So in my dream life these guys would make up my harem of boy toys. But since those kinds of dreams seldom come true, I just envision them as the heros for my new series: HIGHTOWER HONORS Four Brothers on a Mission to Protect, Serve and Love .
In Protect and Serve , Jason Hightower is a police detective for the Paterson police department who needs to conquer his past by finally confronting the first love he thinks betrayed him. He needs to do so before a threat from her past takes her away for good. I think that the sexy soap star Tobias Truvillion would make a mighty fine Jason Hightower. This book is scheduled for July 2008.
In Make It Hot , Joel Hightower is a fireman injured on the job and forced to think about a career outside of his dream job. Too bad he can’t think around the spunky physical therapist helping him recover. I think Eve's former on-screen boyfriend would bring the heat just fine as Joel Hightower. He looks like he can make it hot... This book is scheduled for September 2008.
In Upholding the Law , the woman Lawrence Hightower finds himself falling in love with could very well be a criminal. He needs to figure out who she really is before the criminals looking for her find her. I think Idris Elba is so yummy he could play just about any role he wanted. But I can just see him as Lawrence Hightower... yummy...
In Sizzling Seduction , Patrick Hightower is used to putting out fires, but a sweet and sexy kindergarten teacher breaks through his protective shield and gets him thinking it might be more fun starting one. Lamman Rucker put the f-i-n and e in fine. And he would be perfect as the oldest Hightower brother, Patrick.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Meet the Hightowers
Monday, September 24, 2007
Excellent Post from Shelia Goss
Check out Shelia Goss's excellent post on the questions some authors are asked and the responses they give. All I can do is co-sign and amen to this... Check out what she has to say here:
much love and peace,
Gwyneth
Thursday, September 20, 2007
More Fire!!
My girl, Elle has broken it down on her blog... All I can do is co-sign and encourage you to read what this brilliant sister has to say....
much love and peace,
Gwyneth
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Hot Links
My soror, Elle, has an interesting post on a recent development in the brutal rape and torture of the young black woman, Megan Williams, in West Virginia. All I can say is "makes me wanna holla and throw up both my hands..."
Elle also has lots of informative and provocative posts on her blog Elle Ph. D. Check her out. You won't regret it.
And, our friend the always smart and on-point Angelia has a wonderful post that provides a nice lesson for all of us who like to talk first and listen later...
Be sure to check out her blog for other good lessons...
And Patricia W has another featured author. Today, she's featuring Janice Sims. And since we here at Gwyneth's Blog believe in bringing information about African American authors to your attention, here's the link:
much love and peace,
Gwyneth
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
My Naughty Names...
I think Gwendolyn wins this one. That's the best sexy name of the two, in my opinion. And since Gwendolyn's life is keeping me away from Gwyneth's Blog, I guess that's only fitting... Who knows when I'll have time to really blog between Gwendolyn's teaching and Gwyneth's deadlines I need to take a break. I'll be back though...
much love and peace,
Gwyneth
who's really Gwendolyn today... and no I'm not crazy... this just helps me deal with my dual life...LOL...
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Racism and Sexism Still Alive and Well...
Because I'm still trying to wrap my mind around how to express how horrified and saddened I am about this, I'll just say take a look at Adrianne Byrd's blog for news coverage on the cruel and inhumane treatment a young black woman in West Virginia had to endure in our country in the 21st century... I'm so disgusted and angry that I can't even blog about it yet.
Visit this link for more information:
Adrianne has other great posts on her blog that might make you less angry. You can check them all out here:
much love and peace,
Gwyneth
Patricia's Fantastic Interview with Marilynn Griffith
Patricia has an outstanding interview with Christian fiction author Marilynn Griffith posted on her blog. Be sure to go and check it out and comment. :-) You can read the interview here:
And you can check out all the cool reads on Patricia's blog here:
much love and peace,
Gwyneth
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Foxy Brown is going to jail... (Inga, Inga, Inga....)
Foxy Brown is going to jail for a year. How many ways can I tell these rap chicks that jail is not cute? And Foxy is going to jail behind some dumb stuff. Hitting someone with a cell phone? Just because Naomi Campbell got off with community service for doing that does not mean you can get away with it. I mean really do we have to talk to you like you’re a two year old, Foxy? Okay, here goes… “Foxy, no, no, no. Use your words, sweetie. No hitting.” And trust me you don’t want to be the chick in jail for hitting someone with a cell phone. I mean really, try looking tough in front of Big Wilma talking about, “Yeah, so then I threw my cellie at the chick and told her she must not know ‘bout me. I’m Foxy Brown, B!@#*!” Unh unh. Nope. Not gonna work. Oh well, may be you’ll be able to share a cell with Remy Ma… For now, I’ll just watch this old remix of Total's “No One Else” featuring Foxy Brown, Lil' Kim and Da Brat and remember the days before female rappers thought it was all the rage to go to jail. Who knew orange jail jumpsuits would become so chic…
much love and peace,
Gwyneth
Friday, September 07, 2007
Sweet Sensation Featured in a Contest
Shelia Goss is sponsoring a contest to celebrate her birthday the entire month of September and she's giving readers a chance to win the gifts. Every day this month readers will get a chance to win a copy of a book. How cool is that? So if you haven't read Sweet Sensation yet, (shame on you LOL) you have a chance to win a copy. All you have to do is head on over to Shelia's blog and leave a comment here:
I believe you have to comment by 6:00 p.m. to be in the runnings. And don't forget to wish her a happy birthday month! I'm all for celebrating the birthday all month by the way. I used to celebrate all week. But next year I might have to do a birthday season and celebrate all summer... But you should also check out Shelia's cool blog. I love that she gives me a chance to give my two-cents on current events without having to blog about them myself. I can just visit her blog and get it off my chest in the comments... ;-) Also check back in every day this month to see what other cool books you can win. I know I will... Check out her blog here:
Have a great weekend everyone!
much love and peace,
Gwyneth
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Is it just me....
Or did Amy Winehouse pull a swagger-jacking...
On Macy Gray?
When I first heard Amy Winehouse's hit song "Rehab," I thought "hey she's biting Macy Gray's entire style, the voice, everything." I mean Amy even stopped combing her hair. ;-) And they both have that "I'm so high right now" look. (Well, they might actually be kinda high...) But I wrote her off as a "beat biter, dope-style taker" to quote femcee MC Lyte. I pretty much dismissed Amy Winehouse and that annoying song "Rehab." I refused to like her because she wasn't original. Just a Vanilla Iced Macy Gray, in my opinion. And then I heard this song...
And, I'm a sucker for old Motown, especially anything that calls to mind Marvin and Tammi in their heyday. So shoot me, I like the song. And I would be cool with that, if the swagger-jacking wasn't so blantant and glaring. Check out Macy's first video...
And you can see why I'm torn... So I thought I'd bring it to you all. Is it just me or is Amy Winehouse a swagger-jacker? And I'm not even going to get into the wholesale ripe-off of R&B... Just the theft of Macy's swagger and style... For now, I think I'll just stick with the original... Sing... "Shoo Be Doo," Macy.... Sing...
Much love and peace,
Gwyneth
Saturday, September 01, 2007
September Interview with Farrah Rochon
GB: Hi, Farrah! First let me say that I loved your novel Deliver Me . And I’m so glad you could spare a moment to do an interview on my blog. My first question is how long have you been writing and when did you make the decision to pursue it as a career?
FR: Gwyneth, it is a thrill to be your guest. Your blog is one of my favorites! As for your first question, I guess the pat answer is that I’ve been writing most of my life. Writing has always come easy to me, which made getting through my English courses in school pretty neat. However, it wasn’t until my college professor, Dr. Y. Dubois-Williams (granddaughter of W.E.B. Dubois) asked me “what’s the one thing in life you really want to do?” My answer: write a novel. I started my first manuscript that same day.
GB: Did you read a lot of romance novels before you started to write them? If so, do you think that helped you once you started writing them? If not, do you think that gives you a fresh approach to the genre?
FR: I had read a few romances while in high school and most of my undergrad years, but wouldn’t say I was an avid romance reader. I was into mainstream fiction. Then, my sister threatened me bodily harm if I did not read Judith McNaught’s Double Standards . I read it, and that was it for me. I’ve been reading romance ever since. That was about three years before I wrote my first romance. Being the perpetually single gal, I never thought I could write a credible romance, but apparently, I’ve learned a thing or two from those years of reading. (Smile)
GB: Ah yes… the things one can learn by reading romance…. So, what has your writing journey been like so far? Can you give us a sense of what it has been like for you since you got the call, held your first novel in your hands, etc.? Is it everything you hoped it would be?
FR: I actually got THE CALL via email, but the story behind it is the perfect example of how up and down this business can be. I had spent a great deal of time revising another manuscript for another publishing house, and was crushed when I received a rejection letter from the editor. This was the second set of revisions and I just knew they were going to buy that book. That night, I sent an email to my agent, letting him know about the rejection. The next day, July 13, 2006 at 1:16 p.m., my agent replied stating how sorry he was about the rejection, but he also had good news to share. He'd just received a call from Dorchester. They wanted Deliver Me . Talk about experiencing opposite ends of the emotional spectrum!
As for the first time I held my novel in my hands? I’m sure there are words to describe that feeling, but I’m just not that good yet. Maybe when I’ve grown as a writer, I can find a way to convey just how unbelievable that felt.
GB: One of the things I love about Deliver Me is that it is the mix of emotions the novels draws out of me. There were moments that were laugh-out-loud funny and moments that were just heartwarming and touching. Is that something you think a lot about when you are crafting your novels? What tricks of the trade can you offer for tapping into readers’ emotions?
FR: I had no idea the book would touch people the way it has, but from the emails I’ve received from fans, apparently, Deliver Me pulled quite a few heartstrings. It’s not something I think about when writing. I just write the story that comes to me. 
GB: The other factor that I really adored about the novel is that it is set in a post-Katrina New Orleans and draws the reader into the world of a city and a people healing after the natural disaster. I know you are from New Orleans and still call the city home. Can you talk a little about why it was it important for you to deal with Katrina in your novel?
FR: The original manuscript was written a couple of years before Katrina hit, and my editor gave me the option of simply writing an Author’s Note stating that the story pre-dated Katrina. I decided to take the hard route of tackling Katrina because I knew the world’s view of New Orleans had changed as a result of the storm. Unfortunately, it is hard to think of New Orleans in pre-Katrina terms. My one caveat was that I would focus on the positive. I did not want the destruction and despair of Katrina overpowering my story. I also chose to change Deliver Me to a post-Katrina book because I knew I had two follow-up books that would have to address the storm (I was in the middle of writing the second book when the storm hit. Try writing through that kind of distraction!).
GB: You have two love stories going on in Deliver Me . And, I love getting my two for the price of one romance. So, thank you for that! Besides the romance of your lead characters, Monica and Eli, we also get the romance of an estranged-married couple. I loved their story because it shows that marriage is work and takes openness and honesty. And it also deals with a taboo topic in many African American communities, mental illness. Most of the time in romance novels we only get the whirlwind to happily-ever-after and no real glimpse of couples working through the things that often come up relationships. Did you add the estranged couple’s story to the novel for a reason? What did you hope to show by including their tale?
FR: I’m a huge fan of the two for the price of one romance, too. So, when I set out to write a single-title, I knew I wanted to incorporate a secondary romance. I chose an estranged married couple because I liked the idea of tying them in as patients of Eli, and, as you stated, showing that once the happily-ever-after occurs, there is still work that must be done in order to make a marriage last. I was a psych major in college and grad school, so it was natural to include a character who suffered from mental illness. It is a sensitive subject, especially in the African American community, but we all can admit to having “one in the family.” I think my family has more than its fair share, though. (Smile) I think mental illness is not addressed enough in fiction.
A lot of people don’t know this, but I was tempted to scrap Amanda and Jeffrey’s story from Deliver Me . During the three weeks I had to revise the story (which included changing it from pre-Katrina to post-Katrina), I had to do a major overhaul of the secondary storyline. I changed Amanda’s mental disorder from Major Depression to Bipolar with Psychotic Tendencies. It required a lot of research and took up a lot of my beauty rest. :) In the end, I’m happy I kept them in. They turned out to be fan favorites.
GB: Well, I for one am glad you didn’t scrap Amanda and Jeffrey’s story. Okay, time to get the goods… A little birdie tells me that those fine siblings of the fine and sexy hero from Deliver Me will be finding their own loves soon. I believe I heard a Release Me and a Rescue Me would be coming to stores in the near future. Can you confirm or deny these rumors and maybe tell us a little bit about what we can expect with these two hot Holmes brothers? Come on… we really need to know when we are going to be able to read more about those fine Holmes brothers… Okay, I really need to know… Please…
FR: I can confirm that Release Me will be in stores, although I’m still not sure what the release date will be or if the title will stick. Release Me features the youngest Holmes brother, ex-pro basketball player turned record producer Tobias Holmes. His heroine is his childhood friend Sienna Culpepper, who readers briefly meet in Deliver Me . I absolutely love Toby and Sienna’s story. It’s a classic case of your one true love being under your nose the entire time. Toby is just too blind to see it.
Rescue Me is the final book of the series. It’s Alex’s story. The widowed, single father is easily my most popular character based on the dozens of emails I’ve received from fans asking for his story. I just finished Alex’s book and am currently in the editing phase. My editor is still considering the proposal, but I’m confident Rescue Me will be picked up, as well. If you haven’t fallen in love with Alex yet, you will by the end of Rescue Me . He is the consummate romance hero. His story is chock full of the sigh factor. I’ve sighed more while writing this book than the other two combined.
GB: Both books sound divine… I love the friend to lovers plot so I know I will be all over Release Me . And I’m a huge sucker for the sigh-factor so I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed on Rescue Me . So, what are you reading right now? Any good reads you want to offer?
FR: I’m currently reading Sherrilyn Kenyon’s newest Dark-Hunter book, Devil May Cry . While on vacation I plan to read debut author Stefanie Worth’s novel, Where Souls Collide . My most anticipated book of September is the latest in J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Lover Unbound .
GB: You’re a reading girl I can relate to! I have fallen off on my Sherrilyn Kenyon reading. But at one time I devoured the Dark-Hunter series. I absolutely loved Stefanie Worth’s debut novel, Where Souls Collide . And as far as anticipating J. R. Ward’s next installment… my copy has been on pre-order for several weeks now. LOL. We’ll have to have a paranormal book chat one day. But until then… Do you have any advice you’d like to offer to aspiring writers?
FR: Prepare yourself for hard work. Writing is not an easy business, but if you’ve got a burning desire to get those stories out of your head, then go for it. Just be prepared to work.
GB: How can readers reach you if they wanted to?
FR: There is always somewhere to find me. I can be reached by email at farrah@farrahrochon.com. Through my website at www.farrahrochon.com, on MySpace at www.myspace.com/farrahrochon, or at my blog at www.farrahrochon.blogspot.com.
View the book Trailer for Deliver Me here:
