What is Linda's Passion?

Cost of Our Affaris at Black Expressions!

2011-05-01T07:43:00.000-07:00

There is no news like GOOD NEWS! I am honored to say my second novel, COST OF OUR AFFAIRShttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif is now available at BLACK EXPRESSIONS in hard cover edition!!!

Yes, God is good and dreams do come true! Back in 2005, when I won Black Expressions' Annual Fiction Writing contest, I dreamed of having my book in their catalog. Today, my dream is a reality. If you can and will please support me by ordering a copy of my novel, COST OF OUR AFFAIRS from Black Expressions! Numbers, truly do count!

When you join Black Expressions Book Club, you can get my book and three others for only $2! May I suggest Loving Simone by Jessica Tilles, Holy Seduction by Jessica Robinson, and A Whisper to A Scream by Elissa Gabrielle?

Please share this post with family, friends, and fellow readers!

If the shoe is not on your foot....

2011-03-06T09:58:00.001-08:00

It's easy to tell someone what you would do when you are not in their current situation.

Elise Thomas Edison never imagined she'd need advice on how to handle a cheating husband but the news of her husband's affair is only the beginning of her storm. Derek is also the father of his mistress' five year-old daughter, a child his wife knew nothing about. So, what is a wife to do when her perfect man reveals that he is only a fallen mortal? Is it possible for Elise to move past her envisioned fairytale of happily ever after and accept that her marriage is flawed?

Everyone seems to have a word of advice for Elise but unless you're a wife scorned and betrayed by the man you love, you can't tell an angry woman how to wear her shoes. You just have to be thankful her 'shoes' don't fit your 'feet.'

What's A Wife to Do? is Herman's third novel to date and the melodrama only gets better. Be sure to order your copy of this great novel today! The official release date is March 15, 2011 but you can pre-order your copy at Barnes & Nobles as well as Xpress Yourself Publishing, www.XpressYourselfPublishing.com.

Consequences reader takes HIV test....

2010-08-09T10:39:00.000-07:00

Gloria's testimony warmed my heart and I pray that her words might also inspire at least one other person to find the courage within and get tested. Own your status!

Consequences reader takes HIV test: Gloria posted something on your (Facebook) Wall and wrote:

"Good morning Linda, I just want to say thank you. You are a mentor to me. Your book Consequences gave me the courage to take the HIV test that majority of us are really afraid to do. I receive the best news of my life and I appreciate you. Thank you and GOD BLESS YOU."

You tell me, What's A Wife to Do?

2010-08-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting to see the book cover for my upcoming release, What's A Wife to Do for quite some time now. Well, finally, it is done! My hats off to THE WRITERS ASSISTANT for doing another wonderful job!

Check my website for release date:
www.LindaRHerman.org

Authors Supporting Authors Blogtalk at OneTrueMedia.com

2010-06-06T07:47:00.001-07:00

Author Ni'Cola Mitchell educates us on how to handle not being his main course.
What's a girl to do when she's the APPETIZER? Find out LIVE on Blog Talk Radio, Saturday, June 20, 2010, 8 P.M. EST!!!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

My Montage 5/26/10 at OneTrueMedia.com

2010-05-26T21:57:00.001-07:00

By the grace of GOD, I congratulate my son, Quantavius L. Cuffie, a graduating member of the Class of 2010, Crisp County High School.

Quan leaves for Marine Corp training in August 2010. OOH-RAH, baby! I love you and I am so very proud of you!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Why do we feel we MUST love him?

2009-12-06T11:26:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning thinking about abuse and how the victim always feels responsible. Why is that so? My younger cousin was in this situation a few years back and she always felt she had to love her abuser because he said no one else did. That's why she stayed and endured the abuse- mental, verbal, and physical. I wrote a story loosely based off her experience as a young mother who survived domestic violence and it's titled "Silent Cries." "Silent Cries" is the first story in the uplifting and inspiring anthology, Somebody Prayed for Me.

Today, my cousin is in college and working full time! She's a single mother and I'm so proud of her for moving forward with her life. To assist her, I set up a website where books can be ordered and the profit goes to her, toward her college tuition and raising her son. I hope you'll be compelled to purchase Somebody Prayed for Me from her website. To ensure a Christmas delivery, however, please select the option to order from Borders, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon. The links are listed on the website's homepage. Please share her website and story with parents, teens, and any one who may be in a violent relationship. There is life after abuse and by the grace of God, my cousin has proved that.

The website is www.ShakestaWest.webs.com. While you're there, please read an excerpt from "Silent Cries" and be sure to sign the guest book. Your support means a LOT To me and even more to her.

Have a blessed Sunday and make every day count.

Linda
http://www.lindarherman.org/

Look at me by Linda R. Herman

2009-11-30T07:35:00.000-08:00

Look at me, take a long, hard stare.
I'm the face of HIV. I represent every woman 25-34 who has died or is dying from AIDS.
AIDS is the leading cause of death in African American women in this age group.
So, LOOK at me!

Do you think I'm ready to die? I'm not ready. I don't want to leave my children, family, and friends. LOOK at me!

Can you honestly tell me we can't change the statistics by raising awareness? Can we not see the Consequences of our actions? Oh God, is anybody even listening to me? LOOK at me!

Now, take a long hard look at yourself and answer this question:
What am I going to do today to raise awareness of HIV & AIDS?

To learn more about Linda R. Herman and her passion for saving lives, visit the author online at www.LindaRHerman.org

Excerpt from OUR TRUTHS BE TOLD

2009-11-23T08:25:00.000-08:00

Chapter 15
Ric heard Maya’s words but his brain couldn’t process the information she was laying on him. I have a daughter? With Maya? His knees suddenly took on a life, or perhaps lack there of their own and began to wobble. He took slow and careful steps toward the couch as he struggled to make sense of the words that danced around his psyche. We have a daughter. Her name is Camille. She’s in ....Atlanta.... but will be moving in with Tony and me soon.

“Ric, son, are you okay?” He heard his mother’s voice and looked up at her. He tried to answer but the words wouldn’t come forth. He simply nodded and covered his face with his large hands, shaking his head from side to side momentarily. He felt someone sit next to him on the couch and without looking up he knew it was Maya. Her sweet scent was one he’d never been able to forget. Maya always smelled as if she’d bathed in cinnamon. Inhaling her essence intoxicated him and even after all these years, Ric was still drunk off his love for Maya.

“Ric, I know saying I’m sorry isn’t enough,” Maya began. He heard the tremble in her voice and knew she was crying. Ric removed his hands from his face and turned to face her. Big tears rolled down her cheeks and it took every ounce of restraint he had not to kiss them away. God, I still love this woman! Time had done little to ease the pain of losing her and the life they could have had together.

“I wanted to tell you that I was pregnant. I was going to tell you when you came home for the holidays but-“ she couldn’t complete the sentence but they all knew the story. He’d come home with Sonya and announced that she and he were engaged.

“I didn’t want you to think I was using the baby to trap you into staying with me. It was obvious that you were in love with Sonya and as hard as it was to lose you I loved you enough to let you go because I only wanted you to be happy.” Maya had no idea how far from true her statement was. Ric hadn’t been in love with Sonya at all. His guilty conscience was the reason he chose Sonya, that and the fact that she was carrying his child as well. Had he known Maya was pregnant, Ric would’ve chosen her as his wife if she could’ve forgiven his indiscretion. She was the woman he loved, not Sonya. No matter how much he loved Sonya now, Maya was the woman he was still in love with.

“But what about your happiness Maya? You couldn’t have been happy going through the pregnancy alone and feeling like giving our daughter up was your only option.” Ric pulled a sobbing Maya into his arms. It was where she belonged and where she should have been for the past thirteen years. “You should’ve told me. I would’ve been there for you. I would’ve been there for our daughter, Maya.”

“You must hate me!” Maya felt like that eighteen year-old young woman all over again. The pain of losing Ric and giving up her daughter came back anew and crushed her heart like a ton of bricks but in his arms she felt comforted and loved. How many nights had she dreamed of his strong embrace? How many days had she longed to be this close to him?

“No, I don’t hate you. I could never hate you, Maya. Never.”

Cassandra watched the interaction between her son and Maya and her eyes filled with tears. She recognized true love. It was the same love she’d shared with Miles Jordan, her late husband. It was the same kind of love she saw between her daughter and son-in-law. It was a love she knew didn’t exist between her son and his wife.

READY FOR MORE? Xpress Yourself Publishing presents OUR TRUTHS BE TOLD in 2010!
Stay tuned for updates @ www.XpressYourselfPublishing.org

The Consequences of our actions: Look, listen, and learn!

2009-09-11T19:01:00.000-07:00

consequencesconvo.mp3

Find out more by visiting, www.LindaRHerman.org.

What was your 2009 NBCC experience?

2009-08-03T14:41:00.001-07:00

That old saying you get what you pay for proved not to be true for me this weekend. I did NOT get what I paid for regarding the National Book Club Conference. I paid for meals and was told just prior to the event that the hotel would not be serving the authors. I paid for a table but because I chose not to attend on Friday due to personal reasons, my table was given away. Keep in mind, I paid for that table and my choosing not to attend Friday was at my own expense. Every author who paid to attend should have already had a table so why was it necessary to give my assigned table away to make room for another author? Oh but that's not the worst of it. I wasn't even issued an apology or accomodated. Kudos to Tinisha Nicole Johnson for sharing her table with me. I sucked in the anger and did what I set out to do, build myself as an author. Yes I felt totally disrespected and vowed then and there I'd never pay again to be treated that way.

All in all, the networking was amazing and I enjoyed meeting other authors and readers. The hotel was exquisite; absolutely gorgeous. But, that's not enough to make me attend next year. I feel the vending authors were basically used to pay for perks that went to the featured authors. Now, I wasn't expecting to walk the red carpet alongside Terry McMillan or Eric Jerome Dickey but I did deserve to be treated with the respect I deserve. Had it not been for the 50 vending authors paying an average of $300 each to attend this event (do the math), how great would it have been?

I think most of the book clubs had an awesome experience and for them, I'm happy. For those self-published authors or those who have yet to reach what's considered elite status, keep your head held high and keep scratching your way to the top. Don't let anybody make you feel like you're not worthy of respect. Amen? AMEN!

Linda R. Herman
Author of Consequences
www.LindaRHerman.org

How was your 2009 NBCC experience?

2009-08-03T14:23:00.001-07:00

What's on your reading list?

2009-07-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to say I had the pleasure of doing advance reading for the one and only, Elissa Gabrielle. I don't know if you've read her first two novels (GOOD TO THE LAST DROP & POINT OF NO RETURN) but let me tell you, you're truly missing out if you haven't. That said, let me tell you just a little bit about her upcoming release...a whisper to A SCREAM.

To say Queen Thomas has it going on is an injustice; like Wayne says, I wouldn't say she's beautiful, she's beyond it. Tall and thick in the right places, Queen is truly a brick house, well stacked and not to mention, she's a razor sharp attorney who is at the top of her game. Queen believes in righting wrongs and she's fighting the power, making it her personal mission to save the Black man. Will her passion be her down fall?

Where Queen is blessed in every aspect of her life, she feels equally cursed when it comes to love. Her last relationship was with Derrick Simmons, a correctional officer who proved to be nothing more than an alcoholic, controlling, modern-day Ike Turner. Queen's eventually asking herself the same thing Tina sang about, what's love got to do with it? Maybe she's not meant to be somebody's wifey.

Quincy Hughes is cool as ice and has swagger that makes women give him a long, hard second look. Yes, he's fine and not to mention, the boy is a doctor! Good thing too because he sure does makes hearts race. Standing over six feet tall with a body you can bounce quarters off, Quincy has it going on. So, when he falls for Queen why isn't she tripping over her tongue? Well, he is tall and he is handsome, but...Quincy is not dark and even though Queen can't deny his swagger, those blue eyes are the wrong color and there's no way Queen is going to take heat for being with a white man, no way, no how. He pursues her non-stop and her best friend Paula tells her exactly what she thinks: Girl, you must be crazy! Still, Queen can't see beyond the color of Quincy's skin.

Queen runs from Quincy's love, dodges Derrick's insanity, and holds on to memories of the mother who left she and her father all too soon. With so much going on in her life, Queen misses all the signs from a guilty client she sets free. Michael has his own unique way of showing his eternal gratitude.

Love, romance, soul-stirring poetic prose, obsession, toe-curling, nipple-hardening, leg-crossing sex scenes, and suspense...can it all be found in this one novel by Elissa Gabrielle? The answer is a resounding yes, all that and then some! Be sure to get your copy and let Gabrielle take you from a mere whisper to a GUT-WRENCHING SCREAM!!!

VISIT THE AUTHOR'S WEBSITE AT WWW.ELISSAGABRIELLE.COM.

Linda R. Herman
www.LindaRHerman.org

The life that was; or perhaps the life that wasn't

2009-07-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

I don't think it really sank in that we lost Michael Jackson until today. And when the reality of his death hit me, I realized we didn't just lose a Pop icon; we lost a humanitarian, a person who truly loved life and worked hard to bring us together as ONE. His parents lost a son, his children, bless their hearts, lost their father, and his brothers and sisters lost a sibling. We cry for the Michael we knew but they grieve for the family member they loved and lost.

I'm not usually one to shed tears but seeing the grief-stricken faces of family and friends of Michael Jackson, my cup ran over because I realized I was full. I felt a portion of their pain. Did you hear the poem Queen Latifah read on behalf of Maya Angelou? What about Brooke Shields' speech; her tears were so real. My heart went out to Usher because he truly idolized Michael and always acknowledges him as part of his own success. And then the family...Marlon's words, MAYBE NOW THEY'LL LEAVE YOU ALONE. His poor daughter, OMG, I wanted to reach out and hold her close to my heart. To her, he was the best father a child could have had and I see that because at heart, he was still very much a child himself.

Today, I cry and I grieve not for the life that was, but perhaps for the life that wasn't; the childhood that Michael Jackson never truly experienced. He's been in the spotlight since the age of 5; judged and accused, sentenced to shame even before he was trialed. He was convicted by the media and the public even though he was acquitted of the horrendous child molestation charges. For a long time I wondered, could he have done such a thing? Today, I scream and I shout, NO. NEVERLAND was meant to be a happy place where children were always happy and never had to grow up. NEVERLAND...Michael wanted to be PETER PAN and I surely don't believe he would have ever brought harm to anyone, especially a child. If he's guiltiy of anything, perhaps it was he was too giving of himself and loving to the point where some took his kindness for weakness. But trust and believe me when I say, GOD knows his heart and He is the ultimate judge for there is no jury; GOD's word is final.

To Michael, REST IN PEACE AND THANK YOU FOR THE MANY MEMORIES. I so wish I still had my record player with your picture on it. It's been a long time since the early 80's.

To the JACKSON FAMILY, his fans loved him, his family and friends adored him, but GOD loved him BEST.

Linda R. Herman

What happens once the affair is discovered?

2009-04-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

As he walked hurriedly up the stairs, I ran behind him, begging and pleading, trying to explain my actions. Unaffected by my deafening cries, Antoine continued his plight up the stairs. Once inside our bedroom, he opened the closet door and threw luggage on our bed before snatching several work uniforms from their hangers. He packed his bags, refusing to look at me, speak to me, or even acknowledge my presence. I fell down to my knees, my stomach in knots. “Antoine, please! Please don’t leave! Please, baby! I’m so sorry!” I cried hysterically.
“I’m sorry too, India. I’m sorry for wasting six years of my life with you,” he snarled. The pain he felt was audible in his voice and his eyes glistened with tears. The storm raged; booming thunder and sharp lightning, as sheets of tears threatened to rain from his eyes.

Suitcase filled with toiletries, most of his casual belongings, and work clothes, he stormed downstairs, out the carport door, and out of my life. When I heard the engine of his Caprice come to life, I died a thousand deaths on our bedroom floor, heartbroken with no one to blame but me.

Ready to read more from this novel and find out what’s the cost of India’s affair?

COST OF OUR AFFAIRS releases
June 2, 2009
from Xpress Yourself Publishing!

www.XpressYourselfPublishing.org

Want to reserve an autographed copy?
Visit www.LindaRHerman.webs.com

Andre Peters returns in the novel, Consequences

2009-01-31T15:39:00.001-08:00

ORDER TODAY AT AMAZON.COM, BARNES & NOBLE, BORDERS, XPRESS YOURSELF PUBLISHING, AND THE AUTHOR'S WEBSITE, WWW.LINDARHERMAN.COM.

Winners announced for the Novel to Film competition!

2009-01-09T13:23:00.000-08:00

Greetings, The winners for the Novels to Films Feature Length Competition are: Consequences, When Love Is Blind by Linda Herman Battered Clergy: From Victim to Victor by Dr. Joseph Howard The Novels to Films Team and Moopy Vision Movies would like to thank you all for entering the competition. We received over 100 submissions for the feature category, which made it a very difficult decision. Unfortunately, we were only able to select two titles.

If you've yet to read this intriguing, thought-provoking book by Linda R. Herman, be sure to order your copy TODAY! Consequences When Love Is Blind is available at online retailers and should be requested at every bookstore and library worldwide. For autographed copies, visit the author's webstore at www.LindaRHerman.com.

Life for Sade Peters is picture perfect. With a fabulous home in upscale Atlanta, Georgia, Sade is living the life most of society only read about in magazines. A successful novelist, Sade is married to the man of her dreams, Andre Peters, an equally successful sports agent. Couple that with a set of fraternal twins, and you have all the makings of the contemporary modern day Huxtables.

However, what life looks like from the outside, may not necessarily match the inner workings of this household. The Down Low is a real and earth-shattering truth, and Sade’s happiness abruptly ends when she is faced with this reality.

Life as Sade knows it changes within the blink of an eye when she soon discovers that both she and her husband are HIV positive.

Imagine walking through life in Sade’s shoes. What happens when the men we trust commit the ultimate betrayal? Who is to blame when faith and trust is tested tremendously?

The Power of Words that Heal

2009-01-02T09:07:00.001-08:00

Family, I'm in tears as I type these few lines.
My co-worker recently lost her mother who was only 54 years old. She died of cancer in October 2008. My co-worker and friend is currently reading Somebody Prayed for Me, and she just called me in tears after reading the story "One Moment With You" and the poem "Always In My Heart." These are pieces dedicated to the memory of my maternal grandmother who raised me, nurtured me, loved me, and taught me about being a strong woman. She died at the age of 64 in January 2006 and my life was forever changed that day because she was my grandmother, mother, and best friend.

I wrote those pieces for my own self-healing and today I learned that my words are helping someone else who is going through the same experience of losing a loved one.

I've been tired along this journey. There have been times when I wanted to throw in the towel and give up on writing. But God always finds a way to show me how my gift of writing can be a gift to others. Family, be inspired....never give up.

Linda R. Herman, Founder of ASA
www.LindaRHerman.com

Nothing says WINNER like a FREE give-away!

2008-12-17T12:45:00.001-08:00

Want to curl up with a good book and register to win a FREE MP3 player?

It's EASY! Purchase your copy of the inspirationally uplifting anthology, Somebody Prayed for Me, and email proof of purchase to somebodyprayed4me@yahoo.com. You will then be registered for our March 15, 2009 drawing!

Many will enter but only ONE can win.

To find out how you can purchase your copy of Somebody Prayed for Me, visit the website at www.SomebodyPrayed4me.webs.com.

Be INSPIRED and register to WIN a FREE MP3 Player today!

Linda R. Herman
www.LindaRHerman.com

How many more lives will be lost to HIV/AIDS?

2008-12-06T09:53:00.001-08:00

It all begins with the look; that initial contact when the eyes speak loud and clear as to what the body craves. Deep, wet, passionate kisses leading to mind blowing orgasms that leaves the body trembling much like a leaf on a tree on the windiest of days. Sex. It's meant to be a beautiful bond, a physically satisfying act between two people, but when not engaged in responsibly, sex can turn ugly, deadly even.

Andre Peters, a man who has it all; the perfect wife and family, and the job of his dreams. From the outside looking in, one would have to ask, What more could he ask for? What he didn't ask for was his secret desires for the same sex; those desires that occasionally lead him astray from his marital vows. But Andre doesn't consider himself gay or bi. He still loves sex with his wife; it’s just every now and again that he craves something different, pleasure he can only find in the arms of another man.

His failure to be honest with his lovers of both genders; his failure to engage in safe sex; his denial of his sexual preference; and his desire to straddle the fence-sleeping with both women and men-leads to a domino effect, destroying lives one HIV infection after another.

In Consequences, readers are taken on a journey into the lives of a down-low husband, his wife, his lovers, and a cast of others who are affected, whether directly or indirectly, by the HIV virus. The story is fiction but the reality of HIV is fact, and the reality is that each year there are thousands of new cases diagnosed-most of those new cases being women of color and minority. It has to end; and it has to end where it begins-with each one of us.

I am honored to make a guest appearance on today's Worth More Than Rubies blog talk show, www.blogtalkradio.com/WorthMoreThanRubies, 3pm CST, and 4pm on the East Coast.

We hold the power to eradicate this deadly, yet prevantable disease.

Linda R. Herman
www.LindaRHerman.com

Coming soon to Lady Leo Publishing

2008-11-29T15:50:00.001-08:00

All things in their own time-even love.

After a four year affair, Tyanna Washington is heart broken when the love of her life and the father of her child, Jay Bryant, gives her the boot. He reunites with his wife, Monica, sending Tyanna and their daughter, Jayla, packing, and back to her mother's home.

Heartbroken, the last thing on Tyanna's mind is love but for Derek Bridges, Tyanna is the woman he's always prayed for. Will Tyanna find the strength to forgive herself and open her heart to true love? Or will she continue to drown in a sea of self-pity as she continues to pine for Jay?

Coming soon to Lady Leo Publishing
www.LadyLeoPublishing.org

Author Julia Press Simmons reviews Consequences When Love Is Blind

2008-11-26T17:18:00.000-08:00

I absolutely loved this story!!! Linda, you nailed it. I would recommend "Consequences..." to everyone, especially our young sista's. Aids awareness is much needed in our community, and I think that your novella provides a much needed focal point to the cause. I applaud your efforts and stand in awe of your talent.

Well Done

Author of:
Strawberry Mansion: A Philadelphia Story

Before you pick up the phone and call his wife~

2008-11-15T09:42:00.000-08:00

Talia James is young and quite naive. The daughter of an alcoholic mother, Talia had to grow up fast and mother to her younger siblings and cousin.

Needless to say, Talia made some bad choices in life where love and men were concerned. After two broken relationships and two sons, she feels as though she has won the lottery when she meets Andre Peters, a very well-to-do sports agent. The fact that he's married takes a backseat to Talia's happiness.

Imagine her surprise when she calls his wife, Sade, to brag about the on-going affair, and Sade shares some news of her own. Never in her darkest nightmare did Talia imagine that her lover, her knight in shining armor, was HIV positive!

Some things between a husband and wife are best left between that husband and his wife, huh?

Linda R. Herman
Author of Consequences When Love Is Blind

Available NOW! Get autographed copies for only $10, shipping included, at
www.LindaRHerman.webs.com This is a limited time offer!

Please feel free to share this offer with friends and family. Thank you and many
blessings!

Be inspired-Somebody Prayed for Me is NOW available!

2008-11-07T13:42:00.001-08:00

Heartwarming stories and poetry that are sure to touch your
hearts and uplift your spirits

Allyson M. Deese opens this spiritual experience with the title piece, "Somebody Prayed For Me," a heartfelt poem that reminds us of the importance of prayer. There are so many things we could have been in life but somebody prayed for you and for me. And now we must pray for others because prayer does change things.

In Silent Cries, Linda R. Herman shares the tale of a teen-aged mother who suffers abuse and rape at the hands of the person she loves. Rape is devastating at any age, but imagine a seventeen year-old girl struggling to get past the pain. With prayer, it is possible.

Tinisha N. Johnson’s short story, Facing Reality, opens our eyes to how much our children are influenced by our actions. A mother tries to drown her sorrows in alcohol but doesn’t realize the affect her behavior has upon her twelve-year-old daughter until she makes a shocking discovery.

Every piece was written with the hope of inspiring and reminding everyone of the importance of prayer.

“Have you ever been in a position where you couldn't or didn't think to pray for yourself? In Somebody Prayed For Me, literary sisters Linda R. Herman, Allyson M. Deese, and Tinisha N. Johnson reminds you of that place. While taking you through the valley, Somebody Prayed For Me, restores faith and an appreciation for that old congregational song.”

-Wanda B. Campbell, author First Sunday in October

2008-11-04T22:48:00.000-08:00

GOD is so amazing!

BARACK OBAMA is the 44th PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! HE SAID YES WE CAN AND YES, WE DID!!!

THANK GOD ALMIGHTY, YES WE DID!

CAN YOU IMAGINE OUR ANCESTORS CELEBRATING IN HEAVEN? THEY DIED FOR THIS DAY, Y'ALL! THEY DIED FOR THIS MOMENT, THIS MOMENT WHERE I AM SO FULL THAT I CAN'T STOP CRYING AND PRAISING GOD.

THANK GOD!

OBAMA '08

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

LINDA
WWW. LINDARHERMAN. COM

Books & Brunch in Lawrenceville, GA, 10/25/2008

2008-10-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

Xpress Yourself Publishing authors Hazel Mills and myself, Linda R. Herman, were in great company on yesterday at the first annual Books & Brunch event in Lawrenceville, GA. Books & Brunch was hosted by Especially Yours Events, Tamara Angela Grant, author of the upcoming novel, The Cooling Board.

Readers and authors were brought together in a cozy yet classy venue in downtown Lawrenceville. The authors in attendance, Avah LaReaux, Monica Douglas Davis, April Marquette, Daniel J. Chamberlayne, Ira J. Bolden, Sonia Chess, Tina Brooks-McKinney, Hazel Mills, and Linda R. Herman all read excerpts from their books. Also in attendance reading excerpts from their novels were Kendall Publication authors Camille Kleidyse and Tangelika Bolen. Author Shani Greene-Dowdell, who won an African American Literary Award for Best Self-Published Author 2008, also made a special appearance along with SBS Book Club President, Mashawn Mickels.

I was honored to meet publicist Carol King who has had the pleasure of working with Tamara Angela Grant and Tina Brooks McKinney.

The event was truly a success and I look forward to the next Books & Brunch hosted by Especially Yours Events!

Linda
www.LindaRHerman.com

Why should you read Xpress Yourself Publishing titles?

2008-10-26T18:15:00.001-07:00

Be sure to check out the visual book trailer that displays the 2008 releases from Xpress Yourself Publishing, winner of the African American Literary Award for Best Independent Publishing House 2008! You also get a sneak peek at a few upcoming 2009 titles!
www.XpressYourselfPublishing.org

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Linda R. Herman
www.LindaRHerman.com

Please reach out to a domestic violence SURVIVOR!

2008-10-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

I am Linda R. Herman and at age seventeen, my younger cousin was raped by the father of her then one year old son. The rape occurred in the child's presence where the father held a knife to my cousin's throat and forced himself on her. He also banged her head into the floor leaving her physically, emotionally, and mentally scarred for life. The physical bruising is gone but the emotional and mental live on.

My cousin, a brave young woman, is now in her second year of college. She is nineteen years old and the mother of one. Even though she does hold down a part-time job she is having financial difficulties.

How can you help? Please purchase an autographed copy (signed by me) of Somebody Prayed for Me (release date December 2, 2008) through my cousin's website, www.ShakestaWest.webs.com. All profits from sales go to her toward her education and her son's well-being.

Please visit her site and be sure to sign the guestbook!

P.S. The short story, "Silent Cries" is loosely based on what my cousin went through as a victim of teen abuse. It is the first story in the anthology Somebody Prayed for Me.

Linda R. Herman

www.LindaRHerman.com

Please vote for Linda R. Herman

2008-10-09T07:32:00.001-07:00

It truly is an honor to be nominated!

Hi all,

I have been nomiated in THREE categories and really need your votes.

Consequences When Love Is Blind is my debut book and to see how well its doing is truly amazing. Please cast your vote.

http://www.expo2009voting.blogspot.com/

And don't forget to cast your vote on AAMBC's polls as well, where I've been nominated for Best New Author and Author of The Year!

http://aambcvoting.blogspot.com/

Thank you and many blessings,

Linda
www. lindarherman. com
www. SunshineRoyal. webs. com

I have two new releases at Lady Leo Publishing
Chemistry 101 & From Hooker to Housewife

YES, you can turn a whore into a housewife!

2008-10-07T22:24:00.000-07:00

Who says you can’t turn a Hooker into a Housewife?

Kendall Roberts is a down on her luck single mother of one. After taking a few of life’s bumps and bruises, she turns to a life of alcohol and drugs, stripping and prostituting her body to support her habit and make ends meet.

When she’s busted by the good Reverend Lawrence Lavant, he gives her the choice of going back to jail or coming home with him and being counseled. She opts for the latter.

Despite Kendall’s troubled past, Reverend Lavant finds himself romantically drawn to her. Does he have the power to turn a hooker into a housewife and the first lady of Mt.Zion Baptist Church? That’s if they can both move beyond their painful pasts.

Be sure to download your copy at www.LadyLeoPublishing.org for only $1.95

Sunshine Royal
www.SunshineRoyal.webs.com

Legality v/s Morality

2008-10-01T06:54:00.001-07:00

When Olivia Collier is pursued by her eighteen-year-old student, Thaddeus Grant, will the Chemistry teacher give him a never-to-be forgotten lesson in body chemistry, or can a lonely woman refrain from an immoral affair with her student?
The law says that eighteen is legal, but morally, is there anything wrong with a thirty-two-year-old woman teaching an eighteen-year-old student outside of the classroom?
Chemistry 101 is an enticingly sensual confession by Sunshine Royal that is sure to engage readers in heated discussions about sexuality and morality.
Available NOW @ http://www.ladyleopublishing.org/
Want to read more by Sunshine Royal? Vist the author at http://www.sunshineroyal.webs.com/.
The author's work can be found in:
Erogenous Zone: A Sexual Voyage (My Dream Come True)
Succulent: Chocolate Flava II (Almost Identical)
Mocha Chocolate: Taste A Piece of Ecstasy (The Song In my Heart)
and coming soon The Grown & Sexy Anthology (Deja's View)

2008-09-29T21:50:00.001-07:00

Tonight, I tuned in with Ella Curry on Black Authors Network and I must say, it was quite a show. I heard my Intimate Conversation interview with Ella and could only think Wow, look what God has brought me from.

I'm a shy Georgia peach and interviews, radio conversations, and cameras are not my thing. However, God's will is being done.

After the show, I had quite an experience chatting about God Almighty in the chatroom. The Lord knew I needed that talk with some of His very own. I've tried to go to sleep since then but I just feel like singing and praising!

I have had a rough weekend and it feels good to know that God's presence still dwells within me. I just had to share and to say this:

No matter what you may be going through, you are not alone. I learn more and more each day, Can't Nobody Do Me Like Jesus!

Take a moment and just give God the praise and glory.

Linda
www.lindarherman.com
Author of Consequences

Be sure to get your vote on at AAMBC!

2008-09-16T19:26:00.001-07:00

Guess what? I can hardly believe it myself. It happened again!

Xpress Yourself Publishing is nominated by the 2009 AAMBC Committee for Publisher of the Year! I am overwhelmed and overjoyed. This is the second nomination this year. I am so proud. With the help of a group of talented, creative authors, Xpress Yourself Publishing is doing awesome! I am extremely blessed.

Also nominated are Linda R. Herman, author of Consequences, and John R. Williams, author of The Reunion, for Best Author of the Year

I am asking everyone to, once again, vote for Xpress Yourself Publishing for the 2009 AAMBC Publisher of the Year, and Linda R. Herman and John R. Williams, by clicking on this link ---> http://aambcvoting.blogspot.com/. It's the first category!

Wow, this news has really lifted my spirits. I received news this morning that my Aunt Selma, after almost 10 years on a ventilator, went home to be with her Lord, and my mama!

Warm regards,
Jessica Tilles
Publisher, Xpress Yourself Publishing

What's All In A Day's Work for you?

2008-09-05T16:16:00.001-07:00

"Call me Emiko," she interjected, noticing his dark eyes admiring her shapely cocoa smooth thighs. "It means beautiful, smiling child."

"Emiko," he repeated, staring into her soft, beautiful, brown eyes. They were full and round but slightly slanted in the corners. She had long, black, silky hair that hung past her shoulders. It was obvious that she was of Asian decent. But, the wide nose and the full lips, along with the smooth skin that was only shades lighter than his own, told him that she was also of African American decent. According to her resume, her maiden name was Brown.

"Emiko." Her name slowly rolled off his tongue as he watched her undo the top button of her sheer, silk blouse. It was July in Southwest Georgia and his air conditioner was on full blast. Emiko's nipples were erect and even Stevie Wonder would have noticed that she was not wearing a bra.

"Are you married?" His question wasn't relevant. It wouldn't determine her chances of being hired. It also wouldn't be a deciding factor as to whether or not he slept with the beautiful creature, given the opportunity.

Emiko continued to undo the buttons on her blouse while Eric watched intently anticipating the moment she revealed her large, perky breasts. When she had undone the last button, she allowed the thin fabric to slowly roll off her shoulders. She then used her fingers to trace imaginary circles around her hard nipples.

"Yes." Licking her lips, she answered the question he had almost forgotten asking. "I've been married for seven years. I hope it won't interfere with you hiring me. I'm willing to do anything to get this job."

Eric looked down at his own left hand. He, too, was married. The platinum band was a reminder of the love he pledged to his wife. It reminded him of his promise to be faithful.

"Emiko, I have a wife and a daughter. I can't…"

Before he could finish his sentence she was fully undressed, her fingers dancing in and out of the spot he wanted to taste. Eric couldn't take his eyes off her perfectly fit body. Her waistline was small but her ass was round. As she came closer, he could smell strawberry kiwi. He reached out and touched her thighs as she straddled him. She felt like silk.

"Nobody has to know," she whispered as she undid his necktie.

WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? I SURE AS HELL DO! VISIT, http://www.eroticexpressions.net/allinaday.htm

Nia Promotions Virtual Launch ~ Dee-Coding Your Book Marketing Plan and Our Upcoming Events

2008-09-05T13:46:00.000-07:00

Our upcoming teleseminar is Dee-Coding – Your Book Marketing Plan. Dee Stewart, publicist, bookseller and Secretary of the American Christian Fiction Writer’s VIP Chapter will Dee-Code the book marketing plan with you on September 13, 2008 and much more…

Dee Stewart, publicist, bookseller and Secretary of the American Christian Fiction Writer’s VIP Chapter will Dee-Code the book marketing plan with you on September 13, 2008 and much more…

During this session you’ll learn about:

Defining a book marketing analysis
Components to a book marketing plan
Using your marketing plan to edit your final book draft
How to write a tag line
Ensuring your book marketing plan and budget are align
And more…
Register Today!

Book clubs and books go hand in hand. Join me today when I’m a guest on the KC Girlfriends Book Club’s radio show where Tanisha Webb and I will discuss the popularity of book clubs.

Date: September 6, 2008

Time: 4:00 pm CST

Location: KC Girlfriends Book Club

www.niapromotions.com/blog

Check out the AUTHORS ON TOUR with EDC in September!

2008-09-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

Amazon.com Widgets

You're Invited to Nia Promotions' Virtual Launch

2008-09-01T04:04:00.000-07:00

Nia Promotions' is hosting its company
launch party online! Join us as we introduce you to some of our virtual
friends in this fun video, with a little "Flashing
Lights".

Click here to
learn more about the upcoming events.

Linda
www.lindarherman.com

Is the MISTRESS blamed more in an affair?

2008-08-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

Here is where we may agree to disagree.

I'm not condoning women getting involved with married men and I'm not condemning the wife who chooses to forgive her husband after an affair. It happens and it's a wife's choice if she wants to try and regain that trust in her marriage. As Christians, we're taught to forgive no matter the choice to stay in the marriage or leave.

I do feel society is harder on the mistress than they are the philandering husband. I don't care if he's a 1-time cheat or a 20-time cheat. He knows better than anyone that he is married and he should respect his marital vows. So, why even get another party involved in the first place? And when the you-know-what hits the fan, here we are (SOCIETY) making all kind of snide remarks about the other woman. What about the man who allowed her into his life knowing he had a wife? Yeh, some women are aggressive and will go after a man, even if he is married, but PLEASE, a grown man knows how to say NO. And let's not fool ourselves like they're NOT chasing women down either.

Mistresses, STOP nodding your heads in agreement and smiling. I got something for you, too. Why are you making it easy for men to disrespect women? You think you're really doing something if a married man is breaking you off. You're so naive thinking it must be something his wife ISN'T doing at home. Child, please! He's being a man, trying to get it from whoever, whenever, and all you're doing is disrespecting your bodies as well as your sistahs. How often do they leave their wives? And when they do, how soon is it before you're the wife or live in girlfriend, and he has another mistress?

If we're going to place blame-let it be on all responsible parties!

Enjoy reading books by Linda R. Herman? The Mistress Cries, Too will NOT disappoint! Look for this title in 2009 from Xpress Yourself Publishing!

Society sees the wife of a cheating husband as the victim, but the mistress cries, too. She's been lied to and misled by the same man, so why are we quicker to forgive the man and condemn the mistress?
For him, life goes on and he continues in his roll as the church deacon if not the esteemed minister himself. The wife forgives him because after all, he's the father of her kids and they've been together since their teens. He's all she knows; all she wants to know.
But oh behold, the other woman is branded with the letter A. She's deemed as nothing but a harlot or a modern day Scarlett O'Hara if you will. Nobody wants to hear her side of the story-until now.
Linda R. Herman is going to bring it in this contemporary tale about a woman scorned and how far she'll go to get her point across-I, too, am a victim!

What do you want to learn about writing & publishing?

2008-08-23T14:41:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, Septemer 13, 2008, 8 PM EST, readers, aspiring authors, new and established authors are encouraged to tune in to ASA's Blog Talk Radio show, ASK THE AUTHOR. Jessica Tilles, Marie Antionette, and Shani Greene-Dowdell will be our guests on hand to answer your questions about the publishing and writing industry. They will also share a bit about their own literary journeys. Are you ready to learn? Bring your pad and pen to this one!

Now, you may ask, "Who are they and what do they know?" Well, let me break it down to you.

Jessica Tilles is not only a bestselling author, she is the founder and CEO of the esteemed publishing house, Xpress Yourself Publishing, which has been nominated for an African American Literary Award for Independent Publishing House of the Year. Oh yeh, and one of her recently signed authors, Hazel Mills, has also been nominated for Best Erotica fiction. Impressive, huh? Yes, Jessica knows the industry and I'm sure she can answer your questions and recommend some positive avenues to venture.

Marie Antionette, who is she? Marie is the author of "A Girl Named Job", her autobiography. Not only was she bold enough to bare all, sharing her personal trials, tribulations, and her rise to triumph, but Marie also withstood the criticism she received regarding the needed editing of her book. How did she respond? Marie is now making revisions to "A Girl Named Job" and will release it as well as her family's poetry collection, "The Cook Chronicles" soon! She's learned more than a little about writing and publishing.

Shani Greene-Dowdell, her name sounds familiar, who might she be? Have you read Keepin' It Tight? It's been nominated for literary awards. What about Mocha Chocolate: Taste A Piece of Ecstasy? Well, Shani is another name you'll see on the African American Literary Award ballot, as she has been nominated for Self-Published author of the year (Mocha Chocolate). She's a phenomenal author and has launched her own publishing company, Nayberry Publications. I think she is more than qualified to answer your literary questions.

Your co-hosts for the evening will be Nanette Buchanan, author of Family..Secrets, Lies, & Alibis, and John R. Williams, author of "What Could Have Been" and the upcoming XYP title, "The Reunion."

Join us by visiting www.blogtalkradio.com/asa-blog-talk, on Saturday, September 13, 2008, 8 pm EST. The call in number will display on the screen and you are encouraged to call in and speak LIVE to our co-hosts and guest panel. Remember to turn your computer volume down once you call in.

Want to learn more about ASA? Visit our website at www.asanetwork.webs.com

Many blessings!

Linda
www.lindarherman.com

Is it any worse if your husband cheats with a man as opposed to a woman?

2008-08-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

As a woman I just have to put it out there. To discover a man is cheating on you is devastating. It hurts when you're a teen in love but it rips your heart out your chest when you're a 'happily' married woman.

So, tell me this, does it hurt more when you discover your husband's mistress is actually a MISTER?

In this day and age our major concern with husbands on the down low is HIV. Not that it can't be contracted from him cheating with women but the risk is higher when he is cheating with a man. But is he any more or any less disloyal for cheating with a man as opposed to a woman?

And while we're talking about it, let me put this out there as well. Would it make a difference if he was the topper (the man who penetrates his male lover) or the bottom (the man who is penetrated by his male lover)?

I wanna hear from you!

Make sure you tune in to Blog Talk Radio tonight, www.blogtalkradio.com/kenda-bell. The topic for tonight is TRUST~

Linda R. Herman
www.lindarherman.com

What's going on with our youth?

2008-08-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

Normally when we think of domestic violence, we think of adult women being battered by their male lovers. How many of us think of our teens being in abusive relationships? My hand was down until two years ago. But a shocking up close and personal reality opened my eyes to this growing problem.

Puppy love is supposed to be a sweet emotion for teens. For the first time they 'love' someone other than mommy, daddy, family, and friends. They experience a different emotion and feelings for someone they envision being the greatest person to ever walk the Earth.

So, what happens when that person hits them? Degrades them? What about raping them?

You think it can't happen? You want to believe it doesn't happen? I'm here to tell you it does. I loosely based my short story, "Silent Cries" on a true event that happened to someone near and dear to my heart. She was fifteen when the verbal abuse began; maybe 16 the first time he hit her; and seventeen when she finally broke up with him only to have him rape her a few months later. I KNOW it happens. My question is this: What do we as adults do to stop/prevent it from happening?

"Silent Cries" is featured in the upcoming anthology Somebody Prayed for Me, written by authors Allyson M. Deese, Tinisha Nicole Johnson, and Linda R. Herman. The book releases December 2, 2008, from Xpress Yourself Publishing, www.xpressyourselfpublishing.org.

What inspired me to write Consequences

2008-06-05T21:11:00.000-07:00

I've always been passionate about both reading and writing; there's so much to learn and for me reading is the relaxing way to learn. Writing relaxes me as well but it matters a great deal to me what I write. I've written many stories but none so far that are more dear to my heart than Consequences.

The reason this story touches my heart so much is because daily we hear, read, and some of us actually see how HIV is impacting our lives. Parents are burying their kids; children are burying parents; and overall, we're losing the people we love simply because we're not educating ourselves and each other about HIV.

What can you do, what can I do to help eradicate this disease? UNITE. Responsibility starts with each individual but it doesn't end there. Knowledge is power. Let's educate ourselves about HIV/AIDS and share that knowledge, not only with our loved ones, but any and everyone who will listen!

We're not invincible; can we not see that? So many people have already lost their battle with HIV/AIDS. Let's unite and save lives. With unity and faith in God, it is possible to eradicate the spread of HIV/AIDS.

What did you do today to save a life? What will you do tomorrow?

Linda R. Herman, http://www.xpressyourselfpublishing.org/
Author of Consequences When Love Is Blind