Monday, November 24, 2014

Virtual Book Tour - Kiss My Lips by Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku



Title: Kiss My Lips
Series: Holiday Series, #2
Genre: Romance/Contemporary/Multicultural/Interracial
ISBN: 978-1502776549 (Paperback)
Publication Date: Wednesday 29th October 2014
Cover Artist: Love Bites And Silk
Kiss My Lips (Holiday Series Book 2) is a sequel to
Stolen Valentine Kiss (Holiday Series Book 1).
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Blurb

Will one kiss seal their love? Accepting Logan’s marriage proposal was the most exciting event of Lorna’s life. But deciding in what country to marry her fiancĂ© proved to be more than a tearful ordeal. When Lorna’s dad announced unexpected news, the wedding wheels spun in a different direction. With other family members stirring conflict, would there be a wedding? Or would their shared kiss deepen their desire?


The doorbell sounded.
Lorna lifted her teary face out of her aunt's arms. "Who else are you expecting this morning? You’ve got more surprises in store for me, Auntie?"
Instead of answering the question, her aunt glanced at her brother.

"Please get the door, Kanu. I'll quickly get changed. Make my guest welcome, will you?"

Lorna looked from the woman rushing off to her father, who was striding towards the front door. She plucked out a handful of tissue from her bag, wiped off streaks of wet mascara and sat on the black leather bar stool by the kitchen island. She poured herself a glass of mango juice and was sipping the drink when her father came back with Logan in tow.

The glass slipped out of her right fingers but she rescued it with her left hand. Her stomach muscles contracted. Her feet rushed ahead and she threw herself into Logan's outstretched arms.

He scented of warm balsam. She inhaled as her head rested on the hard plane of his chest wall. Pure joy leaked out of her heart, flooding her entire body. The arms holding her were all taut muscle and strength. She wrapped her arms round his black silk shirt and burst into tears.

"Maybe I should leave you two," her father excused, walking in the direction of the second guest bedroom through the hallway.

Logan guided his fiancée to the pale green, moriko leaf upholstered sofa. He sat down and pulled her to sit across his thighs.

Lorna sobbed.

Logan let her cry. From time to time, he wiped her face.

Through her tears, she saw a tiny trickle of moisture drop down one lane on his cheek. "Are you crying, Logan?" she asked, not quite sure he understood her pain. She wiped one finger over the wetness and then, she saw another small tear, drop out of his right eye.

With her face only inches from his, Lorna kissed his half-parted lips. The kiss was raw and hungry as her tongue dived into his mouth, demanding and taking. Her nipples stiffened in her body-hugging top and she pressed her breasts into his torso.

Logan's arms crashed around her shoulders and the chiseled wall of his chest teased her nipples taut. Wild fire raged as his tongue dipped into her mouth, taking control and sending flickers of burning heat through her thighs.

"Your dad and aunt are here, sweetheart. Do you want me to show them how much you mean to me?" Logan's sensible words brought her back to her aunt's living room. She leaned her head on his forehead.

"When I saw the tear drop from your eye, fireworks exploded in my chest. You cried with me, Logan," she said in awe.

 "Did I?" Logan shrugged, running one finger across her lips. "Love is a strange emotion, Lorna. Your pain is my pain and your joy is mine."






Stella’s a fun loving mother of two, married to her very own gorgeous alpha male who satisfies her romantic appetite.

Writing romance novels is now her full time passion. In 2010, Stella created Flirty & Feisty Romance Novels laced with the right cocktail of blazing passion, intrigue & toe-curling romance set in fascinating Africa, enticing Europe and America. There are seven contemporary romance novels in the basket; Loitering Shadows, Stormy Defense, Beyond the Lady, The Gardener’s Ice Maiden, Sparkling Dawn, Husband to Rent, Stolen Valentine Kiss (Holiday Series #1).

My first historical romance is on my writing desk at the moment. In my leisure, I go swimming, reads romance novels, go to the Cinema and watch TV.

Flirty & Feisty Romance wishes you an amazing holiday season.

Our promise...is to deliver an intensely emotional experience you'll never forget.


Complete the Rafflecopter for a chance to win the $10 Amazon Gift card.



Kiss My Lips Teaser
Kiss My Lips Teaser

Monday, November 17, 2014

Let’s Talk About Stress and Dating by Vivienne Diane Neal


As humans, we cannot survive without stress, no more than we can survive without each other. Stress is necessary because it helps us to cope with every day life's situations. However, when it comes to dating, the tension can become more overwhelming, especially during the holidays.

When you meet someone for the first time, you may be under extreme pressure to be on your best behavior because you want to make a good impression, especially if you are interested in pursuing a romantic relationship. But first you must get to know that individual, date him or her for a period of time and then try to create and maintain a healthy and fun experience, which can add more strain to an already demanding courtship.

Stress is the pressures, strains or changes placed on the body, which can affect your physical, mental and emotional well-being. However, too much stress can seriously affect your psychological and spiritual well-being if you do not know how to handle or cope with these types of demands. When you are under too much stress, it is important to recognize it and do something about it. Unmanageable tension can lead to illnesses and chronic diseases. Nevertheless, you can improve your resistance to too much worry by learning how to manage and control your life during the dating phase.

It is important to remember there are some occurrences in life that are just out of your control. There are many experiences in life you can learn to handle by identifying the stressors: actions that make you feel anxious and concerned. Here are some recommended ways to deal with stress, which will enable you and your mate to have an extraordinary love life.

Eat a well-balanced meal. When you are under additional stress, make certain you eat more foods high in the B Vitamins, Vitamin C, Magnesium and Zinc. These foods would include whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, nuts, legumes and lean meats, respectively.

When you and your mate are angry, nervous or upset with each other, try physical activities such as walking, jogging, exercising, bike riding, skating or dancing.

Share your anxieties with each other and with friends, relatives or other couples by talking about your concerns or worries.

Know your limitations. Enlist the assistance of others if you find your relationship to difficult to handle.

Have some fun. All work and no play will put your relationship on edge.

Plan a schedule as to when you and your companion will be together just for romance. Not everything can be important at the same time.

Avoid self-medication. Even though you can use drugs to relieve stress temporarily, drugs will never remove the condition that causes the strain in the first place. In fact, some medications may become habit forming, create more problems and destroy a relationship; pills should only be taken on the advice of your physician.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Simple Money-Saving Tips for Singles and Couples by Vivienne Diane Neal


No matter how much money a person makes or has, there never seems to be enough. It is important to remember that the good times do not last forever, and one must always save for a rainy day.  Even if you put aside a set amount of money every week, there are no guarantees that you will have enough on hand if some unforeseen setback arises.

People used to say, “Another day another dollar.” Nowadays, that dollar has shrunk to where stretching a buck seems to be a challenging task. Food prices and other necessities seem to be going up, but earnings are not keeping up with inflation. Interest rates on savings are near zilch. Unemployment is still high in certain regions of the country, and many companies are cutting back on employees’ benefits, namely health insurance, paid sick leave, or are contributing less to retirement funds. But you can boost your money. By following these simple tips, you will end up saving and having more money in no time, and when you are ready, start investing in the stock market to receive more of a return on your money. No matter what people say, pennies add up.

Tip No. 1 - Try to live below your means. This may not be easy if you are making large sums of money. The old adage: the more you make, the more you can spend is not being financially sound, especially in today’s economy. You may not need three cars, five pairs of sneakers, twenty pairs of shoes, fifty handbags or a sixty-inch TV in every room. If you have all of these items, you may want to sell some of these things and earn extra cash. Even the rich must cut back at some point.

Tip No. 2 - There is a difference between want, and need. You may want to buy an expensive item, but that extravagant piece is not worth the price if you end up in debt. You do need food, clothing, and shelter. You can cut back on food and still get all your required nutrients, and buy low-priced clothing and still look fashionable. There is no need to spend $200.00 on a blouse. It in all probability, the top cost $2.00 to make, and the person who constructs that shirt may only make one dollar or less a day.

Tip No. 3 - When it comes to your home, you can cut back on your gas and electric bills. Use energy efficient incandescent or florescent light bulbs. Never leave lights on in unoccupied rooms. You can save money if you do your laundry before 10 am and after 10 pm, while there is no heavy demand on the electrical system. You will save money if you wash your laundry in cold or warm water. Using hot water all the time can be costly. An overloaded washer will use more energy; the same is true for an under loaded washer. A front-loading washer uses less energy and water than a top-loading washer does. You will save money if you dry your clothes on a clothesline. To avoid ironing, hang your clothes in the bathroom while you are showering; often, the steam will remove the wrinkles.

Tip No. 4 - Test your refrigerator to make sure you are not losing energy. Place a sheet of paper at the base of the refrigerator and close the door. If the paper slips out, replace the gasket. Vacuum the coils of your refrigerator to remove dust. Too much dust can cause your refrigerator to generate more power and a higher utility bill. Set the refrigerator temperature at 32 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer at zero degrees Fahrenheit, and keep the freezer packed or packed with bags of ice to prevent waste of energy. Never let ice build up in the freezer. It is time to defrost the freezer when the ice is l/4 inch thick.

Tip No. 5 - Use your automatic dishwasher when you have a full load. You can set the water temperature at 120 degrees Fahrenheit instead of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Setting at 120 degrees Fahrenheit will destroy the bacteria. Instead of using the drying cycle, open the door and air-dry the dishes.

Tip No. 6 - Your oven uses less energy than the top burners. A convection oven uses less energy than a conventional oven. A microwave uses energy economically and cooks food quickly.  Copper and aluminum bottom pots and pans are excellent conductors of heat and great energy savers. Cast iron pans hold heat longer and can be removed from the burner during the last ten minutes to allow the heat to finish cooking.

Tip No. 7 - Turn off the air conditioner in an unoccupied room. Set your air condition at 78 degrees to keep the room temperature comfortable. Always clean the filter at least once a month. A fan uses less energy than an air conditioner.

Tip No. 8 - When you buy major appliances, look for the highest energy-efficiency ratio. The higher the number, the less money it will cost to operate that appliance.

Tip No. 9 - Repair leaky faucets. Every drop of water lost means more money out of your pocket.

Tip No. 10 - Having health coverage is fundamental. The Affordable Care Act puts consumers back in charge of their health care. Under the law, a new “Patient’s Bill of Rights” gives the American people the stability and flexibility they need to make informed choices about their health. To read the full law, click here. To find detailed technical and regulatory information on the the Patient’s Bill of Rights, click here. Health insurance may not seem important when you are a young adult, but as one gets older, the need for health care and coverage becomes even more important, and to find an affordable health care plan can be daunting. There are programs such as Medicaid for the needy, and Medicare for people age 65 and over. When it comes to buying prescription drugs, you can comparison shop. Not all pharmacies are the same when it comes to pricing drugs. Consider generic pills, which cost less than most brand name drugs. By purchasing generic medicines, you can save a lot of money, sometimes up to 75%. Many pharmacies offer discounts to senior citizens, which can add up to real savings. You may save money by using a mail-service or mail order pharmacy, especially if you take one or more drugs regularly. Some pharmaceutical companies have programs that will assist people who may be on low, limited or fixed incomes. For your dental care, consider a dental school where students under strict supervision work on your teeth, and you will save a great deal of money. If you need oral surgery, only a licensed dentist will perform the procedure, but the cost will be less than if you go to a private dentist.

Tip No. 11 - If you are working, try to save up to twelve months in emergency funds. If you can save more, fine.  It used to be six months, but it is best to be on the safe side.

Tip No. 12 - Lastly, never bite off more than you can chew. If you want something, and you cannot afford it, wait until you can or do without it.

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Monday, November 03, 2014

The World Stage: Haiti

Kehinde Wiley Creates Signed, Limited Edition Benefit Print


Image credit: KEHINDE WILEY “The Sisters ZĂ©naĂŻde and Charlotte Bonaparte (The World Stage: Haiti)” 2014 Archival inkjet print on Epson Hot Press Bright 300 grain paper Paper 27.5 x 22 inches Image 21.321 x 16 inches Edition of 30 Publisher: The Lapis Press, Culver City, California Courtesy of the artist and Roberts & Tilton, Culver City, California 




In an amazing example of international collaboration and dignity through the arts, CinĂ© Institute is excited to announce Brooklyn based painter Kehinde Wiley has created a signed, special edition print from his new exhibition The World Stage: Haiti benefitting CinĂ© Institute, Haiti’s only film school. After visiting the college for art and technology in Jacmel earlier last spring, Kehinde Wiley has generously created a limited run of signed, special edition print of The Sisters ZĂ©naĂŻde and Charlotte Bonaparte (The World Stage: Haiti) with 100% of proceeds going to CinĂ© Institute to build a brand new computer lab!

To order this exclusive signed, special edition print by Kehinde Wiley benefitting Ciné Institute, click here to download an order form and contact Valerie Boucard.

100% of proceeds go to Ciné Institute to build a brand new computer lab.