Urban Reviews is the premier destination for all things relating to African-American Fiction. It's primary focus will be on the promotion of new and upcoming books by Black authors, but Urban Reviews will also include exclusive interviews, online Q&As, tour info, press release info, and industry news as well.
Friday, January 25, 2019
The Forthcoming : Full Figured 13: Carl Weber Presents (Full-Figured Series) : Mona Love & Katt
A Million Dollars Worth of Fat by Mona Love: Keisha Long is cute, funny, and is always the life of the party but she is also 320 pounds and lonely. She’s tried dating apps, blind dates, and everything else she can think of, but nothing has gotten her further than the friend zone and more “I like you like a sister” speeches than she can count on all her fingers and toes.
Things change for Keisha when she buys a winning lottery ticket worth 54 million dollars. Suddenly, she has more suitors than she can keep up with. Darius, Wilson, Tony, Keith, and Malek all come knocking on her door, but are any of them interested in the real her, and not just her newfound wealth?
Can money buy you happiness? Keisha will find out—or maybe she won’t.
Complications by Katt: Secret Johnson has been slim all her life, but since she had her second
child and turned 38, she has gained almost seventy pounds. She’s tried every diet under the sun, but the more she tries, the more weight she seems to gain. Now it’s affecting her sex drive, and she can see it’s affecting her marriage. Her husband, David, always seems to be complaining.
Determined to change things, Secret finds a doctor who is willing to perform weight loss surgery at a reduced price. It’s a deal that seems too good to be true. Unfortunately, she soon finds out that it is, and between the complications and her failing marriage, she is now even more desperate to find a way to reclaim the woman she used to be.
Pre-order your copy of Full Figured 13 today!
The Forthcoming : Love Knows My Name: 9 Romantic Short Stories (Aspiring Love Collection Book 1) : Tyora Moody & Wanda B. Campbell, & more
Sometimes past experiences make a a person feel as if they will never know true love. LOVE KNOWS MY NAME features nine sweet Christian romance short stories from veteran and new authors. Enjoy stories of characters finding love at last.
LASTING IMPRESSIONS by Wanda B. Campbell
Working as an ICU nurse offers Kaymar Washington many rewards, but a cure for loneliness isn’t one of them. Patient Johnny Twenty-five changes everything. If only her patient wasn't comatose and knew she exists.
DANCING ON THE MOON by Linda Leigh Hargrove
Dr. Katrina Mason loves teaching college math. It's a rewarding departure from her past vocation as a stripper. When handsome Principal Nate Thomas finds out about her provocative past, will he be inviting her to leave the job?
LOVE CALLED MY NAME by Alicia Fleming
Sierra Ramsey meets Blaine Johnson in her grief care support group. As their friendship blossoms, will Sierra lets her guard down and learn to love again?
FOR THE LOVE OF YOU by Yolanda Johnson-Bryant
After a failed marriage, Serena Collins was done with relationships, that is until Gerard Nelson. After the prognosis of terminal illness, the couple has to decide if a lifetime of love is worth the little time they have. Certain Gerard is her forever soulmate, Serena is content with the life she’s lived. Will Serena throw away a second chance at love?”
A COFFEE SHOP CONNECTION by T.A. Beasley
Renee Spencer is running late for work but knows she'll be no good for anyone without her morning coffee from Rose's Coffee Cafe. David Brock is on his way to work when he stops to help a friend. Unbeknownst to Renee, her detour may be fate trying to brighten up her day.
A TIMELESS LOVE by Naa Harper
At seventeen, when Candace Parker catches the attention of Michael Taylor, star quarterback of Olive’s high school football team, her world is wrecked and turned upside down. Years later, when she attends the regularly scheduled game night at a friend’s house and there is one guest she is not expecting.
ONE DAY I'LL BE GONE by Leslie K. Howard
Jeanette, a meek young college student gets caught up in a warm, attentive whirlwind named Thomas Watson. But after they marry, everything about Tom changes. When an apocalyptic event rocks Tom’s world and he discovers Jenny is gone, will he finally change for the better?
SPRING BLUES by Annie Johnson
Physical therapist Spring Vaughn is still struggling with a past tumultuous relationship. When DeMarco Blues, a professional football player, becomes her latest patient, she can't deny her attraction. But the last thing she wants is another relationship with an athlete.
THE REPLACEMENT DATE by Tyora Moody
Five years after a rocky divorce, Donna Madison is out on her first date. But when she is stood up by her date, she’s not too upset because a surprise “replacement” date saves the night. Donna can't help but wonder if the unexpected meeting has divine purposes.
Pre-order your copy of Love Knows My Name today!
The Forthcoming : With Your Permission (In The Heart Of A Valentine Book 5) : Stephanie Nicole Norris
It was their first encounter that landed them in newfound territory.
Up and coming wedding planner Bri St. James is in the height of her career. As the CEO of Building Bridges LLC, Bri is driven by determination for success, and each day makes for new opportunities abound. However, while planning the wedding of one of Chicago’s hottest couples, Bri’s focus is shifted when the strum of a nocturnal voice captures her attention. Being an empath has empowered her sense of compassion for others, so she’s not only drawn to him because of his broken heart but also from a fierce attraction that sparks her interest and tap dances on a groove on her heart. Getting involved with someone who’s not open to love may prove to be the most difficult road Bri has ever journeyed, but she’s unable to stop herself from falling into an irresistible tango of love.
World-renowned photographer Raphael Valentine hasn’t been in the public eye since the tragic death of his fiancĂ©e four years prior. To date, his time is spent helping his charity of choice—educating the community about the dangers of driving while intoxicated. For him, love is a thing of the past until meeting Bri St. James at his brother’s rehearsal dinner made Raphael question what he’d always believed to be true. There was no explanation for the riot of pulsing sensations that ripped through his core when his eyes met hers. The unquenchable heat that followed stirred his soul, sending his heart on a quest he himself hadn’t agreed to venture on. As a friendship between the two flourishes, and they're cloaked in a dynamic surge of desire, Raphael is met with the ultimate challenge: surrender to a second chance at love or abandon his happily ever after for a lifetime.
Pre-order your copy of With Your Permission today!
The Forthcoming : No Honor Amongst Thieves (Hood Misfits) : Brick & Storm
"My husband was down on his knees, bloodied, battered, and beaten to the point he could barely hold himself up. He'd always been a warrior, my warrior. They would kill him, I knew that. I felt it with everything within me. My husband was going to die, and it was all my fault. . . ."
Meet Marcel and Sabrina, a hitman and a bookkeeper for the Mob. The couple should have never met, let alone fallen in love. When they decide to go against the grain, all hell breaks loose. Somebody wants them dead; they just don't know who. It could be Leo, Marcel's jealous older brother; Othello, Sabrina's crooked father; or it could be The Family, a roundtable of the top contenders in the underworld. There is no honor amongst thieves. Marcel and Sabrina will find the old adage to be true the hard way.
Pre-order your copy of No Honor Amongst Thieves today!
The Forthcoming :Trouble in Rio: A Family Business Novel : Carl Weber & M.T. Pope
Rio Duncan is one of the youngest children of the Duncan clan. With no solid position in the family business like his other siblings, he has been feeling out of place and decides to disappear. Rio leaves his Duncan identity behind and goes on a search for friends and family who can relate to him. His destination is Baltimore, and he is sure to find what he is looking for in the city with a community like no other. There, he also finds unexpected trouble.
Corey Grant is making a name for himself in Baltimore with an inherited drug empire and a complicated relationship with his right-hand man. With plenty on his plate, Corey has almost no time for the romance he wants with Dre, and he feels like they are growing apart. That brings about a jealousy and insecurity that he doesn’t know how to control.
Diana Black is Corey’s girlfriend-for-hire, and she has a taste for bad boys. She is loyal to Corey’s cause, but how long will that last?
Rio’s personality and flair instantly gains him entrance into Corey’s circle. Rio says he’s looking for friends, but Corey is sure that other motives are on the table. When Rio has a change of heart about his newfound crew, he needs an escape plan. There is one problem: his family doesn’t know where he is. Did he inherit any of the ruthless traits he observed in his father and brothers? Can the most colorful Duncan son get out of Baltimore and back home safe and sound now that he’s on his own?
Pre-order your copy of Trouble in Rio today!
The Forthcoming : Eshe: The Fire Breathing Series : J.D. Mason
She’s the first and Andwele Abioye has no blue print for how to fulfill an ancient prophecy that he’s inherited from his forefathers, the Sons of Sango, an order of demigods tasked with facilitating the awakening the spirits of Oya’s dragon daughters. The objectives have been passed down from generation to generation and have been drilled into Andwele and his brothers. And they are crystal clear. Gain her unwavering trust—all of it. Gain her unwavering trust before the Trial by Fire begins. Don’t die. Reap her human soul. Awaken her dragon spirit. And, oh yeah. Don’t die.
Eshe Taylor is emotionally unraveling and doesn’t understand why. She’s living in a waking dream and with each passing day, her neurosis seems to be getting worse. She can’t sleep or eat. Eshe can’t focus on simple tasks and is becoming overwhelmed by paranoia, anxiety, emotional imbalances that are becoming unbearable. One evening, her worst fears come to light, and Eshe finds herself living one of her nightmares. But when she’s rescued, her relief is short lived, as she begins to understand that the worst is yet to come, and all she has to help her survive this is the man who manipulated her and dragged her into an unbelievable destiny she wants no part of.
Pre-order your copy of Eshe today!
Saturday, January 19, 2019
ON THE LINE with Radiah Hubbert : Marlon McCaulsky
Marlon McCaulsky is an American author and screenplay writer of Fiction, Romance, and Science Fiction. He is known for his novels about contemporary African-American life.
Marlon McCaulsky was born in Brooklyn, NY and was raised in St. Petersburg FL. Marlon is a graduate of the International Academy of Design and Technology Tampa.
His first major publication was in (2008) The Pink Palace and has gone on to publish over thirteen novels and anthologies. He currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Radiah : Tell us about If I Was Your Girlfriend.
Marlon : If I Was Your Girlfriend is a romantic-drama set Atlanta, Georgia the book follows the lives of a group of four women in their mid-twenties who, despite their different natures and ever-changing lives, remain inseparable and confide in each other.
I wrote the first draft way back in 2005 after a deep conversation with a group of friends. The topic of dating your friends ex came up and it got heated LOL... So that sparked the idea of the story and me being the devil's advocate decided to paint a picture that would challenge the readers point of view.
Radiah: The main characters in this story are four friends that are women with different personalities. Was it difficult to create these characters and to write the novel from a woman's perspective?
Marlon: Not really, most of my books are written from a women's point of view. I grew up around a lot of women so that's given me a good point of reference to draw from. I think the key is just try and be authentic to each characters personality and put yourself in their shoes.
Radiah: Do you think these characters will appear in a future book?
Marlon: Oh yeah! They will make cameos in my next book. Since it's also set in Atlanta. Kinda like a loosely connected series. While these group of friends is doing this, there is another set of friends doing this. And some of them may know each other. Sorta like six degrees of separation.
Radiah: Are you working on anything now?
Marlon: Yes I am. My next book is called, "My Current Situation: An Atlanta Tale" It's a romantic comedy about a group of friends since college and where their lives end up a few years later. I leaned heavy in the comedic aspects of the characters and situations. It's the type of story that's gonna make you laugh out loud if I did my job right.
Radiah: Where can readers find out more about you and your books?
Marlon: You can find out more about me at marlonmccaulsky.com and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter where I talk ish and make jokes on the regular.
Click here to check out the review of If I Was Your Girlfriend here!
Click here to check out the review of If I Was Your Girlfriend here!
OPEN CALL FOR AUTHORS : The 11th Annual Great Midwest Book Fest. The Great Midwest Book Fest : 7/13/19
OPEN CALL FOR AUTHORS! UrbanReviewsOnline.com presents the 11th Annual Great Midwest Book Fest. The Great Midwest Book Fest will be held on Saturday, July 13, 2019, from 1pm to 4pm at Nicolet High School, 6701 N. Jean Nicolet Road, Glendale, WI. The Great Midwest Book Fest is a three hour book fair that is open to the public with a $5 admission. This year's headline authors will be National Bestselling authors ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Earl Sewell, and Naleighna Kai. There will be 10 to 12 authors selling their own books. The first hour will be dedicated to author introductions. Each author will get five minutes to either read an excerpt of their book or to tell attendees more about themselves or their books. This will be followed by a 10-15 minute Q&A session with the attendees. There are usually 80-100 attendees that come to this book fest and a lot of them buy more than one book. Please be advised that this is a local book event (not a conference), so please think about overall costs when deciding to participate in this event (i.e. airfare, hotel, food, etc)
The participation fee for an author table is $125. You will have your own table to decorate any way that you would like. You will be included in all of our online marketing materials, postcards, and posters that we will have throughout our city. If you are interested, please respond back to this email : radiah@urban-reviews.com or inbox ASAP and I will send you an Paypal invoice. Once all spots are filled, invoices will be cancelled. Thank you!
Thursday, January 17, 2019
NEW REVIEW : If I Was Your Girlfriend: An Atlanta Tale: Marlon McCaulsky
Rashida Haughton, Joyce Roland, Denise Varner, and Taylor Fenty are four friends that are just trying to juggle the start of their careers and their personal lives. Rashida thinks that she’s found the man of her dreams. But is he worth ruining a lifelong friendship with Joyce? Denise finds herself unexpectedly bound to a man that’s not her type forever. Taylor is living her best carefree life trying to sort out her feelings for someone who has been there all along. What will happen to these women?
If I Was Your Girlfriend is a great contemporary women’s fiction novel by Marlon McCaulsky. McCaulsky does a good job of telling this story from each woman’s point of view. The characters are in their 20s and it’s set in 2018. But when reading the novel, it takes you back to those good girlfriend type of African American women’s fiction novels of the 90s and early 2000s. There’s just enough drama to keep the story flowing without being over the top. The story is realistic with an ending that readers will be satisfied with. If I Was Your Girlfriend is a fun and delightful read by Marlon McCaulsky.
Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert
Click here to get your copy of If I Was Your Girlfriend today!
Thursday, January 03, 2019
Open Call for Authors : 11th Annual Great Midwest Book Fest - Saturday, January 19, 2019.
The Open Call for participating authors for the 11th Annual Great Midwest Book Fest will be on Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 10am central. The Open Call is when an email is sent to the authors that are on the Open Call list that the tables are being sold for the book fest. The email is sent to the list before it’s listed on social media. The Great Midwest Book Fest is a three hour book fest that’s open to the public with $5 admission. The price for the author tables will be $125. To get on the Open Call list, email your best email address to reach you at : radiah@urban-reviews.com.
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12 Days of Christmas Book Giveaway
Coming soon! 12 days of Christmas book giveaway returns on 12/15/24! The contest will be held in the Urban Reviews Facebook Group, and the...
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