Book Release Day – Egyptian Nights by L. Loren

It’s here! It’s finally here! – June 20th the Release Date of Egyptian Nights by L. Loren!!!

Be sure to get your copy today, while the e-book is on sale for $0.99. The price will increase after release day so don’t miss out. Click Here to buy!

Here’s the skinny on the book:

Once upon a time there was a beautiful young woman named Egypt, and she loved sex. Cursed by her mother’s dying declaration, she thinks she is unworthy of love. Locking her feelings inside an impenetrable ice block, she hides behind casual sex. Aided by her Naughty Fairy Godmother, she creates a playlist of rules to live by to avoid a broken heart. 

When the ruggedly, sexy businessman, Harper Beckmann enters the restaurant where she is the executive chef, she feels drawn to him in ways she never felt before. When he denies her offer for a casual hook-up and offers to take her on a date instead, she is intrigued. Unable to resist his charms, she allows him to break all of her rules, including kissing on the mouth.

Harper has been playing the field since his fiancée left him for his best friend. A romantic at heart, he longs for the love of a good woman. When he meets Egypt, he knows instantly she is just what he needs to cure his aching heart. If he can break down her walls and get her to admit she loves him too, Beckmann may just be the one to break the curse.  

***WARNING: This book contains explicit sexual content and is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18. May contain triggers for those sensitive about sexual abuse.

 

50 Years of Loving Guest Blog – Lisa W. Tetting

Love, Lies and Bowling

by Lisa W. Tetting

I am usually private about my marriage. That’s just how I’m built. It is rare that I tell the complete story of how I met my husband Doug, but the 50th Anniversary of Loving vs Virginia seems like a good time to spill the tea.

Picture it – Sicily 1995… Alright so my name is not Sophia and it wasn’t in Sicily it was Raleigh, but it was 1995. I was working in a grocery store when a strange blonde lady approached me as if we were old friends. Since I was at work, I was pleasant and polite, but in the back of my mind I was thinking this woman is crazy! She just approached a stranger and asked her to go out with one of her friends. Who does that?

“I have a friend who really likes you and he wants to go out with you,” she cooed, smiling like she just asked me what time it was.

Normally, I would have told her about herself and went about my business, but like I said, I was at work so I held my tongue. The lady introduced herself and continued talking to her new BFF – me…

“My name is Karen and I come in here all of the time. I see you a lot and you have rented videos to me.”

It was true that I rented hundreds of videos to people every week, but I didn’t recall this woman. I would have remembered her NY accent. I made it a point to get to know my loyal customers so I could suggest movies to them. Oh, for those too young to remember, this was when grocery stores were one stop shops. You could bank, shop for groceries, pick up your prescription, rent a video, buy perfume or grab some flowers. And if that wasn’t enough, you could send an receive money via Western Union.

I digress, so even tough this lady was a little weird, something in my spirit told me to hear her out.

“My friend has seen you in the store and he thinks you’re cute. I told him I knew you and volunteered to talk to you.”

Wait what? Yeah, this woman lied to her friend and now she wanted me to go along with her lie. She definitely didn’t know me. I was a little put off by her, but it wasn’t his fault his friend was a liar.

“Not to be rude, but I don’t recall meeting you before. If your friend wants to meet me, why didn’t he come over here instead of sending you?”

She didn’t miss a beat. “He’s shy. What do you say we go on a double date – you and my friend Doug along with me and my boyfriend?”

I looked at the woman like she had lost her mind. “I’m not going anywhere with anyone I don’t know. At the very least I need to meet him first, before I agree to any date. I don’t even know what he looks like.”

“Oh that’s cool. My friend is really nice. He’s a little taller than you. He’s white with black hair that has spikes in it.”

I almost lost my lunch when she said spikes in his hair. I have a vivid imagination and all I could see running through my mind was a punk rocker with 3 foot spikes, wearing eye makeup and leather studs. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I couldn’t see myself with a guy like that.

“SPIKES!?” I questioned.

“Oh, not like that. He has short hair that he styles with hair gel. It kind of stands up like spikes. He’s really cute. Listen, I will go get him and we’ll come back later so you can meet him.”

I shook my head and watched as the cuckoo bird walked out of the store. I really didn’t expect her to return. Maybe she was off her meds or something. Trying to forget about the lady, I went back to work processing a supply order. About an hour or so went by and low and behold Karen and her friend arrived.

At first glance I determined he was indeed cute and he had a nice smile. He was an inch or two taller than me, but he was much too skinny for my tastes. I am not a small woman, even back then I had some size to me so I need a man that can handle all my assets so to speak. Regardless, I felt a good vibe from him and I was intrigued by his shyness. Karen didn’t lie about that. There was no doubt about it, he was shy. So much so that he began stuttering when he tried to answer my question about his visible tattoo.

“I see you like tattoos. How many do you have?”

He moved to cover his ink, as if I was judging him. I found the move very cute. He wanted to impress me.

“Iiiiii onlllly have the one,” he replied as if I was chastising him.

“Oh really? I was actually thinking about getting one.” I smiled to let him know I was not one of those uptight girls who don’t like guys with tats. Relief washed over his face and his beautiful eyes lit up.

I have to admit, the man had some nice eyes. They seemed to change colors varying from a light shade of blue to green and settling on grey. I was a little mesmerized by them and I knew I was going to go out with him.

I felt a connection to this man, who was not someone I would have normally gone out with, but felt like I should have been with him all along. It was a weird feeling, but I liked it. I didn’t care that he stuttered, in fact I was flattered that he was so nervous in my presence that it caused him to stutter.

Well you guessed it, I said yes to the date, where we went midnight bowling – a first for me. Apparently he was a gifted bowler and had no trouble teaching me. It was indeed a double date with Karen and her boyfriend Billy, who happened to be black.

Anyone who saw the four of us would think I was with Billy and Karen was with Doug. As a matter of fact, a guy I grew up with was in the bowling alley with his family and came over to say hi. I hadn’t see him in years so I was excited to see him and gave him a hug. I’m a hugger!

I immediately noticed Doug’s body language change. He stiffened and looked a little sad. Since we had been having such a great date, I didn’t want things to be ruined. Before I had a chance to say anything, my high school friend introduced himself to Billy, shaking his hand like he was with me. I looked at the exchange between the two men and turned up my face. First let me say, Billy was the kind of dude I would never in a million years date! He wasn’t bad looking, but he was lazy, a heavy drinker and rude as hell. Oh yeah, I failed to mention Billy had come into the store where I worked quite often, always buying beer, and always hit on me. He was a hound and I would never have agreed to go on a double date if I knew he was going to be there. Ok so after my friend shook his hand I turned him to face Doug and introduced them. There was a weird exchange and then it was as if the light bulb went off. “Oh she’s with the white guy.”

I found the reaction quite comical and after he left Doug and I continued our date. It was the best date I had ever been on. We really vibed. It was as if Doug and I had known each other for years. Gone was the nervous, man from the store and in his place was a man who was laughing, joking and finishing my sentences and vice versa.

Well, let me tell you, we have been inseparable ever since. That shy young man is now

©Lisa W. Tetting

the best friend I have ever had. We will celebrate 17 years of wedded bliss later this month and a total of 22 years together. I thank God every day for allowing me to be open to dating outside of my race. If I had been a closed minded person, I would have missed the best thing that has ever happened to me.

So that’s the story of how I met my one true love! Thank you Mildred and Richard Loving for having the courage to break down the barriers so that I could legally marry my soul mate.

 

50 Years of Loving Guest Blog – Cara Pearson

LARK & CAROLINE:  A Forbidden Love

 by Cara Pearson

 

“The worst feeling in the world is when you know that you both love each other but still you can’t be together.” This quote perfectly describes the relationship of Lark and Caroline.

©Vanilla Rose illustration used with permission

 

Their story begins just after the end of the civil war in the turbulent south.  Lark was a mulatto (bi-racial) farm hand who began working for Caroline’s family – who were white.  Against all odds, the mid twenty-something pair became mutually attracted to each other.  Due to race relations, it was taboo to date someone of another race and most importantly, against the law to marry.  So, it was very dangerous for a man of color and a white woman to be seen together as a couple in South Carolina.  In order to camouflage their outings, Caroline would ride behind Lark in their buggy, so that it appeared that he was her servant, instead of appearing as a couple.  Despite their love, Lark and Caroline were unable to legally marry.

In 1870, they had their first child – a boy named after Caroline’s brother, George, who

©matheus ferrero

died during the war.  When Caroline’s family discovered that she was pregnant with baby George, Lark’s life was threatened and he left the area for a short period of time, but eventually returned to Caroline.  Two years later, they welcomed a daughter, named Annie.  Caroline’s mother, Emeline, was emotionally distant from her two grandchildren, George and Annie.  She requested that the children enter through her back door during their visits to her home.  These type of issues with family and local residents plagued the relationship of the couple.  Because of the continuing threats to his life (i.e. lynching), Lark escaped to North Carolina which forced the couple to permanently split up.

One hundred years after Lark and Caroline, the case of Loving vs. Virginia outlawed bans on interracial marriage.  During the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision, Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote, “Marriage is one of the ‘basic civil rights of man,’ fundamental to our very existence and survival.”  In addition he wrote, “Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the State.”  That decision changed how America defined love and marriage for all future generations.

The story of Lark and Caroline is not fiction, but the story of my great-great-great grandparents.  They risked their lives for love, but unfortunately, the society norms prevailed.  Regardless, I am thankful for their union – because of them, I am here.

 

©Cara Pearson used with permission

Cara Pearson began her career as a Claims Adjuster in Charlotte, NC.  She later moved to Atlanta, GA where she honed skills as a Corporate Risk Manager.

After returning to Charlotte and much deliberations, Pearson incorporated her interests of media, technology and public affairs to form Cara Live!  Currently, Pearson maintains a dual career in Washington, DC in the field of Risk Management and Cara Live!

50 Years of Loving Guest Blog – Gabriel Rich

By Gabriel Rich

 

This month marks the 50^th anniversary of the landmark Loving v. Virginia decision that shot down laws prohibiting interracial marriage.  The decision set a precedent in that it overturned miscegenation laws that both Mildred and Richard Loving were accused of violating.

Mildred, a Negro woman, and Richard, a white man, were both arrested and brought up on felony miscegenation charges, including the Racial Integrity Act of 1924, in 1958 after Mildred became pregnant.  Even though the couple had a marriage license, their union was not recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia.  This set off a chain of events that had the Lovings not only battling for their right to marry, but their freedom as well.

The courage of Mildred and Richard Loving cannot be denied.  They took their fight to the highest court in the land, and won.  The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision to overturn the Virginia Commonwealth’s decision struck a mighty blow against racism and the system of white supremacy.  It put anti-miscegenation laws on notice and ultimately rendered them unenforceable.

50 years later, not all that much has changed since the Loving’s battle for a legal interracial marriage.  Black and white people can legally marry, and these days it’s not as frowned upon as it was, say, 20 years ago.  But the construct of white supremacy still exist, which means we live in an integrated but still an unequal society.  Of course a person should have to right to choose their mate, regardless of color.  But don’t get it twisted.  Interracial coupling doesn’t mean overall racial bliss and harmony. We still have a long way to go in terms of races having a better relationship.  I can’t say that racial unity and harmony are achievable, but we’re not even close to it being a reality.

As one that subscribes to an Indigenous Negro American history and way of life, historically, interracial relationships have proven to benefit white people far more than black folks.  A peak into history shows both sides.  While you had a lot of white people that married Negroes strictly for financial gain, there was also a good number that married because they fell in love with the opposite race.  The problem is we’ve been given a singular narrative on the subject.  We should take it upon ourselves to break down each situation to gain a real understanding, historically speaking.

Will there ever be a racial utopia in America?  It’s still up in the air, but the Loving victory goes a long way in leading us in that direction.  One must be mindful, however, that the belief that love sees no color is a myth.  Love indeed does see color.  The difference is one chooses to love after the fact.  That’s real love.  And while I don’t know the Lovings story enough to know if that was indeed the case with them, I do know they sure played the part.

Much respect to Mildred and Richard Loving for standing up for what they believed in.

 

©Gabriel Rich used with permission

In the entertainment world, Gabriel has been on the cutting edge as a voice for indie soul music for over a decade, writing for such publications as Soul Tracks, Independent Weekly, Bsoul.TV, and Soulinterviews.com, (Sweden) where he served as the senior music writer from 2008 to 2013. He also is the senior music writer for Tribes Magazine. The creator of Starchild 7 Public Relations, Gabriel has worked with an impressive list of actors, book authors and independent music artists. Some of Starchild 7 PR’s clients include: actor Derrick Simmons (The Wire, Paid in Full), novelist L.A. Banks (the Vampire Huntress series), and music artists such as YahZarah, Xavier, (Blackball Universe) Stacye Branche, Edwin Lugo, Kelli Sae, Rhonda Thomas and Purpose Records. Gabriel is the host of “The Rich Report” on Blogtalk Radio.

Thanks so much Gabe! This was very insightful. Join us at 1:00 as we welcome Nadine Tomlinson!

 

50 Years of Loving Guest Blog – Aaron Groben

Set Apart

by Aaron Groben

“I miss him. He took care of me.” These simple, profound, and emotional words Mildred Loving left us about her late husband, Richard, have impacted us all. We desire to love and be loved. We desire passion. We desire intimacy. We desire to be known. And with everything that is within me, I desire to take care of a beautiful black Queen.

As we reach the 50 year anniversary of Loving vs Virginia, we see a world changed by their love, and a world that has a long ways to go with the help of ours. I didn’t wake up as a child one morning and decide I needed to change the world (okay, yes, I did, and I still do. Every morning.) There are many things I want to change about the world, but one of the things I desire to change the most is the world of one woman. I’ve been in love with my future wife since before I can remember…and I haven’t even met her. Or at least I don’t know that I have.

My future wife is black. My future wife is pure. My future wife is full of life and joy. My future wife loves JESUS. And my future wife will love me with the same fervent passion I already love her with. How do I know? I know because love is a verb, it’s an action, not a feeling. Romance is the feeling you get when you love correctly. As I take care of her, as we lead together, as I affirm her daily, serve her, express my love physically in all ways, give her the time she needs, listen to not just her words but also her heart, surprise her with trinkets that speak of who she is, romance will be felt and love will be flowing in excess on both sides. Oh, you wanted to know how I know she’s black….

I know because the LORD gives those of us who follow HIM the desires of our hearts when they align with HIS (Ps 37:4). Wrapped up with my calling in the entertainment industry is a calling as a husband and a father. And let me tell you, the desire is for a beautiful black bride at my side and I at hers, co leading our way thru raising a family and changing the world. My personality, values, and what I view as most beautiful all not only lend themselves to a black woman but point exclusively to her.

I don’t have to tell you that black women are different and set apart. There is a different kind of femininity, a different kind of strength, a different kind of leadership, softness, roughness, passion, and love. There is a different kind of character. And physically, there is hair (oh, is there!), skin of the most beautiful shades, and body types that express there is a Great Designer who loves us immensely.

As I write, dream, and expect at 27 years of age, a virgin who has always been awaiting my Queen in marriage, my preparations for taking care of her growing, and my love running deeper, I cannot wait to join the ranks of those already loving each other in interracial relationships, creating that specific beauty in our world, and changing the world of that one person whose soul you have the blessing to peer into daily. Never take them for granted. “He who finds a wife finds a good thing.” (Prov. 18:22) And he who obtains the love of a black woman obtains a love that is set apart from all the rest.

©Aaron Groben Used with permission

Bio
Aaron Groben makes his living as an Actor/Model living in Los Angeles, CA. He looks forward to being the husband of a beautiful black Queen and father to their future kids. He is most importantly a man of GOD living unashamed for the Gospel.

Insta: aarongroben
IMDb: imdb.me/aarongroben

 

 

 

Thank you Aaron! I can’t wait to see the beautiful wife God has picked out for you. Join us at Noon as we hear from Gabriel Rich.

50 Years of Loving Guest Blog – Lisa W. Tetting

Color Blind?

by Lisa W. Tetting

They say LOVE is color blind. Well, I say it isn’t and it shouldn’t be. Here’s why…

When you meet someone for the first time, what is it you see? The physical characteristics, right? If I meet a man who I think is attractive, there is no way I should simply disregard his skin tone. It is a part of who he is and by pretending not to see his color, I am telling him there is something wrong with it. However, if I embrace his color along with the other things that make him attractive, I am sending the message that I accept all of him, not just what I want to see.

In the past, I used to think it was better to say love was colorblind and everyone was the same on the inside. With wisdom and maturity, I realized this couldn’t be further from the truth, especially in American culture.

Unfortunately, what we look like plays a huge part of what we walk around harboring in our psyche. How we are perceived has a great impact on how we are treated in society, and therefore how we think about ourselves. So even if you don’t care what color someone is, our society has forced us, from a very young age, to recognize the differences.

Now here’s the kicker. Are you ready? It is alright to be different than your mate! In fact, it is awesome! Being with someone of a different race can really enlighten you and help you to see the world through their eyes. What was it the legendary Atticus Finch said? “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” I know he was a fictitious character, but he was on point with this lesson.

If you are in an interracial relationship, you won’t be in their skin exactly, but you will feel what it is like from time to time. When you have to face the bigotry and hatred that is spewed at you when you go out together, at least you will be prepared for it, instead of walking around with rose colored glasses. Don’t misunderstand me. I think rose colored glasses are great, but in today’s society they can do more harm than good, because not everyone is as liberal in their way of thinking. Things could get heated simply because you are with someone who looks different than you.

It is my wish that we could all stop for a minute and unzip ourselves, climb into someone else and walk around for a day.

If that were possible, we would all see that we judge people too quickly and don’t understand their wants and needs. Doing this would help race relations in this country go a long way. Of course, there would be those who would still hate, but at least they would have the knowledge of how others live. They would realize that being proud of who you are is not a threat or in direct competition to other races.

I’ll leave you with this… If a rainbow was all one color, would it be so brilliant? Would you stop what you’re doing to stare up at it and revel in its beauty? Or would it simply be boring and fade into the sky unnoticed?

Come back at 11 to read what Aaron Groben has to say!

50 Days of Loving Guest Blog Intro

Hi Lovies,

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision on Loving vs Virginia which allowed Mildred and Richard Loving to live in the state of Virginia as man and wife.

This ruling has impacted mine and countless other’s lives and I am excited to bring you the guest posts today! I reached out to a wide variety of people to participate in this series. My intention was to have blogs from both sides of the issue, however I was unable to procure anyone who was willing to go on record as being against interracial relationships. Several of my invitations went unanswered so I have a feeling some of those people were not feeling it. Some people got busy and were unable to send in their article. I totally get that because life happens and you can’t escape it.

Regardless of who did not participate, I received a nice response and the bloggers are on point ya’ll. I can’t wait for you to read them!  I want all of the writers who were kind enough to indulge me to know how very much I appreciate them. You didn’t have to do this, but you did! Your kindness will not be forgotten. Below is a schedule of the guest bloggers in order of appearance. Of course I had to participate as well, so I am on there too. I just couldn’t be silent on this subject. The fun starts at 10 AM. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Virtual Book Tour!

Author L. Loren has a new book being released soon. Now scheduling bloggers, influencers, book reviewers and fellow authors to participate. Comment on this post for details.