I have some great news to share and am asking for your support. I can’t believe it!  My publishing company, Xpress Yourself Publishing (www.xpressyourselfpublishing.org), is nominated for Independent Publishing House of the Year for the 2008 African American Literary Awards.

 

I started this company as a self-published author and now I have 25 authors. All of my hard work has finally paid off for me and the XYP authors!

Also, what’s even more exciting, is one of my authors, Hazel Mills, author of Bare Necessities: Sensual Tales of Passion is up for a nomination under the category of Erotica.

 

I’m asking everyone to please go to http://www.createsurvey.com/c/70819-bwXj6C/ and place your vote for Xpress Yourself Publishing as Independent Publishing House of the Year and Hazel Mills under Erotica. Please pass on to all of your friends too!

 

Even if XYP does not win, to be nominated is truly a blessing! My only regret is that my mom is not here to share in the joy with me. But, she’s my angel, so I know she’s in heaven smiling down on me.

 

Jessica Tilles
Publisher, Xpress Yourself Publishing
www.xpressyourselfpublishing.org

visit www.xpressyourselfpublishing.org/book_buzz.htm to read more!

in her novella, Consequences: When Love Is Blind (9780979975752, Xpress Yourself Publishing, Retail $12.95).

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in the U.S. the estimated number of people with HIV/AIDS is about 1,185,000 with approximately 25% of them unaware of their infection. The estimated number of new cases of HIV is 42,000 each year.  While African-American and Latina women make up only 24% of the female population in the U.S., we account for more than 80% of the total AIDS diagnoses for women, according to the latest statistics published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

A wealth of information about HIV/AIDS is available on the Internet. For more information, visit The National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, Inc. (www.nblca.org), The Black AIDS Institute (www.blackaids.org) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov).

In Consequences: When Life Is Blind, life for Sade Peters is picture perfect. With a fabulous home in upscale Atlanta, Georgia, Sade is living the life most of society only read about in magazines. A successful novelist, Sade is married to the man of her dreams, Andre Peters, an equally successful sports agent. Couple that with a set of fraternal twins, and you have all the makings of the contemporary modern day Huxtables. However, what life looks like from the outside, may not necessarily match the inner workings of this household. The Down Low is a real and earth-shattering truth, and Sade’s happiness abruptly ends when she is faced with this reality. Life as Sade knows it changes within the blink of an eye when she soon discovers that both she and her husband are HIV positive. Imagine walking through life in Sade’s shoes. What happens when the men we trust commit the ultimate betrayal? Who is to blame when faith and trust is tested tremendously?

A serious writer, Herman is passionate about the education to eradicate a deadly disease, while uplifting communities. “Knowledge is critical in resolving and preventing issues affecting these communities,” therefore, through her writing, Herman is committed to empowering and strengthening diverse communities through written word.

Herman is available for speaking engagements, book club discussions, signings, events, etc. For more information, please contact Jessica Tilles at (202) 528-0450 or via email: JTilles@aol.com. 

“I love this book; it is now officially one of the best books I have read. I loved the way the author kept the details to a minimum and got straight to the point. This book should be recommended to all African American females as an “eye-opener.” It should come as no surprise then the five star rating.”

– Tekisha, OOSA Online Book Club

“There are so many things killing the African American community. Consequences: When Love is Blind by Linda R. Herman is an eye opening novella. I wish this was a longer piece, however, sometimes it is better said with less words and Linda R. Herman executed the message flawlessly. At the end of the story, there is a sneak peek of the sequel, Consequences: The Life She Chose. I cannot wait to read it. I recommend Consequences: When Love is Blind to anyone interested in a quick read with an important message.”

 — Jennifer Coissiere, APOOO BookClub

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