Author Empi Baryeh's Blog

"Eight out of ten women believe that the first kiss will tell them everything that they need to know about the relationship.” ~ Alex "Hitch" Hitchens (Hitch [2005]) One of the things I look forward to when I start a romance novel is the first kiss. I love LOVE them. Today, I'm sharing one of my favourite scenes in a movie that talks about first kisses. If you haven't already guessed, it's Hitch (2005). And on that note, I'd like to share the first kiss from my novella, Mr Hot Mocha Perfection, which is one of 5 great love stories in the Be My Valentine anthology. I think my hero nailed. Won't you say? Here's some background. My hero, Adinkra, asks the heroine, Ama, out on Valentine's day. To alleviate any nervousness because he doesn't want her to feel pressured, he tells her i f they have a good time, then it can be a date. If not, then it will be just an outing. This scene happens after said date when he drops her off at he

Blurb A man with a mission A year earlier, a mutiny broke inside the ranks of the clandestine Corpus Agency. Only one loose thread remains to be apprehended: an assassin named Evangeline. When intel from an asset points to a woman in Mauritius who could be her, Zachariah Hashemi, a mixed race Muslim from Tanzania, is tasked with bringing the renegade to justice...aka a swift death. A woman with nothing to hide French-Mauritian PR maven Annabelle de Castelban is throwing all she has into making her communications agency a success. When an opportunity to partner with a renowned international firm knocks on her door, she jumps on it, even if it means she has to fight her attraction to the devastatingly handsome man and the sizzling chemistry sparking between them. A killer with a plan Annabelle has no idea Zach is here to determine if she is a mercenary with no remorse. And the more he gets to know her, the more it becomes obvious she cannot be this twisted assassin.

Love Africa Press, publisher of His Inherited Princess and Be My Valentine , is one year old! 🎉🎉🎉 To celebrate, they've just kicked off a massive giveaway. Solve the jigsaw puzzle below for more details (insert wicked grin) (The contest is open internationally to anyone above 18 years old (or whatever the application age is in your country of residence). For more chances to win prizes, visit  Love Africa Book Lounge . Enter the giveaway:  https://www.loveafricapress.com/newsletter Happy weekend!

I've done a lot of promos and spotlight posting lately, but today, I'm returning to posting something non-promotional. Book covers. It is said often enough. Don't judge a book by its cover. As an author and a reader, though, I've learnt that books are judged by their covers on a daily basis. This post is not about bad or ugly covers, though. Nope. It's about the model on the cover. I experienced my first 'culture shock' as a writer in July 2018 when I participated in the AfricaWrites Book Festival. I had my books Chancing Faith, an interracial romance, and Forest Girl, a contemporary African romance. While I sold a few copies of Forest Girl, I didn't sell a single copy of Chancing Faith. Among the reasons readers gave for not selecting Chancing Faith was that it had a White guy on the cover. Wow! I can't say how many ways that stung, because it wasn't about the story on the inside or even the blurb at the back. In fact, one thing I was de

Seducing the Billionaire by J.M. Stewart Blurb When her ex leaves her with a wounded ego, curvy tech writer Jenna Mancini sets out to prove to herself that she's just as sexy as any size six. With an invitation to Seattle’s hottest new club, a place that promises no risk, no commitment, no holds barred, she sets her sights on the one man who can help her test her theory—the only man at a sex club who doesn’t participate. Billionaire Hunter Thane has a secret only a select few know: a fear of being touched. A rough childhood has left him scarred, inside and out, and he’s resigned himself to a life alone. So while he can’t deny he finds Jenna incredibly sexy, he’s determined to save her from the disappointment of an encounter with him. Jenna is every bit as determined to push all his hot buttons and see if she can crush his iron-clad will… MY REVIEW Jenna and Hunter meet in a sex club. Yea, that caught my attention when I read the blurb. Both have personal baggage relating to

A BABY BETWEEN FRIENDS BY KATHY DOUGLASS They pretended to be lovers. But there's nothing make-believe about the baby on the way. When Joni Danielson recruits her best friend, Sweet Briar mayor Lex Devlin, to be her fake boyfriend for a wedding, it's a no-brainer. But their staged kisses lead to real passion - and heartbreak when Lex pulls away. Now Joni's in a bigger bind: she's pregnant. Can she and Lex once again fake it 'til they make it - to a real relationship? AVAILABLE ON: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOKS-A-MILLION | HARLEQUIN | KOBO | ITUNES | BARNES AND NOBLE | GOOGLE READ AN EXCERPT

SEDUCING THE BILLIONAIRE BY JM STEWART (The Blue Room Series, #1) Publication date: August 6th 2019 Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Romance When her ex leaves her with a wounded ego, curvy tech writer Jenna Mancini sets out to prove to herself that she’s just as sexy as any size six. With an invitation to Seattle’s hottest new club, a place that promises no risk, no commitment, no holds barred, she sets her sights on the one man who can help her test her theory—the only man at a sex club who doesn’t participate. Billionaire Hunter Thane has a secret only a select few know: a fear of being touched. A rough childhood has left him scarred, inside and out, and he’s resigned himself to a life alone. So while he can’t deny he finds Jenna incredibly sexy, he’s determined to save her from the disappointment of an encounter with him. Jenna is every bit as determined to push all his hot buttons and see if she can crush his iron-clad will… Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

BLURB Doctor Comfort Djan is looking for salvation after a tragic accident, which takes her to deprived regions where her skills heal the helpless. Until Fate thrusts her as a medic on board a West African military coastal protection ship. Proving herself to the male-only crew is nothing compared to being near one intense naval officer who has her feeling something other than her survivor's guilt. Commander Akin Solarin wants nothing more than to do his job, especially when his medic's temporary replacement turns out to be a disconcerting woman who pushes all his buttons. He runs a tight ship, and doesn't need captivating and efficient yet aloof Comfort around to keep his heart-rate in semi-permanent overdrive. Neither can deny the attraction between them, but navigating uncharted personal waters may be the least of their problems when confronted with bold pirate attacks and other vicious unknown dangers onboard the frigate. And when Comfort's life gets on the li

HEALING THE MEDIC BY NANA PRAH Doctor Comfort Djan is looking for salvation after a tragic accident, which takes her to deprived regions where her skills heal the helpless. Until Fate thrusts her as a medic on board a West African military coastal protection ship. Proving herself to the male-only crew is nothing compared to being near one intense naval officer who has her feeling something other than her survivor's guilt. Commander Akin Solarin wants nothing more than to do his job, especially when his medic's temporary replacement turns out to be a disconcerting woman who pushes all his buttons. He runs a tight ship, and doesn't need captivating and efficient yet aloof Comfort around to keep his heart-rate in semi-permanent overdrive. Neither can deny the attraction between them, but navigating uncharted personal waters may be the least of their problems when confronted with bold pirate attacks and other vicious unknown dangers onboard the frigate. And w

SWEET. SENSUAL. PASSIONATE. ROMANCE. A PASSIONATE LOVE Simone Brooks and Cameron Bennett should not be together. She’s a wealthy socialite looking for a suitable husband. A man with the right pedigree and an economic status that matches her own. He’s part owner of the hottest nightclub in Atlanta with his siblings. Someone who loves cooking, the outdoors, and women, not necessarily in that order. After one night together, their sizzling chemistry makes it difficult to stay away. Then comes the hard part—navigating their differences to salvage a relationship that, while it may be imperfect, overflows with love and passion. This book was previously part of The Bennett Triplets series. For a LIMITED TIME, get A PASSIONATE LOVE for only 99¢! AVAILABLE ON AMAZON | B&N | APPLE | GOOGLE | KOBO ADD ON GOODREADS ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE BROOKS FAMILY SERIES