First, I’d like to thank Cheryl Francis of Black Diamonds Book Reviews for hosting my blog tour today…I really appreciate your support! Now, it’s only fitting to give you a description of the books before I tell you where the idea came from so you can have a better feel for where they are going.
In Between Lies:
Just when things are going perfect for Savannah and Kevin, a blast from the past, hits the scene. Naomi, a revamped diva and budding actress, seizes the opportunity to enter into Kevin’s life and bed, reigniting a secret rendezvous that threatens his relationship.
Kevin delights in having his cake and eating it too until Naomi decides that she wants more. Spurned, Naomi stops at nothing to stake her claim on what is hers, bringing lies, destruction, and deceit. Naomi, bent on revenge targets anyone that lies in her path. Shattered trust and betrayal is inevitable. Can their relationship survive Naomi?
Intimate Illusions: Naomi is back!
What a woman will do in the name of love!
After a bitter, destructive, and explosive parting with her former ex-lover, Kevin Styles, Naomi Saunders has no choice but to move on with her life. Kevin, equally happy and finally free of Naomi, is ready to move on as well. But before he does, he passes Naomi's taped confession to his confidant, Attorney Winston Lane, with instructions to hold it just in case she shows up to wreck havoc in his life again.
Naomi, torn with feelings of revenge and twisted love, decides to stay on the outskirts of Chicago...close to Kevin and the woman that came between them. In order for her to stay, she must take on a new persona and lifestyle that will enable her to sustain her lavish lifestyle she'd grown accustomed to living. Not wanting to go back to the struggling life she once endured before her short lived acting career, she makes a lifestyle changing move that hones her acting skills to perfection, proving she is the ultimate diva...or is she?
How Intimate Betrayals Began
….just a hint of an idea
Many people ask me where the idea for this series came from. I can’t say that it was from one single incident, but rather a series of incidents over many years…of life experiences. Had I written these books years ago, they would not be what they are today. They would have lacked the true ring of experiences in life, love, relationships, etc. Not to say that this is a true story because it’s not….but very well could be. After many conversations with people and close friends about the state of relationships at that time and the current, these books resulted. There are a lot of qualities, feelings, ideas that are very real for some. I just took my own experiences, mingled with others and extrapolated on their ideas and feelings…and pushed the characters to their limits… BAM.. this series was born.
For the record, it was not my intention to make this a series. But it seems that I have created true to life characters that people can’t seem to get enough of…or should I say bigger than life characters. If you love drama, more drama, lies, suspense, and thrills that will take you to the edge, then this is the series for you. As I have said before, these are not your typical romances. They are not far from it…but they do contain strong romantic themes, steamy sex and out of this world drama.
When it came to giving in to the inner voice that always asks what if, or why, or why can’t I do this or that… each character listened and answered by their actions. Each character has their own demons they wrestle with and question, second guess and ultimately either win or lose to; the same as we all do in life. I like to write stories that have some form of escapism, but for some reason, these issues in the book raise real dilemmas and at the same time create that same escapism that we look for in fiction. Living vicariously through them, I can explore options that I would never ever do in real life. I find myself enjoying the tangles the characters get into and love to even make it more complicated just to see how they cope with it or get out of it.
Excerpt:
As soon as she entered the grand room, she was met with a spectacular view of the setting sun. The large, wrap around bay windows showed the sky in all of its’ majestic glory. Thunderous bass in the music shook her body as she moved to its vibe. Her body swayed without hesitation to its animalistic vibes as she moved forward. Grabbing a long fluted glass of wine from a tray that sat on the window sill she continued to help herself to the view of the penthouse and what it had to offer. Both men and women lined the walls, talking, laughing, and enjoying themselves while consuming drinks and devouring the large trays of fruit and vegetables that sat in various places. The place reeked of money and she was curious who was throwing the party and its occupants that partied in it.
“Wonderful isn’t it?” a voice came from behind her.
Mystique turned to find herself face to face with a tall, chocolate, handsome man. He smiled at her.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she answered. “You just surprised me as I was admiring this place. Yes, it is beautiful.”
“My name is Jace. And you are?”
“Mystique,” she responded.
“Are you here with anyone? I don’t want to step on any toes, Mystique…”
“No, I am here with a friend. A female friend,” she emphasized. “What about you?”
His voice rang harmony in her ears. It was a melodic sound that she wouldn’t mind hearing every morning, noon and night.
“I am, but It’s just business for me.”
“And what kind of business is that?”
“I work for the owner…and he is also my favorite uncle.”
“The owner of this penthouse?” she inquired.
He smiled again, flashing a set of brilliant white teeth. His smooth complexion was of a deep chocolate tone, blemish free of any marks. His goatee was perfectly manicured and his eyes sparkled with what she thought was desire. She did catch his glance when she first turned around as he spoke to her from behind. It was a mesmerized look…and she could only imagine what he was thinking. Hell, if she was a man and she looked at herself, she’d think the same thing. She smiled at that thought. Narcissist! Hell, if you don’t love yourself, no one else will either. It had taken her some time to even like herself, let alone love herself.
She remembered times when she couldn’t stand to look at her reflection in the mirror. A lot of that she realized was because of the self hatred she’d formed not only against her mother and her many cracked out boyfriends, but on herself as well as her desperate living situations. It was then, that her body was used, both against her will, and to her liking. It was also then when she learned the power a woman’s body could have over a man.
The difference between now and then, she’d constantly told herself, was that she had the power now and the control over who she shared her body with now, not the other way around.
Thanks again for having me and I hope you enjoyed this post. - Shawna Hill
Thank you so much Shawna for asking me to be a part of this tour! I'm really glad to be spreading the word about you and your books! Everyone who is reading this post, you will not believe how amazing these books are. You really should read them! Enter my giveaway below and you will see. If you don't win, I really hope you will buy these books! - Cheryl
I previously interviewed Shawna Hill. You can check out my interview with Shawna Hill here:
Interview With Shawna Hill
My review of: Intimate Illusions
My review of: In Between Lies
Visit Shawna Hill at her website:
You can also visit her blog to see more about the tour:
Intimate Betrayals Blog Tour Trailer:
Giveaway:
I will be giving away an e-book of copy of Intimate Illusions and In Between Lies. Here is how you can enter:
1. Leave a Comment with your e-mail address
2. Follow My Blog
You will get one entry into the drawing for each of the items above. Please leave a comment for each one.
Homefires is set in the Deep South’s Bible Belt on the eve of unprecedented moral changes. It is the story of Janeece and Kirk Crenshaw, a couple married just after their high school graduation who set out to make a life for themselves. It is a life marked by surprises, none more dramatic than when Kirk receives his “high-calling” and becomes a pastor. It is a life marked by tragedy, the most heart-rending of which is a devastating event very close to home. And it is a life marked by challenges: to their church, to their community, and most decidedly to their marriage. And as the fullness of time makes its impact on their union, Kirk and Janeece must face the question of whether they have gone as far as they can together.
