Vocal Expressions

This is the first time I’m reading anything by Fiona Murphy and it won’t be the last. This novel captures the essence of Christmas: family, love, good deeds mixed in with some romance, a few surprises, and a heartwarming ending.    So, let’s meet Lydia Romano, a renowned and in demand sexy, sassy plus-sized stylist with many rules that her clients adhere to like not contacting her before noon (it’s on her business card that her hours are from noon to six). So, when she gets a call at six in the morning, she is furious and lashes out at the caller who later turns out to be Decker Holt, the ruggedly handsome, overbearing, commanding, and possessive billionaire. After apologizing to Decker for the way she answered the phone; Lydia agrees to style his sister, Juliet who is slated to attend various events with him over the holiday season. When Juliet decides not to go with Decker, he tells Lydia that she has no choice but to attend in Juliet’s place.  This is where the rom...

Author’s Bio: Born on the South Side of Chicago, LaDonnia Cole is the youngest of two daughters born to high school sweethearts, Mr. Johnny Stevens and the late Ms. Carolyn Fay Cole. She is a survivor and overcomer, calling “Stateway Gardens” her childhood home. Growing up in the Stateway Gardens “Housing Projects” is where LaDonnia learned some of life’s most-valuable lessons. High moral standards, ethical values, the importance of education, cherishing family, and survival skills are among those lessons LaDonnia uses as guiding principles in her life.   In Growing Beyond The Gardens , she takes you on her journey from humble beginnings to becoming a successful entrepreneur and non-profit founder. Come along for the adventure and discover how you can overcome your toughest challenges while learning to live your best life now.   Deliah Lawrence: What inspired you to write your book? LaDonnia Cole: My inspiration stems from my love for writing paired with the many t...

Author’s Bio: USA Today Bestselling author K. L. Brady is a D.C. native and award-winning author of 20 novels. She self-published her first book, THE BUM MAGNET, after an Oprah "live your best life" moment, which was picked up by Simon & Schuster in a two-book deal. She’s been publishing romantic comedies ever since.   K.L. is a Washington football fan and professed nerd-girl who loves all things Star Trek, Star Wars, and Big Bang Theory. She lives to write stories involving hilarious quirky characters looking for love. She's hard at work on her next several projects, including Sincerely, Santa , a heartfelt romantic comedy that also celebrates the special friendship between her late mother and grandmother.   Fun Fact: If K.L. could choose a superpower, she thinks she would be a mind reader so she could embrace those who really care about her, and she could cancel those who don’t. She figures out motives over time, but reading minds would make the process go...

This is the first time I’m reading anything by Cheryl Bradshaw and Janet Fix and it won’t be the last. These two authors have teamed up to write a story that is chock full of mystery, drugs, survival, and lifelong friendships.   So, let’s meet Sloane, a private investigator and Maddie, a retired medical examiner. Two best friends who are on vacation during the festival season (Mardi Gras) in New Orleans. A place of fun, food, and seedy places. While waiting on Sloane to return with a Canal Street Daisy, a bourbon-based drink infused with orange and lemon, Maddie takes off to see what a couple was doing down a dark alleyway. Within a few minutes of checking on the young woman she found lying on the filthy ground, someone from behind a dumpster pierces her neck with a needle and she is shoved into the back of an old sedan.   Panic ensues when Sloane returns, and Maddie is nowhere to be found. Sloane asks around and is pointed in the direction of the alleyway where ...

Author’s Bio: Diane Papalia Zappa grew up in Fort Lee, NJ. She graduated from Vassar College in 1968. She earned an MS in Child Development and Family Relations and a PhD in Life-Span Developmental Psychology from West Virginia University in 1970 and 1971, respectively. She then joined the faculty of the Department of Child and Family Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, attaining the rank of full professor at age 30. While there she and co-author Sally Olds wrote A Child’s World (in its thirteenth edition) and Human Development (in its fifteenth edition).  While at Wisconsin she met Frank Zappa’s younger brother Bob, who was the marketing manager for one of her textbooks. They married in 2015.   Her first memoir, The Married Widow: My Journey with Bob Zappa , describes their relationship since meeting in 1986. Dear Bobby describes how she handled her grief after he died in 2018.   Deliah Lawrence: What inspired you to write your book? Dia...

Author’s Bio: David Swinson is a retired police detective from the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, having been assigned to Major Crimes. Swinson is the author of the critically acclaimed Frank Marr Trilogy – The Second Girl , Crime Song and Trigger , and the standalone City on the Edge . He lives in Upstate New York.   Deliah Lawrence: What inspired you to write your book? David Swinson: The song, “Sweet Thing” by Van Morrison. It’s both beautiful and sad.   Here's the Synopsis: In a red brick house on a tree-lined street, DC homicide detective Alex Blum stares at the bullet-pocked body of Chris Doyle. As he roots around for evidence, he finds an old polaroid: the decedent, arm in arm with Arthur Holland, Blum's informant from years ago when he worked at the Narcotics branch. But Arthur has been missing for days. Blum’s only source: Arthur’s girl, Celeste—beautiful, seductive, and tragic—whom he can’t get out of his head. Blum is drawn to her a...