A look at Sorry Wrong Number and A Luscious talk with Jamallah Bergman.

I wasn’t familiar with Jamallah’s work when another Luscious contributor mentioned her. That was a mistake on my part that I have now rectified. Before I go any further though, I would also like to add that Jamallah writes a damn good book and yes if you haven’t read her work snag one. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. *Grin* So now that I have once again offered you, the readers, my personal take on things, allow me to introduce you to this wonderful writer. She was also kind enough to give us a taste of her latest release. Check it out after you’ve read the interview.

 

1) Out of your published stories, which hero is your favorite?

* I would have to say that Jackson Belle from “The Lady of Gladstone Manor” is my favorite so far. Jackson is the quintessential “Southern Gentleman”. He treats Brooke, who’s the heroine of the book like she’s always wanted despite her “injury”, with love and respect which is something that most women want nowadays. They don’t just only want to be loved but they want the utmost respect from a man. And this is what Jackson gives to Brooke in the story, he doesn’t treat her like a freak but like a lady should be treated.

2) How do you come up with the titles of your books?

*Oh lord now honestly I have a hard time figuring out titles for my stories. Usually I end up writing it first and along the way if something comes up that strikes me as a good title for the story, then I’ll write it down on the side. I know my 1^st book was actually called “Best Friends” but of course I changed it after hearing that Pattie LaBelle song “If Only You Knew” on my way home on the radio. And once I really listened to the song, it made perfect sense with the story itself. If you read the story and then go and listen to the lyrics to that song or read them one, you’ll know what I’m saying.

3) What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as a writer?

* Biting my tongue when it comes to bad reviews. I know when I got my 1^st bad review I was like so angry but another writer friend of mine told me that this will happen more than you know sometimes. And she was right because sometimes you just can’t please everybody with your work, no matter how much of your heart you put into it. Some folks are not going to like it and are going to voice their opinion. Also haters and when I mean that, I mean people that go and review to purposely put bad reviews on other writer’s new released books. I think that us as writers should support one another and not bad mouth against each other to try and sink others sales. I’ve seen that happened to too many people on some of these sites as well as myself and it’s not even right honestly.

4) Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

* I honestly have to say that I don’t get the chance to read much nowadays. I know for a moment before I really got myself busy with my writing, I did get into some J.R. Ward and I’ve been hooked on her stuff. Even though I only read the 1^st three books of the Brotherhood, I have the other three and EVENTUALLY when I get the time and make the time I plan on reading that and some others that my friends have suggested I read.

5) Do you have a favorite out of the books you have written?

* I have to say that my latest book “Sorry….Wrong Number” has to be my all-time favorite. It’s like nothing I’ve ever written before. The outcomes that happen between Jonathan and Marcie are things that only make you wish that it had happened to you. Honestly when I first wrote it, I had never thought I would be writing a story like this because of the fact that it all started with something completely simple…..someone getting a wrong number call. I mean how innocent that is. It’s just what happens once it goes even deeper makes the story even more interesting.

6) If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

* That’s a really hard question for me to answer.

7) What’s your favorite dish for Thanksgiving?

*Potato Salad…..especially when my mom makes it….that and some Honey Baked Ham.

8) Do you have a particular Thanksgiving tradition?

* Usually we switch out who is going to cook the dinner for that year, I know that this year I’ll be cooking so I’m still figuring out what I’ll be cooking. But of course mom has to bring the potato salad, lol.

9) Let’s talk cover art. Do you have a favorite cover for one of your books?

*”Special Kind of Woman” and if you’ve seen it you know EXACTLY why it’s my favorite. There is a funny story about the cover though. I had wanted to get Jimmy Thomas on the cover of this book since it would be in print as well as eBook. Plus I knew he would be so good for my cover. So once the cover came back to me, I have to say I was completely shocked (nearly choked on a grape) when I saw it. All I can say that it reminded me of “Happy Days” and Ritchie Cunningham. I told the cover artist that no it just couldn’t go through as my cover. Plus I had really wanted Jimmy on it so I told her that if she could find an IR picture of him and a black woman but not to where it showed his face but in an embrace. She told me she would see what she could do. When I got back home from getting my daughter from school, I went and checked my email and up popped the cover that you see now. And I was like, “Yes, Yes that’s the one!” I honestly love it so much I didn’t want to show it to anybody for about an hour cause I kept looking at it.

10) If you had to choose would eat a slice of sweet potato pie or pumpkin pie?

*Sweet potato of course (Thanks for reminding me because that’s what I’ll have to write on my list of things to make for Thanksgiving)

*

“Sorry….Wrong Number”

BLURB ~

All good things have a beginning and with this story, it all begins with a call. Marcie Reynolds thought nothing of grabbing the phone that evening but she never thought that once she answered and heard the amazing voice on the other end that anything would happen, since the fact that the man had the wrong number.

Jonathan Sutton thought he had the right number and after the second time he calls, he couldn’t help but be enthralled after listening to the sweet voice on the other end. Soon he strikes up a conversation with the girl who calls herself ‘Joan’ and quickly sparks fly.

Watch as Marcie and Jonathan make what seems like something as innocent as a phone call into something that neither one of them will never forget.

EXCERPT ~

“Wonder if he’ll call back?”

“Why would he want to call me back?”

“You never know, Marcie, he just might call you back if he thinks you sound cute. Even better, if he sounds as hot as you said he sounds, there’s no telling what will happen/where this will go.”

How in the hell was she to know that this would happen again? As soon as Marci walked into her apartment that evening after work, the phone rang. Of course, like an idiot, she picked it up. “Hello?”

“Hello again dear, how was your day?” Marcie thought his voice sounded very inviting even though this was her fourth time hearing it and this time he was calling her “dear.”

“Hello again, my day was fine and yours?”

“It was good, thank you,” he said, then sighed.

This was crazy, she thought, and couldn’t believe she was standing there talking on the phone with this stranger. Marcie took her shoes off and sat down on the couch. “Why are you calling me?”

“Because you sounded cute and I want to get to know you,” he said.

Even though he couldn’t see her, Marcie shook her head in response. “For all I know, you could be a serial killer who likes to call up unsuspecting women over the phone. Hell, I don’t even know your name and you act like I’ve known you for years,” she said.

“Jonathan, my name is Jonathan, and yours?” he asked.

Marcie was very apprehensive about letting this man know who she was and there was no way in hell she would give him her real name. She had to make something up, so she decided to give him the first name that popped into her head. “Joan, I’m Joan.”

“Nice talking with you, Joan. Don’t worry, I’m kind of nervous myself. I’ve never done this before, getting to know a perfect stranger over the phone.”

“Well, this is a first for both of us, then.” Marcie giggled as she sat down on the couch.

“You have a really cute laugh, Joan.”

Who the hell was this guy? All this cuteness he kept serving her up. “You must do this often, Jonathan. You are way too cool and calm, talking to me like this.”

“Well, what would you like to talk about?”

“Did you ever talk with your friend Frank?” she asked, hearing him laugh this time. It sounded just as good as his voice.

BUY LINKS ~

Secret Cravings Publishing http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=438