My First Vlog...I think. lol

I Blogged Today!

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Sam's Halloween Contest. Come one Come All!

Sorry for all the confusion folks, but here is the contest and all its fun and glory!!


Dates of the contest--->October 26-31 -

BEWARE*** You must be 18 to Play.

Sam Cheever is sponsoring her third annual Trick or Treating Bash on a street near you! The street is inexplicably filled with some of your favorite Romantic Fantasy/Paranormal/Horror Authors and they will be waiting by the door with tricks and treats for you. The lucky winner gets a Halloween Bag with a Kindle e-reader in it, books, t-shirts, assorted candy, and other wonderful prizes from the Authors who live on Sam’s street. To play visit Sam’s Halloween Contest page at www.samcheever.com

Only one trip down the street per contestant. You must be at least 18 to play!

Come and join the fun and play for a chance to win a Kindle and a bag of goodies. You might be surprised to learn who lives on Sam’s street!

Start at Sam's page and then visit each Author's house on the "street" (13 in all!) and pick one item from the goodie bag listed there. Then you'll send that author an email with your selection and move on to the next "house". You can click on the little Trick or Treat Bag to go to the next house.

If you have any problems/questions please feel free to contact samcheever@samcheever.com!

Sam will pick and announce an overall winner November 1st on her page.

Here's What you can Win!!!

In addition to a Kindle ereader, the winner will also get a black, leather Kindle case, a short-sleeved Finn t-shirt and a long sleeved Purple Prose t-shirt. A free download of a Linda Mooney book, a gorgeous scarf, a handmade book thong, and a personal size photo album from Lizzie T. Leaf , a signed copy of Ghost Lover from Christopher Newman, and assorted other goodies!

Have fun and happy reading!!!

Here's my Trick or Treat Question

Read the excerpt of The Perfect Match below and email me the answer to these questions.

“Fuck!” He flipped over the long, wooden-planked coffee table.
“Donovan!” Demitri grabbed his shoulders. “Calm down. Don’t lose control.”
Donovan shrugged away from Demitri’s embrace and stormed outside to cool off.
“You alright, man?” Demitri asked, holding out his hand to help Kevin stand.
Kevin shoved Demitri’s hand away, stood up and followed Donovan outside.
“Oh damn,” Demitri shook his head and chased after Kevin.
“Yo!” Kevin called. He stalked towards Donovan.
“Don’t fuck with me right now, Kevin, alright?” Donovan’s icy tone sent shivers through Demitri.
“Guys, let’s not do this.” Demitri positioned himself in between the two males.
“Naw,” Donovan tossed away his lit cigarette, cracked his neck and stood his ground. “If he wants to roll, we can do that. I have no problems breaking him down now, anyway.”
“Think you’re a bad ass now, Dono? Got to taste some chocolate ass and now you think you’re Don Quan?”
Donovan pointed at Kevin. “Don’t you dare disrespect her again, Kevin, you don’t even know her. I’m trying real hard to keep myself from knocking you off the damned pedestal you think you’re on. Last warning, call her a name again, we ain’t brothers, we ain’t boys and we ain’t friends. I will knock you on your ass and there’s nothing my brother can do to stop me.” He glared at Kevin.
“That’s how it is, bro?” Kevin sidestepped Demitri. “We’ve been through a lot and you’re gonna let some whore…”
As soon as the words left Kevin’s mouth, Donovan’s punch knocked Kevin in the slushy pool.
“I told you, Kevin!” Donovan yelled.
“Donovan!” Demitri fished a dripping and shivering Kevin from the pool.
“You alright?” Demitri asked, but it was no use. Kevin dashed after Donovan. Kevin dove for Donovan’s legs, knocking him to the ground. Kevin used his brute strength to pin Donovan’s chest to the ground while delivering a few quick jabs to his ribs.
With a quick burst of energy Donavan slugged Kevin on his left temple with his elbow point.
As Kevin swayed, Donovan threw Kevin off, then stood. Donavan’s dark blue jeans were caked with mud and wet from the melting ice and snow. His white turtle neck was ruined with rips and ground-in stains. He spat crimson drops on the ground. Donavan wiped the blood from his lip on the tip of his sleeve.
“I don’t wanna do this, Kevin. Enough. Take your ass-whippin’ like a man. Get the fuck out!” Donovan snarled. His blood felt as if molten lava flowed through his veins. His anger erupted like a volcano.
Donavan wanted Kevin so he could figure out how to get Kiora back. Tomorrow was her birthday and…
Donovan was so consumed by his thoughts, he’d blocked out his brother’s warning until he was too late. Kevin picked up a large rock and hurled in at Donovan. He felt the impact of the rock against his skull. It made a sickening cracking sound echoing in his sub-conscious. It was last he remembered before darkness engulfed him.


Who are the two men fighting? What are the fighting about?

Email me here->rashliegh@yahoo.com



Click this link or copy and paste this in to your browser to continue. http://www.myspace.com/carolineaubrey

Check Out this new Contest

Sam Cheever is sponsoring her third annual Trick or Treating Bash on a street near you! The street is inexplicably filled with some of your favorite Romantic Fantasy/Paranormal/Horror Authors and they will be waiting by the door with tricks and treats for you. The lucky winner gets a Halloween Bag with a Kindle e-reader in it, books, t-shirts, assorted candy, and other wonderful prizes from the Authors who live on Sam’s street. To play visit Sam’s Halloween Contest page at www.samcheever.com .



Only one trip down the street per contestant and you must be at least 18 to play!



Come and join the fun and play for a chance to win a Kindle and a bag of goodies. You might be surprised to learn who lives on Sam’s street!

Tainted Blood is out and now The Perfect Match is next.

Hey guys Tainted Blood came out on the 17th of September and now The Perfect Match is coming out on the 1st of October. Here's an excerpt:“Fuck!” He flipped over the long, wooden-planked coffee table.
“Donovan!” Demitri grabbed his shoulders. “Calm down. Don’t lose control.”
Donovan shrugged away from Demitri’s embrace and stormed outside to cool off.
“You alright, man?” Demitri asked, holding out his hand to help Kevin stand.
Kevin shoved Demitri’s hand away, stood up and followed Donovan outside.
“Oh damn,” Demitri shook his head and chased after Kevin.
“Yo!” Kevin called. He stalked towards Donovan.
“Don’t fuck with me right now, Kevin, alright?” Donovan’s icy tone sent shivers through Demitri.
“Guys, let’s not do this.” Demitri positioned himself in between the two males.
“Naw,” Donovan tossed away his lit cigarette, cracked his neck and stood his ground. “If he wants to roll, we can do that. I have no problems breaking him down now, anyway.”
“Think you’re a bad ass now, Dono? Got to taste some chocolate ass and now you think you’re Don Quan?”
Donovan pointed at Kevin. “Don’t you dare disrespect her again, Kevin, you don’t even know her. I’m trying real hard to keep myself from knocking you off the damned pedestal you think you’re on. Last warning, call her a name again, we ain’t brothers, we ain’t boys and we ain’t friends. I will knock you on your ass and there’s nothing my brother can do to stop me.” He glared at Kevin.
“That’s how it is, bro?” Kevin sidestepped Demitri. “We’ve been through a lot and you’re gonna let some whore…”
As soon as the words left Kevin’s mouth, Donovan’s punch knocked Kevin in the slushy pool.
“I told you, Kevin!” Donovan yelled.
“Donovan!” Demitri fished a dripping and shivering Kevin from the pool.
“You alright?” Demitri asked, but it was no use. Kevin dashed after Donovan. Kevin dove for Donovan’s legs, knocking him to the ground. Kevin used his brute strength to pin Donovan’s chest to the ground while delivering a few quick jabs to his ribs.
With a quick burst of energy Donavan slugged Kevin on his left temple with his elbow point.
As Kevin swayed, Donovan threw Kevin off, then stood. Donavan’s dark blue jeans were caked with mud and wet from the melting ice and snow. His white turtle neck was ruined with rips and ground-in stains. He spat crimson drops on the ground. Donavan wiped the blood from his lip on the tip of his sleeve.
“I don’t wanna do this, Kevin. Enough. Take your ass-whippin’ like a man. Get the fuck out!” Donovan snarled. His blood felt as if molten lava flowed through his veins. His anger erupted like a volcano.
Donavan wanted Kevin so he could figure out how to get Kiora back. Tomorrow was her birthday and…
Donovan was so consumed by his thoughts, he’d blocked out his brother’s warning until he was too late. Kevin picked up a large rock and hurled in at Donovan. He felt the impact of the rock against his skull. It made a sickening cracking sound echoing in his sub-conscious. It was last he remembered before darkness engulfed him.
And special news I have received a new contract for my novel Torn!! Yay!! So stay tuned for that. And more good news I've finished my diamond in the ruff, Vampire's Embrace. I'll be pitching it next month. Wish me luck on that one.

Every Saturday night at 6pm I host a blogtalk radio show. One World One Voice Radio. www.blogtalkradio.com/oneworldonevoice Check me out there.

I've gotten lots of reader feedback on Thieves in the night so I'm now working on a sequel called The Bond of Blood.

I'm also working on my first ya under a new name( I'll tell ya later) but the title of the book is Hell High.

Busy busy. If you want to find me always check out Facebook. Add me on Facebook (Raven Starr) and on Twitter( Raven K Starr) Chat with ya then.
Love to All,
Raven

Half Off Sale

Hey All, Red Rose Publishing is having a half off today. Check out your favorite authors today!

www.redrosepublishing.com

More News to Come!

Raven Starr

Happy 4th Folks

Hiya all. I've had the craziest week ever. I went to my family reunion which was great. But I started having a bad feeling. I always go with guts so I tried to get back home on Sunday. Let's just say I was scared I wasn't gonna make it.
After getting home by the skin of my teeth, I found out hours later my car had been broken into.
Yep, I was robbed. Now let me say I live in a good neighborhood. I've been here for almost 4 years. There have been times when we have forgotten to close and lock the door and we've gone to bed. Nothing like this ever happened before.

I don't even know folks in here town. I keep to myself. I'm a weird writer what can I say. So every other day I would wake up to find something wrong with my car.When I called the cops the first time I waited 36 hours for them to show up. I had to call the mayor in order to get some where.

Yep, you read right, 36 hours!!! Some service right. The next day I wake up and my tires( all 4) are slashed!!! OMFG!!
I don't know anyone but the people downstairs.
I call the police again, and wait for 5 hours for a cop to come and tell me there is nothing for him to do.

I always go with my gut. And my gut was telling me the person doing this lived close. Well after ranting bout moving and taking back my side of the garage, the folks stopped messing with my car.

But let's just say I was mentally wiped out from a week full of not very nice surprises. So don't be mad that I haven't been around. It's been a bit tedious.
I did finish two new books with RRP. One called Tainted Blood and the one is The Perfect Match. I'm working on the sequel to Tainted Blood called Echoes in the Dark. Can't wait.
Have a great day. Enjoy ur fireworks and most of all, be safe.
Hugs,
Raven

Rejoice in Life

Hey all this is a special blog. My heart felt a tug of sadness that I've only experienced when a member of my family has passed. Yesterday we lost Farrah, another angel gone to heaven. Her battle with cancer is over. I am glad she no longer suffers.

But hearing the death of Michael Jackson my heart broke. I grew up listening to his music. I sang and danced around to his music most of my life. Some of my fondest childhood memories are winning a dance contest to Thriller. Or the first time I sung in front of a crowd when I preformed as Michael in our school version of We are the World. I had a glove, a red and black pleather jacket and his doll.

Micheal's death has hit the entire world and left us all reeling. Well not all. I've sen posts and blogs all about the bad bits of his life. We all know what he was accused of, and I'm not in any way making light of that situation. But in death let us remember the joy he brought to us. Let us remember his life and the memories we all shared.

Life is too short to dwell upon the negativity we have in this life. No one person is immune to the darkness that resides inside of all of us. No matter how people will try to dissect Micheal's life I hope they remember, he was father, a brother, a son, a friend and inspiration to the world.

I've learned in my short life that tomorrow is promised to no one. Love today like it is your last day. Because it just might be. Spread love and respect, there is way too much hate and darkness in this world.

Hug someone who doesn't deserve it. Love the unlovable. Learn to trust in your heart and let it lead you.

Take a moment to relive your childhood memories. Smile at the happiness within us all and most of all. Enjoy your life, your family, your friends. Live healthy, Laugh much and love damn it, love as much as you can.

Blessings,
Raven

Beta Search is on....

Listen I'm looking for a Beta. What's a Beta, you ask? A Beta is a fan of my work that wants to read my books before they are edited/contracted to help me feel out the good and bad parts of the story. This person must be trustworthy and honest. He/She would also get the chance to read my books for free. So, if your interested email me at rashliegh@yahoo.com put Beta Search in the subject line. I'm going to post this on a few other places. If your interested let me know.
Hugs folks.
Lots of love,
Raven

LaVerne Thompson is Here

WHY WRITE IR/Interracial romance?
Why not? I’m originally from Trinidad and my husband is an Anglo American, so it just seemed to me like that’s the characters I should write about. And I got tired of reading stories where racial differences and outside conflict completely overshadowed what’s supposed to be a romance. I wanted to write characters that reflected other kinds of relationships. While the characters in my stories are involved in interracial relationships, racial conflict is not a factor in my stories. I write romance, I’m not trying to write social commentary. When I pick up a romance I just want to be pleasantly entertained. My characters are interesting and appealing enough for anyone, and my storylines have enough going on that I don’t need to use racial conflict as a crux to hold the story together all the time. In fact my stories never use it.
Following is a blurb and the excerpt of one of my best selling works. HOLD ON was No. 1 at Red Rose Publishing and is now currently available in print from Amazon and Target.com
Blurb

One phone call changed both their lives.
A real life knight in shining armor, except he isn’t in armor he’s in a suit. But the first time Lena Douglas lays eyes on Stephan Grayson that’s what he seems to her. He saves her from a violence that still haunts her nights, but at least he’s there to hold her should she wake. But the nightmare’s not over, it stalks them both now. Something from her past that will not let go.
But then neither will Stephan. He saved her once and he’s not about to let anyone, especially Lena stand in the way of what is happening between them.
But will Stephan always be there to shield her from her past?

Excerpt

“911 Operator.”
“Hello…listen I’m at the corner of Broad Street and Denny Way. I’m looking into the second floor of a garden style apartment opened onto Broad, and it looks like there’s a…a robbery taking place.” Stephan spoke anxiously into the phone, his voice cracking mid-speak.
The emergency operator on the other end replied in a steady tone, “I’m dispatching a patrol car to the area sir. Stay on the phone with me. Are you one of the victims or do you know the people involved?”
“No, no it’s not me and I don’t know them. I’m in my car. Hang on, the light’s changing. I’m going to make a U-turn and park on the street so I can keep watch.” He ignored the car honking at him because he had cut in front of it. The building in front of him, and the woman in trouble his only focus. The sun hadn’t been down for very long, but the open lighted walkway in the three-story building allowed Stephan a pretty clear view.
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to remain in the car,” the operator insisted in a forceful voice. “How many people are involved?”
“Two, I think. A man and a woman, he grabbed her purse and she tried to run. Hurry!” he cried.
“Help is on the way. Please try to stay calm.”
“My God!’ the man exclaimed. “He just hit her… she’s trying to fight him off. He kicked a door open and…he’s…he’s trying to drag her in!” His words were coming faster, rushing to get the information out. “She’s fighting back. I can’t just sit here watching this.”
“Sir, please do not leave your car,” the operator said firmly. “The person could be armed as well as dangerous. Wait for the authorities.”
“I’m sorry. I’m already at the building. Tell the cops, when they get here, it’s the second building from the corner, second floor, the door at the top of the stairs. I’m going to leave my phone on so you can listen in, but I’m putting it in my pocket.”
Without waiting to hear a reply, Stephan did just that.
As he ran up the stairs he could hear a woman’s screams. Why isn’t anyone trying to help her? He had seen three other doors with apartment numbers on this floor. Surely one of them was occupied. It didn’t matter, he was here and he wasn’t going to do nothing. Too late, he wished he’d taken the time to grab a tire iron from his car. But he had stopped rational thought as soon as he glimpsed the woman in trouble. He’d just have to rely on being in good physical shape. It wasn’t like he was a fighter, in truth he used his mind not his muscle. Now he may have to use both, and so far he hadn’t been using much of his so-called intelligence tonight. An intelligent person would have waited on the sidewalk and pointed the cops in the right direction.
Stephan stopped at the now closed door he had seen the man kick open. A scuff mark near the bottom of the panel confirmed he had the right place. He put his ear to the wood but could hear nothing. Turning the doorknob he found it unlocked, and cautiously pushed it open. He slipped inside leaving it slightly ajar so the cops could enter easily.
Muffled sounds were coming from the interior of the condo. Taking a step in the direction of the noise, ragged cries suddenly rent the air. A hallway, probably leading to a bedroom, stretched in front and to the right of him. There were no lights on, but the blinds were partially open, and the glow from a street lamp provided enough light to illuminate the small room.
Glancing to the left he spied a kitchen. His heart pumped blood into his system, adding strength to his resolve. Moving quickly, he headed there first for a weapon. As soon as he pulled a knife from the block on the counter, the wail of a siren whined from a distance, at the same time he heard a scream that curled his soul.
Throwing caution out the window he ran down the short hallway, fear setting his pace. Stopping in front of the only room he gripped the open doorframe. The scene unfolding before him chilled his blood.
The dimmed overhead light showed a woman lying face down on the bed, and a man in dark clothing sat on top of her, straddling her legs to hold her down. She kept screaming and bucking to try to throw him off, but he kept laughing, and using one hand to hold both of hers on her head while he ripped her blouse with the other. So engaged in his activity, he didn’t even hear Stephan behind him.
Stephan wanted to stick the sonofabitch with the knife in his hand. But he spotted an empty metal potpourri bowl on a stand near the door. He didn’t want to shed any of the man’s blood on the woman if he didn’t have to. He put down the knife and picked up the bowl. Using all of his strength, fueled by his anger, he smashed it against the side of the bastard’s head.
Like a bowling pin toppling over, the man fell off the bed onto the floor, hopefully out cold for a while. When the weight holding her down disappeared, the woman on the bed flipped over. She raised her tear streaked face and her eyes momentarily collided with Stephan’s before shifting to the man on the floor. As her gaze returned to his, fear flooded her beautiful chocolate colored eyes. She gasped, and backed up against the headboard.
Even with puffy eyes, tear tracks on her face, and a bruise on her toasted almond colored cheek her beauty still shone through. Stephan’s heart, which had been racing before, stopped in mid beat. Wide round eyes, had captured his attention first, set in an oval shaped face with a bow for a mouth, centered off with the cutest nose that started narrow but flared at the end, even more as he watched her take a deep breath.
He held up his hands, but realized he still held the bowl. He slowly placed it at the foot of the bed. “It’s okay,” he said trying to sound reassuring and non-threatening. “The police are on their way. I won’t hurt you.”

Hello Again

Hey Y'all, I just wanted to stop by and drop a bio of our next Author on the Blog. LOL
LaVerne Thompson is a friend on myspace as well as a fellow author. She'll be stopping by tomorrow to blog about her books.
Just to wet your lips a bit. I'm going to post her bio. Make sure you all stop by and check her out.
Thanks y'all.
Raven

LaVerne Thompson, like so many others, has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. She is now a multi-published award winning bestselling author, an avid reader and a writer of contemporary, fantasy, and sci/fi sensual interracial romances. She is currently working on several projects. When not working on one of her stories, or shuttling her girls to and from school and their various activities, she can usually be found on online. Visit her website at lavernethompson.com or check out her blog at isisindcblog@blogspot.com to see excerpts of her stories and what's coming soon.

Checking In with a Surprise...

Hey all, How's it going? I want ya to know I also blog at http://wildromanticladies.blogspot.com/. So, check me over there sometimes too. I'm chatting and traveling so please check back here or my myspace for info. I'm going to post a Free Read here before it goes up on my site.
I'm still working on a story called Torn. Here's a blurb:
Alyssa Kendall is a bookworm and movie-watcher extraordinaire. She lives her life in the pages she reads and the movies she watches. Never did she expect Julian Turner to have any real interest in her. When he saves her from becoming someone’s hood ornament neither could resist the connection. Alyssa wants to fall in love; she wants to throw caution to the wind with Julian.

Once she opened her heart, Julian suddenly has to leave. Shattered, Alyssa tries to put him behind her. Four years later they ran into each other again.
Can they pick up where they left? Or has Alyssa moved on with her life with stable and sexy Christian. The battle for Alyssa’s heart has begun. Can Julian and Alyssa find the spark they once had? Or does her heart truly belong to Christian. Find out in Torn.

This is the free read though. LOL Just a sneak peek into what I'm toying around with right now. So, I don't know where you guys are located but I'm on the East Coast and it's still a little chilly. The sun is out but it's cold. It's like a lie. You look out the window and see the sun shining, no clouds in the sky. And you say to yourself, "Self, it looks warm and inviting today. Let's go to the park."
You hurry and get dressed and ran outside to find it windy and chilly as hell! I guess it is what it is, right?

Ok what's up with this Twitter? I have to say I have a blogger, a myspace and a face book now I'm crazy about Twitter. I'm Raven K Starr over there so follow me. Wow it really sounds like an anthem for stalkers though. LOL

Alright I'm going to leave ya with my Free Read. Go on and read it you've deserved it. LOL
Talk, chat, Tweet ya all later.
Raven




A Legacy Lives On.
By Raven Starr

Taylor fidgeted in her seat, the hard back of the pew dug into her skin. The paper-thin material of her black blouse offered her little to no comfort from the scratchy wood. Her tear-filled brown eyes darted around as she tried not to look at the corpse in the coffin lying in front of her. Taylor looked up instead and marveled at the high vaulted ceiling. Three gold chandeliers dangled above her; they seemed to sway to the sweet lull of the organ music.
She swallowed back the huge dry lump of grief threatening to spill over and consume her right here and now. She blinked; her eyes fell on the beautiful lilac coffin containing her beloved grandmother. Her heart pounded in her chest, it thundered so loud she swore the whole church could hear it. Dots of sweat beaded on her brow as she tried to catch her breath.
She examined the casket for any visible flaws and found nothing out of the ordinary. What was she looking for? Taylor couldn’t keep her eyes from embracing her grandmother’s serene expression. Her brown skin seemed as soft in life as well as in death. Salty tears streaked down her face and she quickly dabbed the corners of her eyes with a white handkerchief with embroidered flowers.
The organist played as a member of the congregation sang a hymn that sent shivers down her spine. Taylor hadn’t been in this church since she was a child. What a shame her grandmother’s death brought her back inside these doors again. It took more strength than she could muster to pull her gaze away from the casket. She shook her head and tried to focus on the sermon that the preacher was giving.
A whizzing and hissing noise from the air conditioner filled the church making several people mumble complaints. Murray, Kentucky had been her childhood haunt, her home away from home, the special place where she’d spent summers with her grandmother. All those days were over. Every Sunday they would come to church, Taylor remembered her time in the choir and how her grandmother beamed when it was her turn to sing.
Taylor put a smile on her face as a slew of people came to shake her hand or give her a comforting hug. She wished the smile on her face was true, but all she felt inside was numbness. Her hands shook as the time neared for her to speak. Nervously, she picked up the paper with the poem she had to recite; it crackled loudly shaking like leaves in a fall breeze. Not wanting to disturb the service, she swapped the paper for her handkerchief, which she began folding and unfolding. ‘I have to keep my hands busy,’ she thought. “Idle hands are the devils workshop;” she could hear her grandmother say.
Her aunt’s big, soft hand squeezed her shoulder lovingly. Taylor turned her head to gaze at this woman, who by all rights should be sobbing and wailing, but instead was the epitome of strength and grace. Her aunt flashed a knowing smile and wink. Taylor knew she was at peace. Why wasn’t it that simple for her?
She remembered her own mother’s death and the way she felt then, is the same way she felt now, a jumbled mess of emotions stirring about in her soul. In the last five years, she’d had to live through losing her mother, and then her father two years later of multiple myeloma. After that death dealt her another blow when she lost a very good friend.
Now the crème on top, losing her grandmother made her feel as if the ground underneath her feet had disappeared and she was weightless floating in the ether.
Her grandmother always stood in her corner, silently and then sometimes not so silently fighting for her. Wave after wave of memory hit her as if she were sand and the waves dashed upon her. She tried stifling the urge to stand up and flee, weeping like a lost child. When her big brother stood up to speak about their grandmother’s life a thought dawned on her- death isn’t the end. As her brother told the church of their grandmother’s life, she’d learned things about her she’d never known. Her grandmother had worked at the Pentagon being one of the first black women to work there. When her grandmother turned her sights on helping the sick she became an RN. A true smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. No matter what life had dealt her grandmother, she always had a smile on her face and joy in her heart. Her grandmother’s strength was her strength; the same blood flowed in her veins too.
“Go with God,” Taylor whispered softly.
As the day ticked by, the cloud of anger surrounding her heart slowly began to fade. She looked down at her hands, they were no longer shaking and her heartbeat had returned to normal. Yes, she was sad her grandmother was gone, but she lived in not only the people she touched, but through each and every member of her family.
“Let your life shine,” she recalled the preacher saying. “People will not remember you for the car you drive or the clothes on your back. It’s your life they will remember; so let your life shine. Give all your troubles up to God and He will find a way.”
With all the death and hardships she’d experienced in her thirty-something years on this planet when it came to faith, hers was shaky at best. When pains struck, Taylor hid deeper and deeper inside herself, casting doubts on everything especially her belief in the Lord. But as the words of the Bible began to make sense, she decided to give her pain up to God and let Him clear it away. She closed her eyes and let out a long exhalation. This was not a time to question her faith or to let her anger guide her footsteps any longer.
She looked at her grandmother again and the answer was clear. It was time to stop running and face her fears of the darkness, instead of being separated from her family she needed to embrace them. No more should she run and hide, angry at God and her family most especially herself. It was time to let it all go, to give it up to God. For the first time since childhood she wanted to step on out faith and truly believe. If she had learned anything from her grandmother is she had her unwavering belief.
Taylor looked at every face in the church, remembering memories, laughter and tears they had shared. But in each family member she saw a bit of her grandmother. Her grandmother didn’t leave, her legacy lives on in the five generations she’d spawn.
This family had all begged and borrowed to come back home for Big Mama’s funeral. There were no complaints, just love and affection making the years of change while indifference become a shadowed memory of the past. Some of her family she hadn’t seen in years but it felt like a misty summer memory. But in everything she learned, love brought this family back together again. All the grudges were let go it wasn’t worth it. Living life isn’t what keeps a family apart, its living life without love and belief.
Taylor thought about what she had in Connecticut, a high-rent from a heartless slumlord who never fixed a thing, to a sprinkle of friends, but no real family. In all honestly, she had nothing but stress and grief, struggling to make ends meat all alone. If anyone asked her to describe herself in one word it would be lonely. Everything she wished and searched for had been right in front of her all along. All her doubts, grudges and silly misunderstandings ebbed away along with the frayed ends of her intense loneliness. Look at how far her family had come from the days of slavery and the wars that plagued this country. Her family had endured and stayed together. She shared a rich beautiful heritage, something to be proud of and something she wanted to share with her own children.
No, her grandmother’s spirit lived on inside her heart, with every shared memory her legacy lived on. Taylor finally understood where she belonged. She belonged with her family, thick or thin, good and bad; this was her home and her family. From this moment all she knew was the truth. To be able to trust in her faith in God and let Him guide her heart. She knew she could not outrun her problems any longer. It was time to truly believe and step out on faith. It was time to live in the light of the truth and not hide in darkness of regret.
Her grandmother’s blood was her blood and she would let her life speak for itself. With each day, she would let her life shine to continue the legacy of her grandmother and all of the people before her. With God’s help Taylor knew that this was just the beginning.

Inside the heart and mind of Raven Starr.

Happy Sunday Afternoon All.

Well, this is my day to sit back and meditate on the week that has ended and the one beginning in a few hours. This new year has brought me great joy. I have ups and downs but this year, I truly can't complain. I've received two new contracts within the last few weeks and I'm proud.

It was hard to get back to writing after I wrote The Perfect. I don't know why, honestly. My process usually requires me to take a small break after finishing a story. I use this time to clear my mind and ready myself for the next adventure. But I was at a stale-mate, my first in my writing career but certainly not my last, I'm sure.

I felt lost without writing but when I sat down to do so, the words didn't flow out. I just sat here, in limbo wishing I could but not wanting to write. If that makes sense.

I know all writers have their own way of creating their work. I love to light candles, meditate a bit and then find the perfect music for the feel of the story I'm writing. Like if I'm writing a fight scene I like Metallica , Creed or something hard and raw. (No perverted thoughts you guys. LOL)
If I'm feeling romantic it's Earth, Wind and Fire, Barry White and something smooth. Jazz helps too.

But none of my tricks of attracting my muse helped and I just sank. I started to write a story first entitled Twin Souls but after writing more of it, I found the storyline very close my life, including the death of my mother. I had to stop writing it. Even after I changed the title to To Start Again I still couldn't bring myself to write about my mother short but traumatic hospital stay and her death.

I have grief still in my heart even though it's been 6 years. The wound left by my mother's death has a hold on me. I'm for the belief in life after death and that our souls carry on. So, in saying that I hope my mother watches over me. I pray that she can see the progress I've made in my life. Right after her passing, I must admit I lost my way. It took 2 years to find my way out of the darkness.

I find my release in writing. It made me feel, connect and truly grieve over what I'd had and lost in my short lifetime. In knowing what true lost, I was reborn. I love my family more and more each day, never sure if we will all greet the dawn together. I try to fill my heart with as much love and understand as I can. So everyday writing wasn't a chore. It was a release.

Now, feeling as if I'm again stepping into the unknown the ground beneath me wobbles and threw me off my writing urge. It took some digging and some looking inward, but I found my strength again. I take each day as it comes. No pressure. My dreams and goals are important to me. So, I sit everyday and bang out my word count, which is only 1,000 words a day but at least it's something. Going from nothing a day to 1,000 words is pretty decent, I think.

I want to find the strength to complete To Start Again, but maybe the reason why I can't finish it is my life is completely written yet. There are still some surprises to come. Lovers to be found, teachers to learn from and children from all over to teach. I know now that my writing isn't a fluke. I'm not a one hit wonder.
I am Raven Starr! You better recognize! LOL

Take Care of yourselves, my friends. Live, Love and laugh everyday!
Blessings,
Raven Starr

I'm Dancing...

I just received another contract for a story called The Perfect Match. Yippee!!
Happy happy happy!
Raven
Here's a quick blurb:

The Perfect Match

By Raven Starr

Interracial Romance



Kiora Webb is a typical Pisces woman. Independent, creative, and romantic, but she just couldn’t meet the right guy. Kiora worked at a Caper’s New and Used was the perfect place for her to hide. For an early birthday present her friends treat her to a girl’s night out to Club Fusion where she meets slick talking Donovan Black. From his self-assured stance to his lame, run-down pick up lines, she dismisses him swiftly. Within days of their meeting small gifts begin to appear, each bringing them closer. Is this her perfect match or something else?

Donovan Black has never been turned down before and when beautiful Kiora Webb doesn’t fall head over heels for him, he’s crushed. Taking his failure as a game Donovan’s buddies persuade him into thinking, he could never have a decent woman like her. Donovan set out to prove them wrong. But what started out as a ploy turns into something that not neither one of them could foresee.



The Perfect Match

Hey I Blogged Today

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Dana Littlejohn's Blog

Ladies and Gents let's welcome Dana Littlejohn:

Hello followers of the fabulous Raven Starr!
I want to thank Raven for having me on her blog and thank you guys for taking the time to read my contribution. Today Raven and decided I would talk about what makes me tick (well, sort of). She had a few questions for me and then a few more came from those and in the end I hope you have an idea of why I do what I do…and still want to read my stuff after you know. LOL Let’s get started, shall we?
Q: Where do you get your ideas to write inter racial romance? Let me first say that when the ideas for my stories form in my brain it does not distinguish between races or color. In fact, when I begin the journey to build the main male character for a story I go people watching. Living in a major city is really good for that because we have a major airport, a large Greyhound Station, the largest library in the state and lots of college campuses. I go to different places until I see ‘him’ and then I take a mental picture of him and go home to finish building him from the inside out. I appreciate the beauty and differences in men of all races so my male characters end up from all races.
Q: Do you find that writing this genre is hard to get agent attention or build up a real following? I didn’t even know ‘inter racial’ romance was a genre. LOL I just write what my brain sees. I have several books that are not inter racial (WCP-Torrid Teasers:55, Behind the Wings and The House, Red Rose Publishing-The god’s Silver Connection, Phaze- Christmas with Holly, and Take Over Publications- Blaze’s Black Widows). As far as getting an agent goes, in the beginning most of my stories were too short to go into print so I didn’t really think about one. Now that I have 3 full length novels under my belt I don’t know if I need one, I find that I want an agent. Finding one has proving to be extremely difficult. I don’t know if it’s the competition, the genre that I write (mostly erotic romance, mostly interracial) or they just think that I suck. But never-the-less, I just keep on trying!
Q: When you ‘build’ your characters, do you start on the inside out? Yes, my characters have a life and a personality before they have a face. The circumstances they are put through while growing up and personal taste determine what their significant others will look like.
Q: How do you come up with your female leads?
Usually my female leads are usually African American (or a mixed race) women who are spunky, feisty women with some kind of issue to overcome so they can be happy with themselves and whoever they choose to be with.
Q: Once you have your characters, how does the story form? Do you know what happen from start to finish? In the forming stage my story is usually a mess. It comes to me in spurts, but by the time I piece it together I have a beginning, a middle and an end.
Q: You have written several sub-genres, how do you choose which one you will do next? Nope, no template, no chart, no pre planned ideas. LOL I am truly a fly by the seat of my pants writer. I can see a story happening before my eyes and I write what I see. I choose which story to write by who speaks the loudest to me. I just finished a short story called The Foot has Spoken (it is a foot fetish story) and have already started the next, I call it Ming Bling (it’s about a married couple who have hit a slump and what the wife does to get them out of it)
Well, I hope this little look inside my head will still have you turning the pages of my books and not running away from me screaming at the top of your lings. I had a great time, Raven, thanks again for having me.
Dana~
www.danalittlejohn.net
www.liljohndana.webs.com
www.myspace.com/liljohndana

Another Update...

Wow, the lack of sleep is helping today. I've got an update about the Virtual blog. I'll be blogging here on my birthday, which is next Thursday. So come check me out over there.
Lots of love,
Raven

http://www.brigitsworld.blogspot.com/

Get Your Mind Right!!

Hello Red Rose fans! I'm here to drop a little of of info your way. Next Thursday is my birthday!! Yippee! At the RRP chat room, we'll be a March Birthday Bash! So, mark it down on your calendar on make sure you stop on over for the party. There will some fabulous authors from RRP, a contest or two and some great laughs to boot.
So, if you wanna party us the March babies of RRP come check us out. Even your a March baby too, swing by and tell us.

Don't let the party start without you. Jot down the info and come ring in our March birthday bash!!!
Come for the party, stay for the fun.
Hugs to all,
Raven Starr
www.redrosepublishing.com
www.ravenkstarr.com

Updates

Hey there everyone,
Yup, I know I haven't been here for a bit and I do apologize. Do you forgive me? Hope so. All right now let's get down to business. I've I wrote two new stories The Perfect Match and Tainted Blood, they haven't found a home yet so let's keep our fingers crossed about that. But honestly, since finishing both I've had a hard time getting back into the swing of things. Yup, I admit I'm blocked! The weather is FINALLY turning around so maybe if I can see the screen through my blurry vision I can manage to type something.
I will be doing a Virtual Book Tour Blog thingy. LOL Check this out:Virtual Tour Schedule

Denyse Bridger - March 8, 2009

Jaxx Steele - March 11, 2009

Kendra Mei Chailyn - March 14, 2009

Brigit Aine - March 17, 2009

Raven Starr - March 20, 2009

Delilah K. Stephans - March 23, 2009

Kadian Tracey - March 26, 2009

Dana Littlejohn - 29, 2009

The day after my birthday..Waayyy cool! After I blog here: http://romanceblogtour.blogspot.com/ An author will be chosen to come here and blog. Please tune in for that and show them love.
Well, my friends I must bide you goodbye. May be today will be the day when I break the block.
Wow sounds like a great game. Let me think about it.
Hugs and Blessings,
Raven

New Cover The Pleasure Cruise by Raven Starr

Hello there
Book 2 of The Misadventures of Raine Matthews will be coming at cha on
Thursday February 26th 2009.

Check out this excerpt:"I'm Raine. Nice to meet you," she replied,
holding out her hand to him.
Miguel's grip on her hand was warm. She smiled as he ran his fingers
across her delicate skin. She took her head back and looked back at
the people sliding down the water slide, but Miguel was intent on
talking to her.
"Have you ever been on a cruise ship like this one before?" he asked.
"Nope. Is it that obvious?" she asked, not making eye contact with him.
"A little bit," he teased.
To her surprise, he ran his hand up her arm and gave her shoulder a
squeeze. "You're tight," he said seductively.
Raine flashed a sexy smile. You have no idea how right you are. She
turned her head, looking at his fingers creating tiny unseen circles
on her shoulder. She shivered as his thick digits toyed with her strap.
His misty, green eyes awakened some dormant passion within her soul.
She could tell from this man's mannerisms and straightforwardness he
didn't often take no for an answer. Being a free spirit, his
authoritative role intrigued her very much. It made Miguel very hard
to resist.
"So, let me be your guide then," he offered, leaning over so his hot
breath danced on her skin.
Raine looked over the brim of her sunglasses at him. She smiled,
fighting the urge to run her fingers over his shiny shaved head. A
quick vision of a strong, bald man in a tight, white tee holding a
cleaner popped into her mind. Even though her ideal man happened to be
the tall, dark, and handsome type, Miguel's shaved head made him look
even sexier. He slouched back in the chair, spreading his broad
muscle-bound legs over the sides.
This big, strong man could bench press her over his head fifty times
and probably not even break a sweat. Her eyes traced his manicured
goatee and sideburns. Sunlight bounced off his bronzed skin. Damn he's
sexy!
"I know you're thinking about me right now," he said with a confident
wink.
"How do you know that?" she asked coyly.
"Because you're staring at me with a big-ass smile on your face,
that's how. You're going to have a good time with me, believe me, mama."
By the looks of it, this is going to be an adventure of a lifetime.
Miguel flashed a sexy, dimpled smile, then abruptly sat up, cupping
her chin in his big hand. His soft touch gliding across her skin felt
as if a lightning bolt streaked through her body and pierced her heart
with the sensation, spreading to her nether regions. She crossed her
legs, trying to hide the warmth growing in between her chocolate
thighs. Miguel's fingers flowed effortlessly along her jaw line then
around her ear to run them through her hair.


For more stay tuned and be ready on Thursday!!
Much love,
Raven Starr

My Chat and Contest too!!

Hey all I'll be having my first contest at my chat Mocha's Erotic Review on Friday.

http://www.mochaseroticreview.com/mochas_erotic_review_homepage.html

It starts 7pm central 8pm eastern time. Tell one, Tell all.

Come on over and we'll have a ball!
I hope to see you all there.

Hugs and thanks,
Raven Starr