Hagman, the actor who played JR, but I also met the entire cast at one of the big Dallas malls. That was in the 80s when the networks spent money to have cast members show up to greet their fans, and when fans could easily get a photo with the stars. Meeting JR had been on my mental bucket list. Later I learned that “Klinger” from Mash and Danny Thomas were both from Toledo, and so I added them to the list.

In 1983, I re-enlisted and chose Hawaii as my next army stint. There for 18 months, I’m convinced that the Hawaii move helped me look long and hard at myself and my future. In Hawaii, I decided I needed to better myself. I enrolled at the Wahiawa Community School for Adults and got my high school diploma. My mother was so disappointed when I didn’t graduate from high school, so I did it as much for her as for myself.

My long transportation management career began in Wahiawa. I was one of a large number of applicants who applied for a temporary mission of driving for the Sergeant Major for the division. He was the senior enlisted man at the post. I beat out the other candidates for that position. Later, I drove for the one-star general at the post. After that, I returned to my unit and worked as the battalion mail clerk until he left in 1985. While there, I met friends and mentors who would help me decide on my career journey. That same year, I was asked to re-enlist, and First Sergeant Herbert Harris became a lifelong mentor and friend. Sergeant Harris recommended that I choose Fort Eustis in Newport News, Virginia for my re-enlistment. I remained at Fort Eustis from April 1985 until January 1988.

I became a squad leader, and for the next six months, I managed a squad of truck drivers in and around the base. After that, I was set on transportation becoming my speciality, but my career trajectory changed some when I was appointed to head up NCO Training, where I was responsible for the training of 270 soldiers.

Around this time, I met First Sergeant Fletcher Walker. He was sent in to straighten out our company, and he did just that. He would stand up at the top of the stairs with his hat covering his eyes but looking down at us. Sergeant Walker was a ‘soldier among soldiers,’ an airborne paratrooper, a Vietnam Veteran who had been shot three times. There was no one more surprised when he chose me to run the training.

I knew he had high expectations, and I was determined not to disappoint him. He was the kind of leaders for whom soldiers would fight and die. He was a true hero who taught me how to be a soldier and a man. He shared a lot about life with me. I imitated him in many ways so much that everyone would call me “Baby Walker.” I met his family and it was an honor. He retired as a Command Sergeant Major.

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Tour hosted by Write Now Literary Book Tours

New Book release The Dogon Initiative by Lance & James Morcan

Release date on Amazon: Feb. 11 NZT (today).

Amazon link: 

Goodreads link:

Synopsis: 

US Intelligence recruits a team of foreign mercenaries. They are considered ‘deniable assets’ and go by the unlikely but somewhat prophetic name the Deniables. Their first mission is to repatriate one Moussa Diarra, an African exile, from New York back to his Dogon homeland in Mali, West Africa. The inspirational Moussa’s lifelong ambition is to save his Dogon people from extinction. Unfortunately, there are militant ethnic factions in Mali intent on preventing his return and exterminating his people. His fate is in the hands of the Deniables who, between them, have hard-earned skills honed in some of the world’s bloodiest conflicts. They need to call on all those skills if they are to complete the mission.

The novel highlights some of the many interesting myths and prophecies surrounding the fascinating Dogon people of Mali. In particular their unexplained knowledge of the invisible Sirius B white dwarf star, the rings of Saturn and other heavenly bodies, and their rumored links to the ancient Egyptians and the pyramids of Egypt.

The first six chapters of the novel can be viewed free of charge by clicking on the book’s cover image on its Amazon (Kindle) page.

Authors and Amazon author bio links:

Lance Morcan -

James Morcan - 

REVIEW TO FOLLOW SOON.

Book review: Read to Succeed by Stan Skrabut

5 Star review

I received the ARC Mobi from the author for an honest review.

What a remarkable book...filled with so many golden nuggets that you can not help but be inspired to read. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the part about the American Presidents and their reading habits, it inspired me, even more, to continue with my own reading habit. 

An avid reader myself this is the cherry on the cake book to endorse many readers to action. It inspires, guides and motivates you to be a better person - just because of reading. The author points out how all walks of life can benefit from reading and the many advances you have when you take time to read. Your skill is improved in every part of your personal and professional life. A "cheap" way to be equipped for your road ahead. 

This is not a book I will ever put away, it will stay on my Kindle in the first slot to continually refer to in my own life as a broadcaster where I speak to single women and as a blogger and motivational writer. As well as in my fiction writing it would be a brilliant referral book. 

The writing is superbly done and written in an everyday writing style so that the person in the street can understand. 

A must-have for every bookshelf. 

Currently free on Amazon

Announcing a new Book release Layla by DL Gardner

FB https://www.facebook.com/DianneLynnGardner/

Twitter @DianneGardner

Guestpost

I was asked to introduce my new novel (Layla: Born at Night.) and how it came about. Always

Pic downloaded from Pinterest. 

there’s a story behind the story, and so too there is with this sequel to my YA adventure fantasy novels Ian’s Realm. The first 3 books have their own history that we won’t get into here except to say that we filmed a Proof of Concept Trailer in anticipation of a TV or web series. We’ll know more about that later.

The series has 5 books without counting Layla: Born at night. Books 1 – 3 are considered the Trilogy. Layla is book 3.1.

That in itself should raise some eyebrows but I’ll explain. Book 4 happens 8 years after the end of book 3. My fans were pretty much asking for more of Ian and Abbi and a continuation of their story.

I liked the idea of going back and filling in the gap. In all 12 of my published novels, Ian is one of my dearest characters. He begins the series as a 15-year-old boy missing his deceased mother and struggling to cope with life being an only child raised by a dad who is grieving. His father means well, is a hero in Ian’s eyes, but lacks the compassion that makes for a nurturing father. The two adventure through a portal that they created with a game engine and enter a world they later call The Realm. The trilogy is a coming of age for Ian and ends with him nearing adulthood. His girlfriend Abbi is a childhood friend and at the end of the trilogy they are just beginning to see each other in a romantic light.

Layla: Born at Night addresses a new challenge for Ian, one he’s never faced before. Abbi ends up returning to the Realm accidentally with Elisa, whom you see in book 2. Ian goes in to find them and, on his journey, he is lured into a web of forbidden romance, treachery, deceit and peril. He becomes a prisoner of his own making and endangers not only himself, but all of the world he holds so dear.

Part of growing up happens when we’ve reach adult hood and must learn to bridle our own desires for the sake of others. This is a tough one for Ian. It’s hard on him and I’m not going to tell you the ending, but I will say that book 3.2 and perhaps a couple more must now be written.

Also feel free to stop by my website to learn about my other books. There are some free short stories about the Realm also. http://gardnersart.com

And to learn more about our Ian’s Realm film project, and even donate to get access to the short film you can visit here. http://iansrealm.com

Synopsis: 

When Ian returns to the Realm in search of Abbi and Elisa he not only encounters the fiery dragon but falls prey to a lovely temptress and a wicked queen.

When Elisa's friend becomes a victim of a drive-by shooting, Abbi and Elisa seek a magical cure in Ian's shield but are accidentally transported into the Realm with no way back. Ian suspects their whereabouts and opens the long-ago-sealed portal to find them. His entry compromises the integrity of the seal of the portal which prevents the dragon from returning to the Realm. In his search for the girls, Ian falls into a trap set by a wicked queen whose goal is to capture Stenhjaert and use the dragon as a weapon in her war.  

US book link: 

UK book link: 

Feb 9 is the party from 3 to 5

Bio:

With a passion for a good wholesome story, Gardner dives into the adult and young adult fantasy genres. She is both the best selling author and an award-winning illustrator who lives in the Pacific Northwest, USA. Dabbling in screenwriting, she's won screenings and a trophy for some of her film projects and is in the process of production of a film adapted from her stories Ian's Realm.

She loves a tale that ignites imaginations, strengthens friendships, spurs courage and applauds honor. Though she targets her novels for young adults, her books are enjoyed by all ages. She believes a book should be good enough to pass down from one generation to the next.

D.L. Gardner is a columnist for the science fiction and fantasy publication Amazing Stories Magazine

http://amazingstoriesmag.com/2017/10/...

My name is Finn Jupiter by Gareth Crocker has been released!

 

Title: My name is Finn Jupiter
Genre: Young Adult Adventure
Author: Gareth Crocker
Release: 5th February 2019
Publisher: Fire Quill Publishing

Finn Jupiter lives in the idyllic mountain town of Victory, Colorado. She’s a smart, daring, and fiercely independent young woman. She also has a gift for seeing the small things that others can’t. Connecting lines that, for most, don’t exist. While happy to live out a quiet life, hiking and climbing in The Rockies, fate has other plans for Finn. Victory is about to become ground zero for one of the most shocking disasters in U.S. history. And when her father goes missing, a victim of the catastrophe, Finn is forced to make an extraordinary decision. A decision that will question everything she knows about herself. And about what she is truly capable of. 

About the author

Gareth Crocker’s debut novel, Finding Jack, was published in New York to international acclaim. It was translated into several languages and featured in eight volumes of Reader’s Digest Select Editions. It went on to sell more than a million copies in its various formats. On the back of Finding Jack’s success, Penguin Books signed Gareth to a three-book deal. Journey from Darkness was published in 2012 followed by Never Let Go in 2013. Gareth’s latest novel, King, has just been published. Writing is done at night, in a dark room, next to a small window.

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GIVEAWAY 

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Write Now Literary is pleased to be organizing a virtual book tour for Women Who Soar: Stories of Hope, Anthology.

Write Now Literary is pleased to be organizing a virtual book tour for Women Who Soar: Stories of Hope, Anthology. 
The tour will run Feb 4-15, 2019. 

About The Book

Women Who Soaris a book collaboration project of women who stepped out on faith, launched their own businesses and released their dreams and purposes into the world. 

These powerful women have dispelled lies, overcome difficult challenges, refused to take no for an answer and are now soaring and creating the life they deserve. 

Their stories are moving, revealing, encouraging and empowering. They have resolved to use their testimony to pave the way for other women to soar into their destiny.

Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/2ArZqEj

Paperback:  https://amzn.to/2Ru8m5R

                                                            

Genre: Non-Fiction, Inspiration

CHAPTER TITLE: SOARING THROUGH ADVERSITIES

Paulette Harper is an award-winning best-selling author of both fiction and nonfiction books. She is a sought-after speaker, pastor, coach and marketing specialist. Her mission, as a speaker, is to help women find hope through transformation, restoration and reclaiming their lives through workshops, conferences and seminars. 

As a book coach, she helps authors and aspiring authors to grow their book business by providing marketing strategies, tools, resources, and opportunities to help them succeed in the literary world.

Her literary works have been spotlighted in a growing number of publications, including CBN, Real Life Real Faith Magazine, The Sacramento Observer and Black Pearls Magazine. She has also appeared on numerous local and online radio shows. Paulette is also the owner of Write Now Literary Book Tours, an online service to help promote authors. 

Website: www.pauletteharper.com

CHAPTER TITLE: SOARING INTO PURPOSE

Dr. Elaine Gattis is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area. She is an educator, author, speaker, and ordained minister of the Gospel who holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University, East Bay, a master of divinity degree from the Emory University Candler School of Theology, and a doctor of ministry degree from the Morehouse School of Religion at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. 

She is an Associate Professor at Ohio Christian University’s Morrow, Georgia campus, and serves as the Executive Pastor of Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Stockbridge, Georgia, where her husband, the Reverend Dr. Terrance Gattis serves as the Senior Pastor.  Together, they have four adult children, Terrell, Tiana, Armoriana, and Nandi.

  

Website:www.elainegattis.com

CHAPTER TITLE: TEARS FOR MY SISTER

Marcy Thomas is an avid reader and book reviewer of Christian fiction. She has worked professionally as a certified medical coder for eighteen years. In 2008, Marcy was certified as a domestic violence advocate through The Domestic Abuse Project in Delaware County, Pennsylvania after the murder of her sister Christine. As an advocate, she’s had opportunities to speak about domestic violence at churches, health fairs, schools, and youth groups. 

In 2011, she was appointed Vice-President of The Project Butterfly in Chester, PA for two years. The Project Butterfly was an organization geared toward teaching teen girls to understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships. Marcy’s passion helping teen girls and women understand they should have self-love first and realize they are fearfully and wonderfully made. Marcy resides in Covington, Ga with her husband, Alvin, of thirty-three years. She has three adult daughters, two nephews she raised and two gifted grandchildren. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marcy.thomas.9

CHAPTER TITLE: FLYING ABOVE THE STORM

Shurvone Wright, an entrepreneur, owns a small business practice specializing in retirement planning. Using insurance as a foundational component, she helps client families prepare for the future by protecting and preserving what is important to them to leave a legacy and not bills. Her efforts and business acumen have earned recognition with several awards all in one year. 

A previous thirty-year healthcare career in nursing provided her with an avenue to launch a lifelong commitment of helping others. Shurvone served patients in specialized areas: medical/surgical units, mental health, home health nursing, outpatient clinics. Her last fifteen years were served in managed care as a Pre-Certification Utilization Management Nurse.

Married for twenty-five years to Roger Wright, they have four daughters and three grandchildren. Shurvone Wright and her family reside in Brentwood, California.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thrivechangedme

CHAPTER TITLE: A CROWN OF BEAUTY

Meiah Shaun is an author, playwright and prophetic scribe. She writes faith-based messages linking her personal life experiences with spiritual life lessons.  Her novel, Burnt Orange, is an inspirational coming-of-age novel based on real-life events from her life. Other works include her stage plays, My First Love &A Rich Woman’s Party, published and licensed by HCP Book Publishing. 

Meiah is a graduate of LeTourneau University and Touch of God Healing and Deliverance School of Ministry. She studied playwriting at Dallas Theater Center. She is the visionary of A Crown of Beauty Ministries, a ministry of healing and deliverance. She is a member of Christ Purpose International Church. She resides in the Dallas, Texas area. 

Website https://www.meiahshaun.com

CHAPTER TITLE: MY LIFE REBOOT

Roni Teson is a two-time Readers’ Favorite award-winning novelist and the recipient of the First Place Dante Rosetti Award for YA Suspense Romance. Convinced that her passion for writing played a critical role in saving her life, 

Roni’s entire perspective shifted when she beat stage IV cancer. Her soul-searching quest to understand the meaning of life’s not so random coincidences has led her down a path of self-discovery and into an extraordinary existence. Read about her amazing life reboot in her most recent creation, The Order of Things. 

Website: https://roniteson.com

CHAPTER TITLE: UNSHAKABLE FAITH

Katrina Shaw was born and raised in Long Island, New York and is a Morgan State University graduate. A radio and media professional of over twenty years, she currently works for Hearst Television, Inc. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. 

An entrepreneur, Katrina is pursuing her dream and passion to promote health and wellness with a product called “Thrive” by Le-vel and is making an impact to change lives and help others. 

A five-year breast cancer survivor, she created a Facebook blog page, MANE (Mammograms are Not Enough), and supports and enlightens women on the importance of diagnostic mammogram/3D screenings. Katrina resides in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband. She is very involved in her community and church.  A Zumba Fitness Instructor, she enjoys traveling, reading, and serving as a role model to at-risk youths.

Website: https://www.wws-unshakablefaith.com/

Tour organized by Write Now Literary Book Tours