CFBA – Up Pops the Devil by Angela Benson

Angela Benson September 3, 2008 No Comments

Yes, I’m joining about 50 other bloggers and hosting myself on the CFBA Tour.  You can host me, too.  All you have to do is create a post that links to Up Pops the Devil on Amazon.com.   Here’s the link.   If you’ve read Up Pops the Devil, then you can include your review in the post.

To make this post totally about me, I’ll include a link to a interview that I did  tonight with Tifany Jones of Sistah Confessions.  I think somebody’s gonna muzzle me pretty soon.

To all my girlfriends who listen to this interview, I was NOT talking about you.  I was talking about generic girlfriends.  🙂

Up Pops the Devil – The Sequel?

Angela Benson September 2, 2008 4 Comments

Okay, the reader mail for Up Pops the Devil has started to pour in.  It seems some of you see a sequel in the future.  So tell me your idea for a sequel.  Which characters and/or storylines would you like to see again?

Those of you who haven’t read Up Pops the Devil might want to stay away from the Comments to this post.  They may contain spoilers.

CFBA Tour: Back to Life by Kristin Billerbeck

Angela Benson September 1, 2008 1 Comment

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Back To Life
Avon Inspire (September 16, 2008)
by
Kristin Billerbeck

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kristin Billerbeck was born in Redwood City, California. She went to San Jose State University and gained a bachelor’s degree in Advertising, then worked at the Fairmont Hotel in PR, a small ad agency as an account exec, and then, she was thrust into the exciting world of shopping mall marketing.

She got married, had four kids, and started writing romance novels until she found her passion: Chick Lit. She is a CBA bestselling author and two-time winner of the ACFW Book of the Year for What A Girl Wants in 2004, and again in 2006 for With this Ring. Featured in the New York Times, USA Today, World Magazine, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Kristin has appeared on the Today Show. She is credited with jump-starting the inspirational chick-lit phenomenon. Most recently she has been names as a finalist for the Christy Award in the Lits category for The Trophy Wives Club.

Her other recent books include: She’s All That.

ABOUT THE BOOK


Lindsey realized when she married Ron, a man 17 years her senior, that the odds were he’d see heaven before her, but she never expected to be a widow at 35. There’s too much of life left for her to just sit around in mourning. But she can’t seem to kick start the rest of her life.

That is until she gets some help from Ron’s first wife, Jane, who shows up unexpectedly at her door one day as the executor of her husband’s estate. Jane is everything Lindsey’s not… independent, stubborn… and a lot older. Plus she has one surprise after another… including a son named Ron Jr. (she insists he’s not “really” Ron’s son). But an unlikely friendship develops as each woman begins to reevaluate what is really important, and owns up to the mistakes they’ve made in the past.

Told in the alternating voices of Jane and Lindsey, and with the return of many of the witty characters of The Trophy Wives Club, this book is a lighthearted, relatable read for when life goes in a direction you never planned. With faith and friends, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.

If you would like to read an excerpt of chapter 1 of Back To Life, go HERE

My review:  Well, I don’t have a review.  The book was waiting for on Sunday afternoon when I returned home from Charlotte so I haven’t had time to read it.  To be honest, I probably won’t get time to read it for a while.  You all will remember though that Kristin participated in our Writing Rituals dicussion a few weeks back.  This is the first time I’m participating in a CFBA Blog Tour so let me know what you think of the books that come through.

Do readers feel welcome?

Angela Benson August 29, 2008 7 Comments

It occurred to me the other day that I have a link on the blog with resources for writers but I don’t have one for readers.  Then it occurred to me that I don’t know what readers want on an author web site or blog.  So help me out, readers. One of the reasons I started doing cocntests is that I thought readers liked them but I never really asked so I’m asking now.  What do you want to see on this site?  What would make this a fun place for you to visit?  What about a place for you to act out characters?  A place to discuss books?  All responses are welcome.

Have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend!

An Event, Some Good News and a New Contest

Angela Benson August 28, 2008 6 Comments

For those of you in the Charlotte, NC area, I’ll be in your stomping ground on Saturday, August 30 at 1p at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in (or near) the SouthPark Mall.  Come by and visit with me if you have some time. I’d love to see you.

In news that I’m still trying to get my mind around, Up Pops the Devil has been chosen the November African-American Book Club Pick for Books-A-Million. This is great news as it means Up Pops the Devil will be featured prominently in all Books-A-Million stores from September 1 through November 31.

If you follow this link, you’ll see that Victoria Christopher Murray’s Too Little, Too Late and  ReShonda Tate Billingley’s The Pastor’s Wife have been recent picks.  LIterary great Richard Wright had two picks.

This is the first time one of my books has been chosen for as a book club pick for a chain bookstore so I’m very excited about it.  Be sure to drop by your local Books-A-Million and look for it.

In fact, you can be my eyes and ears.  If you send me a photo of you in a Books-A-Million store next to the book display for Up Pops the Devil as the African-American Book Club Pick, I’ll post the photo on my blog and enter you in a contest to win a $15 Books-A-Million gift card.  Three GRAND PRIZE winners will be selected from the entries.  The contest will continue through September 31 and the winners will be announced on October 15.

You may submit your entry (or entries) via e-mail to me at the address HERE or you may submit via snail mail to Angela Benson, PO Box 868643, Tuscaloosa, AL 35486-0077.

Each entry should include your name (first name or nickname is sufficient) or the name of your group, a photo of you standing near the book display with a book in hand, and the location of the Books-A-Million store where the photo is taken.  All photos become the property of Angela Benson and will be posted on my blog at angelabenson.com.

I’ll probably run the contest again in November so if you don’t win this time, you’ll have another chance in November.

NOTE: This is the second version of this post.  My computer ate the first one and I’m sure it was much better than this one.  Trust me.

Now get to clicking those cameras.  I can’t wait to see your smiling faces on this blog!

I’ve been tagged!

Angela Benson August 28, 2008 6 Comments

Patricia Woodside at http://readinnwritin.blogspot.com tagged me. I believe I’ve been tagged before but I’m not sure I’ve ever participated.  Thus, today is a day for new things.

Here’s how it works:

I list three categories of books.
5 MUST Read Books.
5 Books on Your Nightstand.
5 Look For These Soon.

Keeping with the theme, I tag bloggers. They should put these same lists on their blog but SUBTRACT one book from each list and ADD one of their own. Then they should tag at least 5 more bloggers.

It will be fun to see how the lists change as it goes around the blogosphere. Please come back to this post and leave a comment so I can see how the lists are changing as they go around the blogosphere. Since this is Book Buzz…please keep your lists to titles released in 2007-2009.

My additions are in BOLD.

5 MUST Read Books:

Rhythms of Grace by Marilynn Griffith
Demon: A Memoir by Tosca Lee
Yellow Moon by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Conception by Kalisha Buckhanon
Better Than, Leslie Esdaile

5 Books on the Nightstand:

Secrets of a Sinner by Yolonda Tonette Sanders
Dance with the Devil by Sherrilyn Kenyon
From Harvey River by Lorna Goodison
My Soul Cries Out by Sherri Lewis
Murder Mayhem & a Fine Man, Claudia Mair Burney

5 Look For These Soon:

Bring on the Blessings by Beverly Jenkins
Nailed by Jennifer Lauren
The Hood Life: A Bentley Manor Tale by Meesha Mink and De’nesha Diamond
Wounded by Claudia Mair Burney
Rainbow’s End, GiGi Gunn

I’ve tagged: Marilynn Griffith, Missy, Angela, Cashana, and Shelia.

Please tell me this isn’t the equivalent of a chain letter.

Seven things I learned while on the Soul Expressions Tour

Angela Benson August 22, 2008 6 Comments

1. Harlequin is a good place to be.  They had four authors on the tour, three of whom started with Arabesque books in the mid-nineties around the time I did–Donna Hill, Rochelle Alers and Brenda Jackson.  These authors could write for any publishing house they want and they’ve chosen Harlequin.  That speaks volumes for Harlequin. 

2. HarperCollins is a good place to be.  Harper had three authors on the tour, including me.  I was the newbie beside New Yorks Times Bestseller Kimberla Lawson Roby and the perennial favorite Beverly Jenkins.  HarperCollins stepped up to the plate for us.  They hosted an online interview with us while we were on the road and they equipped Beverly with a video camera so she could record our stops.

3. New York Times Bestsellers come in all shapes and sizes.  Street lit author Wahida Clarke made the list and she’s only published three books, two of which were written while she was in prison.  Romance writer Brenda Jackson made the list and she’s published 56 books over about a 13-year period.  Women’s fiction author Kim Roby made the list and she self-published her first book.  Street lit author Vickie Stringer made the list and owns a publishing house.  Vickie also started writing while in prison.

4. Readers read across genres.  I sorta knew this but the tour drove the point home.  Readers who bought me, Victoria Christopher Murray and Marilynn Griffith also bought Vickie and Wahida as well as erotica author Allison Hobbs.  Of course, there were some readers who only wanted Wahida or Vickie, while others only wanted me, Marilynn or Victoria. Most of them though read widely though.

5. Authors are generous.  There were a lot of personal stories and business insights shared on this trip.  We talked about the pros-and-cons of being a Black Expressions main selection.  We shared tips on effective marketing and promotion.  We bought each others’ books.

6. Romance readers turn out for booksignings.  I’d guess that Brenda Jackson, Donna Hill, Rochelle Alers and Beverly Jenkins probably had the most readers visit them.  These readers had their full backlist so they’d been fans for a while. 

7. Publishing regularly and often has it benefits.  Brenda, Donna, Rochelle and Beverly are all wonderful writers but I think the fact that romance demands publishing multiple books a year comes into play in the characteristics of their readers.  These readers have gotten to know Brenda, Donna, Rochelle and Beverly through 15 years of books coming out multiple times a year (Rochelle will have 12 out next year!) so there’s a special relationship with them.  As an example, Brenda sponsors a cruise with her readers every two years.  A cruise!  Beverly Jenkins does weekend pajama parties with hers.

That’s all I can think of now. If I think of something else. I’ll start another list.

So how much of this did you already know and what was new to you?

UPDATE:  Marilynn Griffith has her list up HERE.  It’s well worth a read. 

Faith and Fiction Retreat

Angela Benson August 20, 2008 7 Comments

If you attended the Faith and Fiction Retreat this past weekend in Destin, FL, I’d love to hear about it. I’m sorry I missed it.  So details please!  You can post here as Comments or drop me an e-mail if you want to do a full-fledged conference report.  I welcome both.

UPDATE 3:  Ty has an excellent recap of the Retreat as well.  She even has pictures. See HERE.

UPDATE 2:  Patricia shared her Retreat experience HERE. You know, I think I’m breaking a commandment: Thou shalt not covet thy fellow bloggers’ Retreat experiences.

UPDATE 1: Rhonda McKnight blogs about her time at the Faith and Fiction Retreat HERE.  It’s great reading.

I couldn’t wait for Rhonda’s post.  I had to call the Retreat sponsor and founder, author Tiffany Warren.  I kept the poor woman on the phone for about an hour.  I got the scoop though.  This conference is on my list for next year.  It’s about time for me to become a regular conference-goer again.  I think my last one was RWA in 2001.  It was in Houston.

What conferences do you attend regularly and why?