Saturday, August 19, 2023

Breaking All The Rules - Second Chance Romance


Happy Romance Book Month!

Will a wedding planner find love at the hardest event she's ever had to plan?

Order at your local indie bookstore or that the links below.

Amazon https://amzn.to/3KOIBHX 
Bookshop https://bookshop.org/p/books/breaking-all-the-rules-rhonda-mcknight/7035208?ean=9780984366019&fbclid=IwAR2v9Cti1q0Cuky0-VTIeWqJ_iLXkGFMFG6O7ejiGtjtckCfDP_Jlz3J3_k

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Island Queen by Vanessa Riley

 


My most anticipated read of 2021!

Vanessa Riley penned an insightful opinion piece for the Washington Post about the casting of Netflix’s hit period drama, Bridgerton, and the role that race plays in this series—and is set to release a new opinion piece regarding race and historical fiction soon!  ISLAND QUEEN has already been named one of the most anticipated publications of 2021 by Essence Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Parade Magazine and Oprah Daily.

Born into slavery on the tiny Caribbean island of Monserrat, Doll bought her freedom—and that of her sister and her mother—from her Irish planter father and built a legacy of wealth and power as an entrepreneur, merchant, hotelier, and planter that extended from the marketplaces and sugar plantations of Dominica and Barbados to a glittering luxury hotel in Demerara on the South American continent.

Vanessa Riley’s novel brings Doll to vivid life as she rises above the harsh realities of slavery and colonialism by working the system and leveraging the competing attentions of the men in her life: a restless shipping merchant, Joseph Thomas; a wealthy planter hiding a secret, John Coseveldt Cells; and a roguish naval captain who will later become King William IV of England.


From the bustling port cities of the West Indies to the forbidding drawing rooms of London’s elite, ISLAND QUEEN is a sweeping epic of an adventurer and a survivor who answered to no one but herself as she rose to power and autonomy against all odds, defying rigid eighteenth-century morality and the oppression of women as well as people of color. It is an unforgettable portrait of a true larger-than-life woman who made her mark on history.

Author Bio

Riley holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering and a master’s in industrial engineering and engineering management from Stanford University. She also earned BS and MS in mechanical engineering from Penn State University.  Riley lives in Atlanta.

A link to online retailers at the author's website. www.VanessaRiley.com 

Publisher: HarperCollins

Imprint: William Morrow

Hardcover

Release: July 6, 2021

Art Giveaway!! Click Picture for Details.


All The Cowboy Wants by Rhonda McKnight

 

Available Now!

Everything about him was big…big feet, big hands, big spirit, big laugh, big spender…big, big, big! ~ Addison Ingram 

He has something she needs.
She has something he wants.
Neither expected the complication called love.


Journalist Addison Ingram has yearned for more serious bylines and being assigned to interview Stone Bennett of the upcoming Bachelors of Atlanta series isn’t a part of her plan. She loathes rich, entitled men like Stone but interviewing him is a means to even meatier stories. However, Stone is not the man she thought he was and that discovery could lead to more than she bargained for.

Stone Bennett wrangles horses and women but he never gets attached. No woman has held his attention for more than a night and he doesn’t expect things to be any different with Addison Ingram. Then he hires her as a ghostwriter for his passion project and the chemistry between them makes him yearn for more than a business relationship. Stone thought he didn't need love, but will he discover Addison's heart is what he wants? 

 Available wherever ebooks are sold. Paperback coming soon. 

https://www.amazon.com/Cowboy-Wants-Bennett.../dp/B092TVMLTM

https://books2read.com/u/m2RGY6

 


Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Once Upon A Dream by Vanessa Miller

 


This book by Vanessa Miller is probably one of the prettiest covers I've seen in a long time. 

Growing up, Tamara Davison felt like a princess in the empire of her father's megachurch ministry. She never wanted for anything, and in her eyes, life was pretty near perfect. It wasn’t until her NFL bound boyfriend broke her heart and a sobering truth about her father's past was revealed that Tamara began to wonder about the perfect life she thought she had.

Jonathan Hartman loved Tamara Davison the moment he met her. Jonathan was brought up by a single mom who struggled to make ends meet. He had to work two jobs in college, but it all paid off. Now he is successful and rich beyond anything he ever imagined possible for a kid that came up the hard way like he did. It had been ten years since Tamara ran after a pro-baller rather than give Jonathan’s love a chance. Tamara is back in his life now and Jonathan must find a way to convince her that true love feels so much better than any fairytale she could ever dream up.

Once Upon A Dream is a reprint of Heaven On Earth with 25% new content, book discussion questions and a book club kit.

Available wherever ebooks are sold and on Amazon for paperback. Click Here


Tuesday, May 18, 2021

The Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson

 20 Word Review: This story was beautifully told. I could not put it down. 



Born on a plantation in Charles City, Virginia, Pheby Delores Brown has lived a relatively sheltered life. Shielded by her mother’s position as the estate’s medicine woman and cherished by the Master’s sister, she is set apart from the others on the plantation, belonging to neither world.

She’d been promised freedom on her eighteenth birthday, but instead of the idyllic life she imagined with her true love, Essex Henry, Pheby is forced to leave the only home she has ever known. She unexpectedly finds herself thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous Devil’s Half Acre, a jail in Richmond, Virginia, where the enslaved are broken, tortured, and sold every day. There, Pheby is exposed not just to her Jailer’s cruelty but also to his contradictions. To survive, Pheby will have to outwit him, and she soon faces the ultimate sacrifice.

Available wherever books are sold and on Audiobook. Click Here. 





Thursday, May 13, 2021

Bridgerton Fans Should Be Ready for The Island Queen This Summer


 

The Island Queen by Vanessa Riley

Based on a true story, Riley tells the story of Dorothy Kirwan Thomas (“Doll”), the exceptional free woman of color who bought her freedom from her Irish father and built an empire that defied the odds in 18th century West Indies. The Island Queen ensures that Doll’s incredible story as a survivor, entrepreneur, and woman ahead of her time will not be forgotten.


Preorder Today at Amazon and other online retailers. 


Tuesday, May 11, 2021

New from Rhonda McKnight

 



Rhonda's Amazon page for all titles and paperback version https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B002C1UUZK

All She Wants https://books2read.com/u/boDdWa

All He Needs https://books2read.com/u/b5keXG

All They Need https://books2read.com/u/b5vw2O

Thursday, May 06, 2021

All They Need by Rhonda McKnight

 


Available Now!

Their eyes connected and her stony heart softened a little. God help her. She was weak for him. ~ Harper Ingram

It was his second chance and nothing was going to keep them apart.

Harper Ingram

Harper Ingram needed the job her ex, Logan Bennett, had to offer. Without it, her design firm would be bankrupt in months. But working for Logan was proving to be more difficult than she imagined. Long hours, hot Vegas nights, and an irresistible attraction make her easy prey for his affection. Just when she’s ready to risk it all, an ugly accusation leaves her wondering if she knows him at all.

Logan Bennett

Logan walked away from Harper before and he’s never told her why, nor did she ask. He’s determined to get her back by any means necessary. A chance meeting opens the door for opportunity that neither can resist. Can Logan convince her to trust him again, and is he willing to tell her why he broke her heart the first time? 

Kindle/Nook/iBooks/Kobo/Other eReaders https://buff.ly/32LRdbI


Wednesday, March 10, 2021

All He Needs by Rhonda McKnight

 


Available Now!

People marry for financial reasons all the time, but it’s usually not to get their own money!

Marriage settles a man or at least that’s what Zeke Bennett’s great-grandmother believed. Only a settled man will inherit her millions. Fast forward 70 years and the only settling Zeke wants to do is on a business deal. The opportunity of a lifetime is dangling in front of him, but poor Zeke doesn’t even have a girlfriend. Well, he does, but she’s his best friend and he can’t marry her—can he?


Rachel Ingram is in love with her best friend, Zeke, but he doesn’t know it. Fortunately for her, she has a Team Ingram—five sisters with a plan for how to turn Zeke’s head and heart in Rachel’s direction. In a game that begins with lies and manipulation, Rachel must fight hard to flip her fake marriage to a real one. Will she discover God’s plan would have been better?

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WLZW38D

Other eBook retailers: https://books2read.com/u/b5keXG


Monday, March 01, 2021

All She Wants by Rhonda McKnight

 


Available Now!

He took Lenise’s hand and press the envelope into her palm.    

Examining it, Lenise flipped it over. “What’s in here?”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Babysitting money.”

Lenise squinted and pushed it back into his hand. “This isn’t necessary. If I want to go out, I can pay my own sitter.” 

Cole raised a hand to his face. He stroked his freshly trimmed chin hair. “Yeah, but if I overpay her, she’ll be more inclined to be willing to sit for you again.” He put the card on the hall table.

Lenise cocked her head. He was a man who was used to getting what he wanted. That was obvious. “How can you be sure you’ll want to take me out again?”

He released a breath and took her hand. “I knew I wanted another date when you opened the door.”  

About the Book:

Homeless! Lenise Reid never thought that would be her story.

Widowed with a baby, Lenise was making it work as a single mother until a fraudulent transaction wipes out her balance at the bank leaving her with no money. Living paycheck to paycheck takes on new meaning as her world is turned upside down, and she ends up sleeping in her car.

Cole Bennett’s first date with Lenise was all he needed to know she was a woman he wanted to pursue, so when she ghosts him, he goes on a mission to find out why. What he finds is a woman so wounded that even in her most desperate state she struggles with his charity.

Cole has more to give than Lenise knows how to receive. Will past hurt keep her from accepting the most precious gift God has to offer?

Kindle http://bit.ly/3bg8Ohs-AllSheWants

Nook, iBooks, Kobo, etc. https://books2read.com/u/boDdWa


Sunday, December 22, 2019

Hi!

It's me Rhonda. I have't posted on this blog in years, but I'm in the middle of a website rebuild. I needed somewhere to point my visitors while my site is being redone.

Click  HERE to be taken to my website. Thanks for visiting.

Are you here because you need help with your writing project? (See details about my services below) 

Work With Me. Schedule an appointment today!  https://rhondamcknight.as.me/



Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Bejeweled: Standing Strong by Chelle Ramsey



BOOK BLURB:

Olivia has overcome many challenges and disappointments in her life. Yet, when faced with an unexpected death of a family member, and witnessing the murder of someone she cares for, she isn’t sure she can survive. The losses incurred on this journey may cause her to pay the ultimate sacrifice.
The return of Black and Kianna means the puzzle pieces of Angel’s life are finally locking into place. The picture is different than she envisioned. Angel must determine if uncovering the truth of their past, is worth the sacrifice of her new relationship.
Kianna’s played dirty in the past, but this time the fight is deadly. She’s willing to go all in to expose the truth, which will cause everyone in the game to ante up. Will her sacrifice be more than she bargained for?
Black’s gambled several times in the past, but this time the stakes are high. With his life and those of his family serving as the bargaining chips, it isn’t that easy to fold. To protect those he loves the most, he may have to sacrifice his own life to save theirs.
Angel. Kianna. Black. In the end everyone must bear their cross. And the truth is so explosive, the House will never be the same. One will stand strong and walk away. One will stand strong and make the ultimate sacrifice. And one will stand strong and won’t survive!

EXCERPT 1:
Angel had been sitting in the waiting room for several hours with Georgette beside her. On her way to the hospital, Angel called Black’s mom to let her know what happened. She promised Angel she would be on the next flight in from DC and catch a cab to the hospital. Angel expected she would arrive at any moment.
“Mrs. Franklin,” a nurse greeted, entering the waiting room and approaching Angel.
“Yes?” Angel replied, standing up.
“Terrence is out of surgery now. He was back in recovery for the last half an hour, and they just rolled him up to his room. You can see him for a brief moment. Please follow me, Mrs. Franklin,” the nurse said. Her name tag read, “Ophelia.”
Angel looked back at Georgette who nodded her head reassuringly. She folded her arms across herself as she nervously followed the nurse through the blue swinging double doors marked Intensive Care Unit 1 {ICU 1}. Georgette had stayed behind in the waiting area, because no one was allowed back but family. Angel had told the nurse upon her arrival she was his wife, conveniently leaving the “ex” off.
Despite all the hell Black had taken her through with his years of selling drugs and cheating, she didn’t want any harm to come to him. There were more years with him as his woman and wife than not. Not to mention he was the father of her child. Although she would not admit it to anyone else, she still cared about Black.
She paused momentarily as the nurse came to a stop outside a room two doors down from the nurses’ reception desk. Angel looked through the glass partition of the ICU room Black was in. Gasping, she placed her hand to her mouth to stifle the sob that threatened to break forth. Angel didn’t try to stop the tears that flooded her eyes, running down her face. She had to be strong right now, for him and her little boy.
“Are you up to this, honey?” Ophelia asked. She placed a tiny, cool hand on Angel’s wrist and cast a warm, blue gaze at Angel.
Inhaling deeply, unable to find her voice, Angel shook her head “yes.” Following the nurse into the room, she warily took in her surroundings. The monitors stood guard over his bed like night watchmen, bleeping out readings that wouldn’t make sense to her in a million years. To the left of his bed stood two machines. According to Nurse Ophelia, one recorded his heart rate and monitored his blood pressure, while the other monitored his oxygen level. A saline drip was attached to his left hand and another pole with a plastic packet stood next to it. She was unsure as to what it was for, but the tubing attached to it; snaked its way underneath the covers to his pelvic region.
Her heart skipped a beat when she found the courage to lift her eyes to see Black lying inert in the bed. He was on a ventilator. Her Black who was so full of life, so flirtatious and fun one moment and so hardcore the next, but always talking. There were no sounds coming from him now. The endotracheal tube made sure of that. No sounds other than the low beeping and the whooshing of the equipment could be heard.
“Why is he on a ventilator?” Angel found her voice.
“It’s to assist him with breathing until he is able to do so on his own. It’s not abnormal. It just ensures that if he misses a breath, the machine will do the breathing for him. This tubing here,” Ophelia pointed at the plastic tube coming from his nose, “is a feeding tube that will give him all the nutrients he needs until he’s off the ventilator and able to eat on his own.”
“Do we know how long he’ll be here in ICU?”
“That always varies depending on the patient, their response to treatment, and how soon he begins coming around. It’s really difficult to say. But what you can do while he’s here is just talk to him, as you normally would. Just be careful not to say anything that might be upsetting to him. It’s okay to rub his hand or arm; you can even kiss him on his forehead if you would like.”
Angel shook her head and sniffed as she blinked back tears.
“All right, I’m going to step out, and I’ll be at the nurses’ station if you need anything. Its 4:30 now,” Ophelia stated, looking at her wrist watch. “You have 15 minutes with him, and then you’ll have to leave until 8:30 tonight. That’s our next visiting time.”
Angel cautiously sat in the chair on the right side of his bed. She wasn’t sure what to do with herself or how to even respond to him. A part of her continued to wait for him to wake up and say something sarcastic to her at any moment, or even ask about his son.
After sitting there for almost five minutes, she tentatively reached out her hand and touched his wrist. “Black…what happened? Who did this to you? I told you! I told you if you didn’t change your lifestyle…” Angel shook her head, recalling the nurse’s advice.
“I’m sorry,” she tried again, “I don’t know who did this to you, or why, but I’m sure we’re gonna bring them to justice.” She sat rocking back and forth for a few moments more, staring at him.
“I don’t know what I’m gonna tell TJ. He was looking forward to spending this weekend with you. Maybe I’ll just say you aren’t feeling well. I know we’ve been through so much, but that little boy loves you. And neither of you deserves this. There’s a lot of things I didn’t say throughout our marriage, which I should have said. But the one thing I never failed to tell you is you’re a wonderful father. You’ve always been the best father that little boy could have. You’re strong, smart, funny, and you have so much love in you for him. And he needs that. So if for no other reason, you have to get well for TJ, Black.” She rubbed his hand and stared at him, fighting back the tears.

EXCERPT 2:
It was always so much easier to give it when it didn’t impact you directly. The benefit of the doubt. That’s what Olivia was thinking about. There were so many things that needed her attention at the moment, but she couldn’t move past the funeral. Bethany’s funeral had been explosive in more ways than one. She had been strong through it all, even when Anne, Bethany’s mother, had announced in front of just over a hundred strangers that Raymond had been trying to re-ignite his marriage to Bethany and had even shared her bed after marrying Olivia.
A weaker woman would have broken. A weaker woman would not have walked out of the funeral home with her head held high. A weaker woman would not have held her composure on the ride back to the hotel with her husband and step-children, or on the return flight home. But Olivia was anything but weak. Her strength and faith in God kept her through it all…until they returned home.
Throughout it all, Raymond had attempted to explain it. She told him in no uncertain terms she didn’t want to discuss it until they returned home.
They had arrived back at their house just after midnight on Sunday. She pretended to be asleep even when Raymond reached for her in bed. She had pulled away and spent the remainder of the night with questions floating in her head. She would have her say. But not in front of the children. So the next day when her father asked if he could take the children for ice cream, she jumped at the opportunity.
“Baby, I’m telling you, Anne is evil. She twisted everything into something ugly. It never happened like she said,” Raymond pleaded, as he sat on the bed bench with his hands clasped between his knees.
Olivia sat at her dressing table with her back to her husband.
“Why would she lie about something like that, Ray?”
“Because she’s hateful. She wants to see me unhappy and miserable,” Raymond reasoned.
“But why, Ray? What have you done to her that would make her so angry she would tell such vile lies?” Olivia asked. She still refused to turn around and face him.
“I don’t know, baby. She’s angry because her daughter died, and she’s always hated me. The woman is prejudiced. I mean, don’t get me wrong, she loves black people as long as we’re not mixing with her precious blue blood. But once you cross that line you’re an enemy for life,” Raymond clarified.
“Raymond, this is the worst excuse I’ve ever heard. Tell me,” she said, turning around in her chair and facing her husband for the first time. “Did you tell Bethany you wanted to work on your marriage?”
“No!” Raymond adamantly denied.
“Did you ever want to work on your marriage?” Olivia interrogated.
“No, baby. At least not once I decided to divorce her. By the time you and I got together, I had left all of that behind me,” he explained.
Olivia could see the pain in his eyes, but she couldn’t help but think of all the return trips he made to Boston in the beginning of their marriage. Many of those trips had resulted in an argument between her and her husband.
“She said there were times you were staying up there and the kids were with her and Cal. What about that, Ray? How do you explain that?” she asked, pursing her lips.
“Beth knew I was coming to see the kids, but hadn’t told them. On a couple of occasions they asked if they could spend the night with their grandparents. And she took them, never telling them I was on the way into town. I usually didn’t arrive until that night some time, and it would be too late to get them by then. So I would have to wait until the next day to pick them up,” he explained. Raymond stood up and began crossing the room to his wife.
Olivia held up her hand to stop him in his path.
“Did you ever sleep in the same bed as her, Raymond?” Olivia asked. Her heart fell when her husband lowered his head. “Ray-did-you-ever-sleep-in-the-same-bed-with-Beth?” Olivia asked in a slow, drawn-out tone.
He held his head up and looked her in the eyes. “Yes, but—”
“Get the hell out of my home! Now!” she screamed, when it took a moment for him to take in what she was saying. “Get out!”
She fast-walked to the closet and began pulling his clothes out and throwing them at him.
“Ivy…baby, listen!” Raymond pleaded, pulling on her arm.
“Raymond, don’t you dare touch me! Get the hell out, now!” she growled.
He began picking up his items from the floor and left the home before the kids returned.
All alone in her bedroom, she screamed until she grew hoarse, and then she lay down and wept until she fell asleep.

EXCERPT 3:
She needed to figure out how to calm the firestorm of her marriage. She would not allow her family issues to become fuel for the gossip mill. As if catching a vibe, her cell phone began to buzz at that moment. She glanced down and saw Raymond’s smiling face on the phone.
“Hey, ladies, I’ll be right back,” she said, walking back towards her office.
She hit the answer button before she made it there. “Hold on for a moment,” she said into the phone.
Closing the door behind her, she sat in her office chair and slowly put the phone to her ear.
“Yes, Raymond,” she answered in a sharp tone.
“We need to talk, Olivia.”
“About what?”
“I don’t want to do this over the phone. We’ve been going at it like this for the last couple of days. We can’t keep telling the kids I’m out of town for a work conference.”
“That was your idea, Raymond! You better not dare try to turn this around on me. I have not interfered with your right to your children. I have no right to do that, and I wouldn’t try. You’re the one who decided you didn’t want—”
“You’re damned right, I decided!” Raymond interrupted. “They are going through enough right now and the last thing I want is for them to know we’re on the outs.”
“I don’t care what you want, Ray! Your wants don’t matter to me!”
“They had better matter. Especially where those kids are involved, Olivia. Look, I know you’re angry with me right now. But this isn’t about you and me. It’s about what they need. And what they need is to see strength and unity and love. They don’t need to see us falling apart. You’re their stepmother, and as a parent you’re a role model whether you like it or not. I’m coming home this evening. And we can talk or not, but I’m coming back home and I’m not leaving again, Olivia,” Ray shot back.
“Fine then! I will!” Olivia insisted, and clicked the phone off.
She got up from her office chair and sat on the couch. Her hands were shaking and she, felt ready to explode. She dropped her head into her hands and released the tears of hurt and frustration.
“Father what am I going to do? I’ve given this man all of my heart and all of my love. I can’t take this hurt and pain. How can I be there for these children or this man right now, when I don’t have strength for myself? How could he do this to us, Lord? I trusted him more than I’ve ever trusted another person in my life! Oh, God…whyyyyyy?” she sobbed.
Olivia’s shoulders shook with each sob that wracked her body. She thought about how all she had done was cry all weekend long. And each time was at the hands of Raymond, the man who had sworn to love, protect, and cherish her. He’d failed miserably. She wondered if he had ever gotten over his first wife. She had asked him that early on in the relationship. He’d sworn he was over Bethany. Now she began to question everything.
He wouldn’t make a fool out of her. Olivia was a good, strong woman who deserved better. This she knew. And she could show him better than she could tell him. She had a bathroom there at the shop and an extra change of clothes. She wouldn’t be going home tonight.



ABOUT CHELLE RAMSEY:
An original Georgia Peach, Chelle Ramsey is a fiction author, writing stories to encourage, empower, entertain and strengthen readers. Many of her stories are based in her birthplace of Atlanta or her husband’s hometown of Cincinnati, where readers can relate to local hot spots and events. She wants her readers (women and men) to become empowered to rise above adversity, with faith in God, and belief in themselves.
Chelle holds an MBA in Human Resource Management, which she puts to use in her HR generalist role by day, while she writes her women’s fiction and Christian fiction novels by night. She is also a romance ghostwriter, a genre very diverse from her own.
Her most important roles are those of a wife and mother of three. During her “me time,” she loves listening to music, and becomes enraptured with the enthralling stories of Terry McMillan, and Nora Roberts. She especially relishes trying to solve the engaging mysteries of James Patterson and Stuart Woods, while eating a bowl of her favorite butter pecan ice cream. Chelle resides in a rural community of Atlanta, GA and enjoys writing, family time, and watching NBA games with her husband.

CONTACT INFO:
BLOG:  www.chelleramsey.com/beautifully-inspired-blog
WEBSITE: www.chelleramsey.com
FACEBOOK:  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChelleRamsey?ref=hl
FACEBOOK_NOVEL: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-House-of-BeJeweled-Novels/385049478363422?ref=hl
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ChellesBooks
EMAIL: chelleramseywrites@gmail.com
INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/chelleramseybooks/
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscom_Chelle

GIVEAWAY:

Two different winners will be randomly selected from the participating blogs. One will receive an autographed copy of BeJeweled: Standing Strong, and another visitor will receive a $25 Amazon gift card. Winners will be chosen randomly by Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


PURCHASE BOOKS:

BeJeweled: Standing Strong at Amazon 

ALL BOOKS AMAZON: Chelle Ramsey Amazon
 

PAPERBACKS:




(HOBJ IV) (COMING SOON)