Born in 1956, I’m a product of the “Say it loud I’m Black and I’m Proud” sixties and have always loved learning of the achievements of African-Americans. Many years ago I was pleasantly surprised to come across a box of flash cards of thirty-six famous African Americans. Martin Luther King Jr was prominently displayed on the cover, but I recognized miniatures of Marian Anderson and Mary McLeod Bethune. I bought it at once and hurried home with my prize. Imagine my surprise when I opened the box and discovered only six of the thirty-six were women! I was expecting half the cards to be dedicated to women. After all we are the other half the human race, right? I might have grudgingly settled for twelve, but six? I appreciated the six represented different firsts like Shirley Chisholm and Marian Anderson, historical champions like Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman, and two well-known in the Black community if not as well known in the larger society like Mary McLeod Bethune and Phillis Wheatley. But this collection was sending an unfortunate subliminal message, i.e. women don’t contribute equally to “the Race.” That disappointment sent me on a crusade.

I began collecting images of Black women whenever I came across them. Postcards, books, magazines, you name it. If it had an African-American woman on or in it, I bought it. I framed the images in dollar store box frames and put them on the walls of my apartment. My collection grew to over three hundred images, multiples of those who are household names like Billie Holiday, but the majority who were famous in their time like Ada Overton Walker. Born in 1880, she and her husband George Walker became well-known for their interpretation of the cakewalk.

Soon, I just started collecting images of any black woman or girl I found and framed those too. Even though nameless, they deserve to be noticed, too. So in honor of all the African-American women you’ve encountered over the years, please share their names so I can find their images and add them to my collection.

One Breath Away

Sentenced to hang for a crime she didn’t commit, former slave Mary Hamilton was exonerated at literally the last gasp. She returns to Safe Haven, broken and resigned to live alone. She’s never been courted, cuddled or spooned, and now no man could want her, not when sexual satisfaction comes only with the thought of asphyxiation. But then the handsome stranger who saved her shows up, stealing her breath from across the room and promising so much more.

Wealthy, freeborn-Black, Eban Thurman followed Mary to Safe Haven, believing the mysteriously exotic woman is his mate foretold by the stars. He must marry her to reclaim his family farm. But first he must help her heal, and to do that means revealing his own predilection for edgier sex.

Hope ignites along with lust until the past threatens to keep them one breath away from love…

Excerpt:

“Will you let me help you?” He extended his hand, waited for permission.

She took his hand as he had taken hers and pressed his fingers to her wounded flesh. Pain, quick and sharp, flashed through her mind. She gasped and tugged his hand away, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Don’t fight it.” He stayed close, stroked his thumb soothingly where the scar stretched beneath her ear. “Your fear gives it strength.”

The rhythm of his strokes calmed her fears, relaxed her body. She had no energy, no desire to resist. Her hands slipped from his wrist. Her arms hung limp at her sides. She closed her eyes.

“I—I’ve got to sit down or I’ll fall down.”

“Then fall.” His gaze held the assurance she needed. “I’ve caught you before. I’ll catch you again.”

On cue her knees buckled and she collapsed. He swept her into his arms with the ease of pushing a swinging door. She buried her face in his chest, wheezed, shuddered, wheezed again.

“Relax,” he cooed. “Relax. It’s your fear. Nothing more.”

She blinked, fought for breath through gritted teeth. “Bu—but my response is not nothing. It’s real fear.”

“Yes, it’s real, but not permanent. Your fear can be controlled and finally conquered.”

“Controlled?” She panted. Disbelief huffed out on each breath. “How?”

“With time…if you’re willing.” His mouth hovered a hair above hers. The warmth of his words whispered between her parted lips. “Are you willing?”

“I—I’m not sure.”

“Let me convince you.” He closed the gap between their mouths.

A hint of peppermint tooth powder boosted rather than masked the natural earthy taste of tooth and saliva. Each swipe of his tongue strengthened her spirit. God, she had heaven in her mouth.

She drowned in the moans vibrating from her throat. In her mind she surfaced for air, for relief, but the need for more pulled her back under. She wrapped her arms around his neck, invited him to plunge deeper, take her deeper. Desire warred with fear. In her heart she prayed.

God, please let desire win this time.

Book links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QfEOZd
Wild Rose Press: https://bit.ly/2Bim5o7

Social media links:
@mscottauthor1
Website: http://www.michalscott.webs.com

Backlist links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QfEOZd
Wild Rose Press: https://bit.ly/2As0Dui

It’s been a while since I’ve done a list. Well, not really, but that’s not going to stop me from writing this one. So, with no further introduction, I’ll begin.

1. Taking a candlelight bath together with bath oils and rose petals. The mutual bathing is romantic. Everything else is tricky. First, not all bath oils smell so hot. Be sure to select a scent your partner will enjoy. Second, be certain there is a safe place to set the candles. Sure, there will be plenty of water (not necessarily a good thing, but I’ll get to that later), but the last thing a person wants is to bump a candle over while getting busy and setting the shower curtain or a bath rug ablaze—unless arson and pyromania are the things that turn you on. (BTW, I have a half dozen Def Leppard songs in my head now.) On the flip side, one doesn’t want to prematurely douse out the flame and have to fumble out of a slippery tube in the dark. Either situation possibly could lead to a 9-1-1 call. Third, rose petals smell great but not so much when they are clogging your drain. But don’t worry. Your plumber will love you even if your wallet won’t.
2. Going on an outdoor picnic. This can be super romantic but not if you fail to check the weather conditions first, place the blanket on a mound of fire ants, do it during lovebug mating season, forget the mosquito spray, bring an open container to a place where alcohol is prohibited, select a site that is overly crowded, or attract a bear.
3. Calling in sick at work to spend the day with your significant other. This only works if you plan on staying in the entire day or you’re the boss. There’s always that one coworker itching to rat you out if they see you galivanting about town went you’re supposedly in bed with a fever. I know what you’re thinking. You’ll spend the day out of town. Ha! Keep these precious Disney words in mind: “It’s a small world after all”. Multiple times, I’ve been in locations over a hundred miles from work (taken off with permission) and bumped into coworkers. Once, I bumped into my supervisor, who, incidentally, had given me a hard time about approving my time off.
4. Going skinny dipping in a public pool, sauna, hot tub, or beach. Be warned, if caught there’s a possibility of going to jail, being given a fine, or both. Worse is if your body isn’t swimsuit ready, your unintended spectators may laugh, point, heckle, and post photos/videos on social media.
5. Cooking a romantic dinner for your partner. It’s only romantic if you do the dishes, too.
6. Placing an inedible object in your partner’s drink or meal. All I can say is, I hope you’re up-to-date on performing CPR or your partner has a very good dental plan.
7. Allowing your partner to sleep in. Check the calendar first to ensure you aren’t allowing your partner to miss his/her sister’s or best friend’s wedding or not being present for that important business meeting that could lead to a promotion/raise.
8. Writing a love poem. Let me rephrase that. Taking credit for a love poem you didn’t write, especially if you plagiarize from a famous poet and your partner is a literature major.
9. Treating you partner out for a night on the town but forgetting your wallet/purse. This also doesn’t work if you’re over the limit on all of your credit cards. Hint: Look, if you can’t afford an expensive date, plan an inexpensive one. There’s plenty of romantic activities that won’t macerate the piggy. Your partner will understand.
10. Lip syncing a romantic song. Even if you’re tone deaf and can’t hold a single note for three seconds, your partner would prefer to hear your voice massacre a song rather than watch you lips sync. So, go ahead and belt it out.

Don’t forget to visit Creole Bayou again. New posts are made on Wednesdays. If you have any questions or suggestions about this post or any others, feel free to comment below or tweet me at @dolynesaidso. You also can follow me on Instagram at genevivechambleeauthor or search me on Goodreads or Amazon Authors.

Enjoy sports romance? Check out my new adult romance, Defending the Net, being released in November. It is the second in my hockey series and guaranteed to melt the ice. Preordering information coming soon. Crossing the line could cost the game.

Missed the first in my hockey romance series? Don’t worry. Out of the Penalty Box, an adult romance where it’s one minute in the box or a lifetime out is available at http://amzn.to/2Bhnngw. It also can be ordered on iTunes, Nook, or Kobo. For more links where to purchase or to read the blurb, please visit http://bit.ly/2i9SqpH.

Life’s Roux: Wrong Doors, my steamy romantic comedy, is available at Red Sage Publishing. To order, follow the link to http://bit.ly/2CtE7Ez or to Amazon at http://amzn.to/2lCQXpt.

Copies of all my books and stories are available in paper, eBook, and audio on Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. The links are listed in my Writing Projects page (http://bit.ly/2iDYRxU) along with descriptions of each of my novels or stories.

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