Friday Finds(June 17, 2016)

This week's Friday Finds are some good ones. I've selected The Mind of a Man: 365 Relationship Scenario Discussion Questions as well as The Mind of a Woman: 365 Relationship Scenario Discussion Questions both by Marissa Monteilh. These are great books to discuss with your mate, co-workers, family and friends. There are no right or wrong answers. What do men really think? What do women really think? What I love most about this book is that it is a way to strengthen any and all relationships. 

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: 4D Publishing (June 7, 2016)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970414145
• ISBN-13: 978-0970414144

About the book

Your girlfriend's father prefers her ex over you. Do you still move forward? Would you stay with a woman who cheated on you? Have you ever broken up with woman you had no intention of leaving, just to teach her a lesson? Have you ever fantasized about one of your woman's friends? Do guys really worry about penis size? For seven years, best-selling author Marissa Monteilh has posted original relationship questions on her social media pages. Thousands of responses to her creative questions have generated controversial debates. The Mind of a Man, the companion piece to The Mind of a Woman, is a compilation of those posts, as the top 365 relationship scenario questions were selected for this fun, interactive non-fiction book. Ladies, it's time to ask the men in your life what they really think. Male and female readers will enjoy discussing these topics during book club meetings, family gatherings, office parties, intimate evenings, etc., and readers will test their own relationship boundaries privately. Find out what your man would do. After all, the mind of a man is a mystery. We've been asked to think like a man, but it's time to calmly and openly hear men's honest replies, while we continue to think like the beautiful and fascinating women we are.

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: 4D Publishing (September 23, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970414137
• ISBN-13: 978-0970414137

About the book

Your boyfriend's mother prefers his ex over you. What would you do? Your man's ex-wife is in town and wants to stay with him for the weekend. Would you be okay with that? You see your brother-in-law at the movie theatre holding hands with another woman. Do you tell your sister? For five years, bestselling author Marissa Monteilh has posted original relationship questions on her social media pages. Thousands of responses to her creative questions have generated controversial debates. The Mind of a Woman is a compilation of those posts, as the top 365 relationship scenario questions were selected for this fun, and interactive non-fiction book. Male and female readers will enjoy discussing these topics during book club meetings, family gatherings, office parties, etc., and readers will test their own relationship boundaries privately. Find out what your friends would do. After all, the mind of a woman is a beautiful and complicated thing. It may surprise you!

Author Bio

Back in elementary school, Marissa was always the first in line when the bookmobile would arrive. In middle school, her teacher singled her out as a gifted writer, which Marissa recalls as a defining moment in her life. She is now living her passion as a full-time author.

Originally self-published in 2000, the following year Harper Collins offered Marissa a three-book contract, and she has not looked back. She has also been published by Kensington Books, Hachette Book Group, and Blackstone Audio, Inc.

In 2015, Marissa was named one of Conversations Magazine's 25 Women Changing the World, and she was recently voted the 2015 Female Author of the Year at the 2nd Annual GANSPA Award Show. Five of her titles have been African American Literary Award Show nominees, and she received the Pink Diamond Book Club Award in 2010. Also in 2010, she was voted amongst the Women of Influence in Publishing by Written Magazine. Her titles have debuted as top-ten bestsellers on Black Expressions, and also voted Best Reads. Since 2009, Marissa has been a regular monthly contributor to the Novel Spaces blog site, an eclectic group of authors bound by writing.

Marissa also writes under two pen names, one being Sylvia Sinclair, which identifies her interracial romance titles. To Each Her Own by Sylvia Sinclair debuted in August of 2015. 2016 will bring Marissa’s second non-fiction title, The Mind of a Man, and a novel devoted to women who have been the bridesmaid, and never the bride, called The Practice Wife. In 2018, to celebrate the anniversary Marissa's twenty year writing career, the final in the Hot Boyz trilogy will be released, called L.A. Husband and Wives.

Marissa is currently taking on ghostwriting and developmental editing projects under her company, SilentINK, which includes celebrity memoirs and contemporary novels.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she now resides in Atlanta, Georgia with her family and her 60 lb. German shepherd.

www.marissamonteilh.com

www.silentink.net

Twitter: @divawritermm

Dearest Prince...Guest Blog Post by Nicole Jones

Last week the world took a major hit smack dab in the face when the news broke that Prince Rogers Nelson had suddenly passed away at the age of 57. Another musical icon gone. The first person that I thought of was my sister from another mother, Nicole. I posted a picture with the word, "HUGS" and typed seven letters..."No words," because I didn't have any. My mouth was open but the words refused to leave. It was as if they were in as much shock as I was.

My sister, Nicole is Prince's #1 fan. So, I asked her if she would write something for the world to read in honor of Mr. Prince Rogers Nelson.


Thank you Nicole for a beautiful tribute! Yes, his music IS immortal.

Dearest Prince,

I have been under your spell forever. I knew when I first heard you speak the words "Dearly Beloved" in the beginning of Purple Rain, I would never be the same. Who was this man? The purple. The lace. The heels. The hair. The shiny guitar. The falsetto. The swag. 

You exploded into my world. I had never seen anyone like you. I would buy your records and sit in my room for hours, reading the lyrics on the backs of the albums. I started writing like you - 2's, 4's, 8's, U's. I devoured your music. I became your fan.

I loved you when I was too young to understand your genius. All I knew was that I was listening to magic. I remember being around nine years old, locking myself in my room and playing the Sign ‘o the Times album over and over and over again. I thought you were speaking to me. Just me. I didn’t think I’d ever hear a song as beautiful as Adore. I wanted to walk down the aisle to Forever In My Life. When I heard you manipulate your voice, the way you’d stretch in a million different directions within the span of a few seconds, it was as if you were trying to reach every part of all of us. I would listen and listen until I was intoxicated, exiting my room, head spinning.

Your music became my safe place. I could drown out the whole world – family, school, stress. Your music was the very first thing I reached for when I needed something to cheer me up, when I was in mourning, when I wanted to celebrate, when I wanted to dance, when I wanted to vent, when I wanted to smile, when I wanted to cry and get it all out.

Last week’s news knocked the wind out of me, like I’d lost a family member. It seems crazy to feel so devastated about a person who I've never officially met, or have never had a real conversation with. But your impression on my life is indelible and permanent. My life’s memories are interwoven with your music. You provided my soundtrack. I guess I naively thought you were immortal and would never die. Seeing your name linked with past tense verbs makes my head spin. I don’t think I’ll ever fully comprehend.

I’ve been in deep thought this past week, trying to figure out why this loss has been so profound for me. I read somewhere that each and every person has someone who resonates with them. Oftentimes, it’s someone of a creative nature. Artists have a way of reaching the most inner core of our souls, that place that identifies our actions, feelings and sense of self.When the creative entity one identifies with passes away, it rocks ones fragile core. Equilibrium must be reestablished. It’s almost like I needed to reboot.

But I promise not to wallow too much. I will listen to your music because that IS immortal. Your beautiful, eclectic, brilliant, weird, genius music. It's an inspiration to us all to know the effect we can have on people that we don’t even know. It’s a motivation to be great at what we do without shortcuts and staying 100% true to ourselves. Our passions can outlive us and mold millions. Our days can be up long before we are ready and all that’s left is the impression we’ve left. And my sweet Prince, what an impression you've left. I hope you’re playing in the sunshine.

Love,

Darling Nikki

"I want to live life to the ultimate high. Maybe I'll die young like heroes die". -"Under the Cherry Moon" 1986

Nicole Jones is a wife and mother who resides in Atlanta, GA. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, exercising, reading, and of course – listening to Prince.

You've Got It Bad-The Blogging Women of Worthy Anatomy

Today, Marissa Monteilh, pronounced (Mon-tay) stopped by The Reading Life with Yolanda to spend time with her and her readers before she heads into her writing cave. The Reading Life with Yolanda is the last stop on The Blogging Women of the Worthy’s Anatomy Tour. Marissa, thank you so much for the opportunity.

The readers have been begging for a Dr. Feelgood sequel. Marissa finally delivered with You’ve Got It Bad and didn’t miss a beat.

Paperback: 342 pages

Publisher: 4D Publishing (August 6, 2013)

Genre: Fiction

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0970414196

ISBN-13: 978-0970414199

About the book

The good doctor, Dr.Makkai returns for the long-awaited sequel to the highly acclaimed novel, Dr. Feelgood, the steamy tale of a popular heart surgeon who repairs hearts in his professional life, and breaks them in his personal life. His daughter Fonda is now five-years old and her mother, Monday Askins, who abandoned Fonda after giving birth, leaving her to her father, is back and vows to make good on her threat to get her daughter back if it's the last thing she does. Dr. Feelgood is once again unattached after his split with Mary Jane, and he begins a journey of breaking the generational curses handed down by his father, who is a real, true, rolling stone. But Monday has other plans, a test to see if Dr. Feelgood is still the playboy who's got it bad for the ladies of the world, or maybe it's Monday who's got it bad, too. 

To Forgive or Not To Forgive… This is what Marissa had to say.

Is there a limit as to what you are willing to forgive someone for? If someone killed your family member in a jealous rage, or physically abused your child during the few hours you allowed them to baby sit, or if someone beat your mother to within an inch of her life - could you say, "I forgive you" and mean it?

In You've Got It Bad, the sequel to Dr. Feelgood, Dr. Makkai Worthy faces this challenge - to forgive to not to forgive. We're told we should forgive for ourselves, more than for the other person, and that harboring unforgiveness leaves us stuck and gives the other person power. But is there a limit to what most of us are willing to forgive? Sometimes accepting an apology is easier than saying the three words that we're told will set us free. We know that the Bible say, though if we're honest with ourselves, we know that it's sometimes easier said than done.

I enjoyed writing this sequel, and was surprised to find that Dr. Worthy was faced with this dilemma. I didn't intend for it to happen but it did, and as a writer, I was more torn between what I would do, and what I thought I knew Dr. Worthy would do, than keeping myself focused on the story and allowing Dr. Worthy to surprise even me.

You've Got It Bad is more than simply a story about a man who is a player, who is the son if a rolling-stone, a chip off the old block. It is a story of how our actions are based on what we've been shown by example, taught, and told. To undo isn't easy. Sometimes doing what's wrong is comfortable, and that comfort zone can keep us in misery, even though we swear we don't want to be there.

I hope you take the time to read You've Got It Bad. It took months and months of blood, sweat and tears to show the journeys of these amazing characters. But I'm proud of how it turned out, and I hope that you will be entertained by it. If you are, please let someone know.

Thanks, Yolanda L. Gore, for this opportunity. You are appreciated!

Marissa, thank you so much for your guest blog. 

In honor of Marissa Monteilh I have a contest that everyone can enter. How would you like to receive a Marissa Monteilh gift set? One lucky winner will receive a copy of The Chocolate Ship, Hot Boyz, Hot Girlz, Dr. Feelgood & You've Got It Bad along with an extra surprise. The total gift set is valued at $75. So, I'm sure you want to know what you need to do to win. It's very simple! 

Share the Amazon link for You've Got It Bad on your social media pages: FB and Twitter. You can also post the book cover on Instagram. You get an entry every time you post (within reasons). All you have to do is tag me in the post. You can find me on Twitter: ILC1 and on Instagram: yoyog74. 

Here is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Youve-Got-Bad-Feelgood-Sequel/dp/0970414196/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375973714&sr=1-1&keywords=you%27ve+got+it+bad

Contest ends on August 17th. The winner will be announced on August 19th. This contest isn't affiliated with Facebook or its entities. Good luck everyone!

Readers you can find Marissa on Facebook & Twitter.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marissamonteilhauthorpage

Twitter: DivaWriterMM

Website: www.marissamonteilh.com

You've Got It Bad Five Chapter Preview

Coming August 6^th…You’ve Got It Bad, sequel to Dr. Feelgood.

The good doctor, Dr. Makkai Worthy, returns as Dr. Feelgood in the steamy sequel of a handsome, popular heart surgeon who repairs hearts in his professional life, yet breaks them in his personal life.

Dr. Makkai Worthy is a playboy from the heart and a chip off the old rolling-stone block, as his father has more children than he can even name. Makkai's daughter, Fonda, is now five-years old and soon will be looking to her father to show her by example how a male should cherish a female. Mary Jane Cherry and Dr. Lois Taylor keep Makkai's playboy plate full, along with a few new characters. One sequence of dramatic events leads to another, and if Makkai plans to save himself, he'll need to break the generational curses that bind and face some unexpected truths. Will his love of women continue to rule his world, or will he break all the rules and prove to himself that having it bad, ain't good?

Marissa loves and values all of her readers. As a way of showing thanks, she’s providing the first five chapters for you to read. 
 https://docs.google.com/You'veGotItBadPreviewChapters

Once you’ve read the first five chapters, hurry over to Amazon and pre-order your copy. 

www.amazon.com/Youve-Got-Bad-Feelgood-Sequel 

Marissa, thank you!