Author Empi Baryeh's Blog

The Color of Love Hop is here again! We have 44+ blogs joining us to celebrate diversity in romance. Plus, there are over $300 worth of prizes to be won! Translation: this hop is going to be HUGE. In the spirit of celebrating multicultural romance, here's a snippet from a WIP, currently titled Expecting Ty's Baby (From Ghana With Love #2) Twenty-four hours after their conversation, Ty still felt the sting of Patricia’s words. Each one gutting him like a lance through his chest, segueing into a need to prove her wrong, to force her to see him not as part of a collective but as a man apart. But to what end? He had no clue, so he’d bottled it in and zipped his mouth shut. Then spent the rest of the evening resisting the urge to reacquaint himself with her lips. Stepping through the doors of the restaurant where he was supposed to have dinner with her and the rest of the bridal party, Ty prepared for more of the same. Thankfully, others’ presence should make this a much ...

Love to Believe  by Lisa Ricard Claro is book 2 of the Fireflies series, so after I read - and enjoyed - Book 1 (A Love Built to Last), naturally I had to read the next in line. Here's a blurb A woman in a man’s world…  CPA Rebecca Walker wields a hammer and saw with skill, but it’s like fighting tooth and nail to prove to her chauvinistic father that she’s capable of managing the family construction business. Romance is a luxury Rebecca can’t afford. A man with secrets… Thanks to his past, romance isn’t in Sean Kinkaid’s future, so when Rebecca proposes ‘friends with benefits,’ Sean agrees. It’s the perfect scenario until love sneaks in—and Sean’s secrets tear them apart. Believe… But Rebecca has a secret too, one she fears Sean will never accept. It will take intervention from an unlikely source to convince these two lovers they have the one thing neither of them ever expected to find…a love to believe.

So for Halloween month, we went with the season and read a Halloween themed romance, His Halloween Kisses by Kathy Bosman. Here's the blurb Ali’s never been so scared. She’s housesitting for a colleague on Halloween night, but the lights have gone out, and terrible noises and crashes send her imagination into overdrive. When her brother’s friend comes to her rescue, he kisses her in the dark three times. Once back in the light, Ali is embarrassed at allowing him to kiss her. Byron tries to ignore his strong attraction for Ali, especially seeing he’s not ready for a relationship. When Ali finds out why, she runs away, but life has other plans. What can bring them together? Fate, faith, or the memory of his Halloween kisses?

Happy October and welcome to another 3-in-1 review!  Last month we read a Love Built to Last: (Fireflies ~ Book 1)  by Lisa Ricard Claro. The Blurb She can’t let go of her dead husband…  Maddie Kinkaid believes her late husband, Jack, gives her advice on everything from ordering a pizza to hiring a carpenter, so when she finds Caleb Walker’s business card on Jack’s desk, she’s convinced that he’s the guy to remodel her kitchen.  He can’t decide if she’s worth the risk…   Caleb is a single father, and protecting his young son means avoiding romantic entanglements. But there’s heat in every kitchen, and sparks ignite between Caleb and Maddie—until disaster strikes. When Jack goes silent, Maddie’s guilt consumes her, and it looks as if she and Caleb will never find their happily-ever-after—at least, not without a little help from Jack…  LOVE BUILT TO LAST began as the award-winning short story Fireflies, and is now the first novel i...

We're at it again! Last month we read Hot Pursuit , a romantic suspense by Lynn Raye Harris .  It had been a while since I read romantic suspense, so I was eager to read this when it came up for a vote. I totally used my veto powers (insert evil laugh here). Okay, I didn't really veto but I asked very nicely. Okay, enough rambling. Let's get on with this review.

Hey world. Happy August! If you're a Monday-is-the-first-day-of-the-week kinda person then this is probably a great month for you since the first of the month was also a Monday.  Anyway, let's get to the business at hand, which is another Prah, Constantine and Baryeh review!  Last month we chose Hitched by Kendall Ryan.

We’re back again this month with a new book and three reviews for you. We chose an African American novella: A Breath of Fresh Air by Kalyssa Powell.