I bring a unique perspective to client organizations that seek to integrate ethical
standards of excellence with solid business practices. I got started writing after hearing employees face dilemmas and having no where to turn to.
I hold an M.S in Industrial / Organizational Psychology. I also love to travel as often as possible from my home in the Houston suburbs. Finally, I have professional affiliations with the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE), National Speakers Association, Society of Industrial / Organizational Psychology (SIOP); and Houston Organizational Development Network (HODN). I am also a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the National Black MBA Association.
LTH-What book will we be talking about?
Phyllis-Top Ten Things to Consider ~ All in a Day's Work (ISBN: 978-0-9824475-8-1)
LTH-Please give us a brief synopsis of the book.
Phyllis-This book is a product of lessons learned by me and other employees around the world. What you will find is a myriad of examples of how not knowing impacted an employee and an organization. Within this short collection of knowledge are the top ten things that cause a GOOD employee to become a BAD employee.
LTH-What genre would you put your book in and what do you consider the
audience for your book?
Phyllis-Non-fiction and the audience is any employee or supervisor
LTH-What are some of your favorite characters from your book and what
makes this book special to you?
Phyllis-Within each chapter, I have included a true to life case example and “Lesson Learned” highlight to further drive in the ethical principle. Each scenario has been scrubbed to protect anonymity of the persons or companies involved.
LTH-If I walk into a book store and see your book on the shelf why should i buy it instead of the hundreds of others?
Phyllis-This book can save you from making some of the costly mistakes other employees made because they DID NOT know.
LTH-Do you have a web site?
Phyllis- Yes www.3amstrategies.com
LTH-Where is the book available?
Phyllis- Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Nobles, and my website
LTH-Do you have any special message to your fans or to readers you hope will become your fans?
Phyllis-6.Do you have any special message to your fans or to readers you hope will become your fans?
I am on a mission: To get my readers excited about ethics! Why? Companies that encourage ethical behavior are winners, communities and the planet will have a stronger workforce and healthier bottom line.
Interview with Eric Ayala author of Will you be made whole.
BOOK SYNOPSIS-This is a work of fiction that details the lives of the two main characters K.C. and Kat, and the other colorful characters they encounter on the streets of Chicago, as they struggle for redemption and restoration.
LTH-Tell us a little bit about yourself and what got you started in writing.
Eric-My name is Eric Ayala and I’ve been writing most of my life. I was raised in a single parent home – the oldest of 5 children. It was my responsibility to take care of my brothers and sisters while my mother worked 2 jobs. Because I kept up with housework and made sure they ate and homework got done, I didn’t have any friends. So, I created them. Even though I had to grow up quickly, I learned that I had a vivid imagination, full of characters and stories that I had no idea would manifest themselves in the way they have. I started drawing cartoons and including story tags when I was in grade school. As I grew older, the drawings and the stories became more sophisticated. Hundreds of drawings and pages later I was encouraged to write my first manuscript. That manuscript was edited, re-edited, and edited some more until it was published for the first
LTH- What book will we be talking about?
LTH-What book will we be talking about?
ERIC-The book we’ll be talking about is Will You Be Made Whole. This book was based on a stage play that I also wrote, directed, and produced in Atlanta, Georgia in 1996. The play had such an impact it actually was the catalyst for the book. Will You Be Made Whole sparked a series that follows the lives of the characters in the sequel Alabaster Box…Two Women One Struggle, and …if I should die before I wake.
LTH-Please give us a brief synopsis of the book.
ERIC-The book series begins with the lives of two teenagers, K.C. and Kat, from two very different walks of life and two different socio-economic environments, and details how they both end up on the streets of Chicago embattled with drugs and prostitution. As the story unfolds we’re introduced to other colorful characters that are put in their lives to either keep them down or help them escape. It’s a gritty cross between The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland; except there is no Oz, and the rabbit hole they fall into presents insurmountable odds. Not everyone makes it out.
LTH-What genre would you put your book in and what do you consider the audience for your book?
ERIC-I think the appropriate genre for this book series is Inspirational. Not in the religious preachy sense of the word, but in the triumph of spirit and good over evil, love over hate. I think the series would appeal to anyone who has ever felt like the underdog, or knows someone who has. I’ve been told that after reading the series you can never look at people or their situations in the same way again.
LTH-What are some of your favorite characters from your book and what makes this book special to you?
ERIC-My favorite character in the book started out to be K.C., but ended up being Cookie and Sugar Man. Cookie is like the anti-hero, or hooker with a heart of gold. She comes off tough when you first encounter her, but by the time you get to Alabaster Box you see a whole different side of her. And I liked Sugar Man, because who doesn’t like a good bad guy with no moral center.
This book series is special to me because it was the first time I realized that the masses could appreciate what I write. And also because every time I read them or talk about them I see the special group of actors who first brought these characters to life on the stage.
LTH-If I walk into a book store and see your book on the shelf why should i buy it instead of the hundreds of others?
ERIC-As you said there are literally hundreds of books on the shelves and hundreds of authors to choose from. I can’t honestly say that mine would stand out from any other unless I was standing there screaming “Buy my book!” The adage that you can’t judge a book by the cover would certainly apply here. But, if you did happen to select one of my books over the many there are to chose from, I believe you would fall in love with these characters as I did, and you would become so invested in the outcome of their lives that it would leave you wanting more; which is why I currently working on the 4th installment to the series titled …an issue of blood.
LTH-Do you have a web site? What's the address?
ERIC-You can of course find me on Face Book and you can also go to myspace.com/ayalawriter.
LTH-Where is the book available?
ERIC-Amazon.com and CafePress.com
LTH-Do you have any special message to your fans or to readers you hope will become your fans?
ERIC-First I would like to thank the people of Indianapolis for forming a fan club in my honor and also to the AT&T fan base in Atlanta as well as the growing number of readers all over the country who support me.
To those of you who have not yet had the opportunity to read my work or see my stage plays, it’s never too late to jump on board. I appreciate all of you and respect your intelligence. I promise to continue to provide quality writing and thought provoking characters and storylines that stay with you long after you close the book.
Interview with Erica Lewis author of Darkness In The Mirror
BOOK SYNOPSIS-Ruth Reid has been dealing with the firm grip of schizophrenia for years. First her mother, and now her oldest daughter Ondie. Determined not to have her daughter waste away in a mental hospital like her mother, Ruth has put before Ondie a life as close to normal as possible. But when tragedy strikes and a secret relationship between her other daughter, Serita, and Ondie's ex come to light, what will the future hold?
LTH-Tell us a little bit about yourself and what got you started in writing.
Erica-My name is Erica Lewis. I live in Atlanta, Georgia with my cat and a computer. That was for all you eligible bachelors. If you’re interested, the cat is history, but I’m keeping my computer…. LOL.
LTH- What book will we be talking about?
Erica-The book we’ll be talking about is Darkness In The Mirror. Darkness In the Mirror published by Urban Soul and Kensington Publishing in February 2009. It was my 3rd published work – my 2nd with Urban Soul.
LTH-Please give us a brief synopsis of the book.
Erica-Darkness In The Mirror details the life of Ondrea (Ondie) Reid, and how she deals with a life of schizophrenia while trying to raise her four year old daughter. She wants to get back with her ex, Dexter, but she doesn’t realize that he’s gotten involved with her younger sister, Serita. What’s unique about this story is how a mental disorder (which is rarely discussed in the African American community) ravages and affects an entire family – not just the person with the disorder.
LTH-What genre would you put your book in and what do you consider the audience for your book?
Erica-Adult fiction, definitely. I don’t write for the faint of heart.
LTH-What are some of your favorite characters from your book and what makes this book special to you?
Erica-Ondie is my favorite character in the book, because she’s loosely based on someone I know in real life. Her sister, Serita, emerges toward the end of the book. There’s a twist I don’t think the reader will see coming. Darkness In The Mirror is Ondie’s story, but I’m working on the sequel Living Through The Darkness, which features Serita.
LTH-If I walk into a book store and see your book on the shelf why should i buy it instead of the hundreds of others?
Erica-Outwardly, it’s probably not that much different from any of the other books you’ll see on the shelf. The cover does feature a young woman who’s scribbled the words I hate you in lipstick on a mirror, which may catch your attention. Most people will read the back of the book jacket, and I guarantee if you do, you’ll be hooked.
LTH-Do you have a web site? What's the address?
Erica-My website is ericalewis.net and if you go to my Face Book page you can read a sample chapter from Darkness In The Mirror as well as my other two books, Arlington Heights and The Mansion.
LTH-Where is the book available?
Erica-I believe you can find the book most anywhere books are sold as well as Amazon.com in paper back and BlackExpressions.com in hardback. I just discovered that one of my books is #67 on their best seller list and climbing. Yay, me!
LTH-Do you have any special message to your fans or to readers you hope will become your fans?
Erica-My first book was published in 2005, and I’ve not stopped since. Thank you all for discovering my literary voice. For those of you who are already fans and for those of you who will become fans, I hope we will enjoy a long – long future together. As long as you keep reading, I’ll keep writing!
Interview with Jean Holloway author of "Black Jack"
Lead Homicide Detective Shevaughn Robinson has gone from the cop everyone, including herself, doubted to the "golden child" of the Portsborough Police Department with a record of sensational arrests and closed cases. But when Helene Elliott is found dead from an apparent suicide, her family insists it was murder and pressures the Portsborough Police Department to take on the investigation. Detective Robinson is assigned to the case at a time when she is struggling to strike a balance between her personal and professional life following the death of Tony O'Brien, the love of her life. Elliott's case awakens a complicated relationship with Terri Becker who harbors resentment towards Shevaughn for the death of Eric Becker, the serial killer dubbed Ace of Hearts. Was the Elliott death a suicide or the work of a cold-blooded predator? Will life throw Shevaughn another unexpected blow? And will Shevaughn's attempts to move forward inadvertently lead death to her front door yet again? Black Jack is the sequel to Jean Holloway's acclaimed debut novel, Ace of Hearts. Buckle up and follow Shevaughn as she moves closer to solving the Elliott murder, unknowing rekindling old grudges and awakening sinister spirits. Get ready, it's going to be a bumpy ride.
LTH- Tell us a little bit about yourself and what got you started in writing.
Jean-I'm a mother of 6, Gramma of 8 and Great Gramma of 2. Hubby, Fred, and I have been together for 38 years. I started writing in answer to a bet in 1980, yet my debut novel, Ace of Hearts wasn't published until 2007!
LTH- What book will we be talking about?
Jean-Black Jack, the sequel to Ace of Hearts
LTH- Please give us a brief synopsis of the book.
Jean-Black Jack picks up 4 years after the Ace of Hearts case. Detective Shevaughn Robinson has gone from the cop everyone doubted to the "golden child" of the Portsborough Police Department when Helene Elliott is found dead from an apparent suicide. The police department is pressured to take on the investigation. The Elliott case awakens a complicated relationship with someone from her past.Will Shevaughn's attempts to move forward inadvertently lead death to her front door yet again?
Get ready, it's going to be a bumpy ride.
LTH-What genre would you put your book in and
what do you consider the audience for your
book?
Jean-This is probably one of the harder questions since I think my novels are adult romantic suspense, psychological crime thrillers. Adult because it's erotic, yet not erotica, romantic as you watch the growth of a loving relationship, psychological because somebody's crazy, the crime is murder and thriller because you get drawn into the story from various points of view. My audience is anyone over 21
LTH-What are some of your favorite characters from
your book and what makes this book special to
you?
Jean- Detective Shevaughn Robinson, of course, since she's the main character in my Deck of Cardz series. She's strong, yet vulnerable, It's weird, I find that I love my villian. I seem to have a thing for bad boys (only on paper).
LTH-If I walk into a book store and see your book
on the shelf why should I buy it instead of the
hundreds of others?
Jean-If I walk into a book store and see your book on the shelf why should I buy it instead of the hundreds of others? A: Well, as a relatively new (to the public) author, I'd just ask them to take a gamble on me. There aren't too many women who tackle writing thrillers, but I have a hard time imagining writing anything else.
LTH-Do you have a web site? What's the address?
Jean- www.deckofcardz.com
LTH-Where is the book available?
Jean- www.pheink.com (my publisher), www.deckofcardz.com , www.amazon.com , In fact, right now I'm having a Holiday Bogo Sale on amazom: http://bit.ly/Holloways_Holiday_Sale
Ace of Hearts and Black Jack are available upon request from your local bookstores and major online booksellers.
LTH-Do you have any special message to your fans
or to readers you hope will become your fans?
Jean-I promise my readers one hell of a roller coaster ride.
Interview with Darine Davis, author of Bayou Drama
Inspired by Zane and Carl Webber, these are a collection of stories dealing with life, love, and faith in relationships in the Bayou City. The characters relate to us all in one way or another as we are challenged in this crazy game of love and relationships.Filled with passion, deceipt, laughter and pain these stories will challenge the mind as well as the heart. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, but most important it will make you think...What would I do if I was in this situation?
LTH- Tell us a little bit about yourself and what got you started in writing.
Darine-My name is Darine D. Davis author of Bayou Drama and When A Good Man Goes Bad. I have been writing since high school and professionally since 2007. I actually started writing short stories while in high school and the Navy but just recently decided to go professional.
LTH- What book will we be talking about?
Darine-Bayou Drama
LTH- Please give us a brief synopsis of the book.
Darine-There are millions of stories in the bayou city all consisting of its own drama. This is a collection of five separate stories told in five different points of view.
Michael is a emotionally torn husband caught in a tangled web of confusion and deceit. He is feverishly in love with his wife of fifteen years but she takes his love for granted and puts career before marriage. Can Michael accept his wife?s decision or will he be tempted by another and bring even more drama in an already strained equation. Alice is a woman who has it all; a career, her independence, and a sincere confidence of who she is. No man can tame her and she feels no man will until she meets Greg a shy but confident man who knows what he wants in his life as well as his relationship. When the two meet sparks fly but has Alice truly met her match? Or has Greg bit off more than he can chew? Or Shonda a newbie to the Houston area looking for love and a new start allows her to meet Tony a very comical employee who is taken by her charm and her beauty. Shonda is intrigued with his honesty and humor as well as his ?appetite. Can they live happily ever after or will drama intervene one more time in this seemingly modern day fairytale. You will laugh, you will cry, you will even get frustrated at the decisions each one makes but one thing is for certain it will make you think about your own relationship and how to handle the drama you will encounter.
LTH-What genre would you put your book in and
what do you consider the audience for your
book?
Darine-I would consider this book and When A Good Man Goes Bad as urban fiction but definitely tailored for adult reading.
LTH-What are some of your favorite characters from
your book and what makes this book special to
you?
Darine-My favorite character would be Roger. He reminds me of myself. I guess I simply put more of my character into writing about him. I seemed to tailor my beliefs in what I would do or say in his situation. This book is special to me because it allowed me to vent in my own special way. By taking the various relationships I had encountered as well as some I have seen others encounter and put things in perspective to allow the reader to re-evaluate their own relationships and channel their emotions around the circumstances they have or may still be going through.
LTH-If I walk into a book store and see your book
on the shelf why should I buy it instead of the
hundreds of others?
Darine-I consider my style of writing to be a bit different from the norm. I try to relate to my readers by putting a lot of me in the stories and touch on circumstances people deal with on a daily basis.
LTH-Do you have a web site? What's the address?
Darine-My website is dniceone.com and I also can be found at http://www.pheink.com
LTH-Where is the book available?
Darine- My book is currently available at PHE Ink bookstores which can be accessed at http://www.pheink.com/as well as Barnes & Noble and Amazon
LTH-Do you have any special message to your fans
or to readers you hope will become your fans?
Darine-Bayou Drama is an excellent book filled with the three premier elements of a good read; suspense, drama, and humor. I am sure once you pick this book up you will find it rather difficult to put it down. You will laugh, cry, and even get upset at the action these characters take in their situation. But when it is all said and done you will look at your own relationship a little different than before.
Interview with Debra Yvette Phillips, author of Love Trumps Game
After her daughter's disappearance, a world-weary grandmother becomes the guardian of her two street-wise grandchildren -- but their demented, no-good father will do anything to get them back.
LTH- Tell us a little bit about yourself and what got you started in writing.
Debra-My name is Debra Yvette Phillips, and I'm the
author of four books. I also write under the
name d.y. phillips, my alter ego. I've always had a
love for the written word, but started out writing
poems and songs, then short stories.
LTH- What book will we be talking about?
Debra- Love Trumps Game by d.y. phillips, my
current release.
LTH- Please give us a brief synopsis of the book.
Debra-A young and spicy grandmother has to go
on the run with her two street-wise grandkids
to keep them from falling into the hands of
their drug-dealing, homicidal father. The
theme is good vs. evil.
LTH-What genre would you put your book in and
what do you consider the audience for your
book?
Debra-I thought the book was Urban Street Lit,
but have been told that it's a mix of urban
and contemporary fiction. The audience
for this book is anyone that likes a fast
paced story with sex, drama and a
happy ending.
LTH-What are some of your favorite characters from
your book and what makes this book special to
you?
Debra-I would have to say Hattie Sims, the spicy
grandmother who stands up and looks
danger in the eyes. This is my first
attempt at Urban fiction, which seems to
be quite popular right now, which makes it
special to me.
LTH-If I walk into a book store and see your book
on the shelf why should I buy it instead of the
hundreds of others?
Debra-I'm told that the cover of a young girl
clutching her guardian is intriguing. Who
can resist a story about children in danger?
LTH-Do you have a web site? What's the address?
Debra-www.myspace.com/authordebraphillips
I can also be found on Twitter and
Facebook.
LTH-Where is the book available?
Debra- Love Trumps Game by d.y. phillips
can be found at most major book stores,
and at all online book stores. It's also
available at Black Expressions Book Club.
LTH-Do you have any special message to your fans
or to readers you hope will become your fans?
Debra-Thanks to everyone that's been supportive
throughout my journey. I love hearing
from fans, so keep those emails coming
to: dyphil2@aol.com
