✳️✳️The Africa Online Book Fair ✳️✳️

As you all know, a traditional book fair is an exhibit of books typically by a group of publishers or book-dealers for promoting sales and stimulating interest, often authors are also featured with their own booths and engages with readers. It takes place at a certain venue over a specific period of time and requires those who are exhibiting their books to be physically present, as well as those attending the book fair.

An online book fair in contrast takes place on the internet, but with the same underlined principle as a traditional book fair, to exhibit books for promotion of sales and stimulating interest, typically designed to provide access for those who are unable or unavailable to attend traditional book fairs.

The main objectives with the Africa Online Book Fair will be building relationships, networking, creating a fun and relaxed environment where authors and readers can engage with each other. A place where authors can share information, have Q&A’s and create interest in their books through prizes, gifts, giveaways, competitions, promotional discounts, etc. So definitely something for readers too.

The online book fair is for romance authors who are from Africa and authors who write romances set in Africa. Stories can be set in Africa while authors are abroad and local authors can write romances set in other locations. The idea behind the fair is to showcase African authors and their books online.

This Africa Online Book Fair will feature Romance Authors from SA and the rest of the African continent. Our event will be hosted on Facebook by using their Events tool and spans over 3 days with scheduled timeslots for each author.

There’s amazing talent and stories from the authors we have lined up, so keep an eye out!

#AfricaOnBookFair

Interview Questions: 

What is event?

The Africa Online Book Fair: Romance Authors & Books is a weekend event, featuring authors and interviews with an aspiring romance authors. Each day will have a certain amount of authors that will showcase their books and who they are.

Where can you find past events?

The online book fair takes place on Facebook. Here’s a link to the event page. https://www.facebook.com/events/372063406523550/

Can you tell us more about what readers can be expect at the event?

Readers can come and go as they please since they don’t have to pay a ticket to enter or register. They can come and meet their next favorite author when our next online book fair goes live. We’ll always have discounted & free books, play games, readers can win Amazon Gift Cards.

Attending the online book fair and how it works is straightforward, especially for readers who’ve attended Facebook book parties. But also for readers who use the social network site daily. All readers need to do is go to our Event and click ‘Going’. It’s that easy!

What is the Africa Online Book Fair: Romance Authors & Books?

I’m glad you asked ☺

But first let me introduce myself, my name is Inge Saunders and I’m the founder of the Africa Online Book Fair: Romance Authors & Books. I’m a South African romance author and had my first book contracted in 2013, a year after I decided to start writing. I reside in, Worcester, a bustling town situated in Breed River Valley, completely surrounded by majestic mountains. Worcester serves as the business hub for the surrounding small towns with a Mall and Casino. But enough about my small town, you want to know about the book fair.

What inspired the fair?

As a romance reader I didn’t come across prolific romance stories set in Africa, that didn’t have tinges of colonialism or was written in the words of the colonialist (for lack of a better word).

The stories weren’t inherently diverse. I had to hunt for romances written that were multicultural or even interracial—romance that showcases the beauty and scope of the landscape as well as the people of the continent. And also the authors that were born here.

Because romance authors in Africa write contemporary novels set in bush or urban settings, they write steamy reads about fairies and werewolves, local heroes and heroines making a life abroad. Nail biting suspense and mystery romance novels. Science Fiction and Fantasy. Young Adult and New Adult stories. They interpret characters from different genders, races, cultural backgrounds and religions.

I asked myself, where you would find books and authors with so much diversity amongst them. Where was a place you could walk into, get book deals and meet your next favorite African romance author?

But because Africa is a big continent, how do you get all of these terrific romance authors and their stories together in one spot for readers to discover?

Online was the easiest and fastest way. Everyone around the world owns a device they could use to access the internet and therefore, gain access to a book fair that showcases African romance authors.

Why just the focus on romance authors & books?

I’m a romance author and I’m also a romance reader. I mentioned before that I live in a small town in South Africa. This limits the variety of romance novels I have access to I reasoned if I’m struggling with getting my hands on multi-cultural stories written by authors in Africa that were set in Africa, than someone else might be too.

I do most of my book buying online. I felt like the fair would hit two birds with one stone. Showcase authors from the continent who write romance and make shopping for diverse, multi-cultural books simpler.

Our Authors.

The online book fair geared towards romance authors who are from Africa and authors who write romances set in Africa. Stories can be set in Africa while authors are abroad and local authors can also write romances set in other locations with African characters. The idea behind the fair is to showcase African romance authors and their books online. The only restriction we have are on books that are erotica, since we have authors who write Young Adult novels and we would like the online fair to be accessible to teenagers as well.

If you are a romance author or romance publisher with authors who fit into the criteria of the Africa Online Book Fair and want more information about taking part in our next online book fair you can contact us via email at africaonbookfair@gmail.com

Join the Facebook group if you want updates on future online book fairs from us. By joining the group you also stand a chance to win a 20$ Amazon Kindle Store GC.

Enter raffle: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/98b8f3e312/?

Africa Online Book Fair Links:
Facebook Group Page: https://tinyurl.com/ka3ucvl
Twitter: @AfricaOnBookFr
Instagram: @africaonlinebookfair

❇️✳️❇️ The Captain of Her Fate by Nina Mason ❇️✳️❇️

Today, we are featuring The Captain of Her Fate, a saucy and sophisticated Regency romance by Nina Mason, the author of Devil in Duke’s Clothing and The Governess Next Door, among many other books.

Here’s the blurb:

Captain Theobald Raynalds lost his leg at the Battle of Trafalgar and with it, his belief any woman could find a cripple like him unobjectionable enough to love.

Louisa Bennet finds Theo incredibly attractive—both as a man in his own right and as an alternative to the odious cousin her father has arranged for her to marry.

First, however, she must convince the Captain her interest in him stems from the man he is, scars and all, and not on his being the lesser of evils.

 

Here are the links:

Buy it now on Amazon

Add it to your TBR lit at Goodreads

 

Here’s an excerpt:

 

After the Captain’s sister quit the room, Louisa took her advice and dozed until a knock on her bedchamber door brought her back to herself. Just as she opened her mouth to ask who was there, Capt. Raynalds called through the door, “Miss Bennet, may I have a word?”

She hesitated before answering. As desperately as she wanted to see him and hear what he came to say, her sense of propriety told her to refuse him entry. Entertaining a gentleman in her bedchamber was shockingly improper. Under the circumstances, however, she could not bring herself to send him away.

Pulling the bedclothes to her chin to cover the sheer nightgown his sister had loaned her, she said, “Yes, Captain. You may enter.”

He opened the door and, with the aid of his cane, limped to the bedside and looked down at her, his expression inexplicably stern. “Does my sister speak the truth?”

The question at once shocked Louisa’s heart and aroused her fury. She could not decide which she would rather do, curl up and die or strangle his sister with her bare hands. How could the girl betray her confidence by telling her brother her plans?—if, indeed, that was what she had disclosed. Perhaps it was not, in which case, Louisa would be wise to tread carefully to avoid betraying her own secrets (and his trust in the process).

She blinked under his probing stare. “How can I answer that when I have no idea what she might have told you?

“She told me your father intends to marry you off to a man you despise.”

He looked very unhappy, which pleased her immeasurably. “Yes, that is true. He wants me to marry the cousin to whom his estate is entailed—to ensure my mother and sisters will have somewhere to live after he departs this world.”

The Captain, hands stacked atop his cane, shifted his stance uneasily. “I can understand his motives—he is only doing what he believes best for his family, one can only presume—but I cannot agree with his forcing you to marry a man you abhor. Does he know how much you loathe your cousin?”

“He does.”

“And he insists upon you marrying this man in spite of your feelings?”

“My feelings are of little consequence to my father, I assure you.”

He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Surely there must be some way around marrying this person.”

Did she dare share her idea? No, she mustn’t. If she did, he would never come to trust her. “There is not, short of running away and living as a gypsy.”

He stood there a long time, as if fighting an inner battle. At length, he said, “There is one way I can think of…but I fear I am not the man for the job.”

Louisa’s heart wilted. “You are right. We are strangers. So why should you care what becomes of me?”

Softening in demeanor, he came closer and sat beside her on the bed. “I do care what becomes of you, Miss Bennet—beyond what I am willing to admit—but my heart is not quite invested enough to put a ring on your finger. Neither is my trust. And now, in addition to my standard reservations, I suspect you mean to use me to avoid marrying this cousin of yours.”

“That is untrue!” She looked away so he would not see the desperation in her eyes. “Well, it might be partially true…but I shall endeavor to fall in love with you as soon as I’m able.”

He smiled at her sympathetically. “Forgive me. I by no means wish you unhappy. Truly, I do not. But neither can I consent to binding myself to a woman on the off-chance she will fall in love with me.”

“So, you refuse to help me?”

Turning away from her, he said, with an indignant edge to his voice, “That is supremely unfair, Miss Bennet. Have I not helped you already? Did I not come to your aid when you fell off your horse? Did I not take you in when your own mother left you to my care? Have I not kept my distance to protect you from scandal and ruin?”

The last bit astonished her. Did he really fear what might happen if they were alone together? Were that indeed the case, she might exploit his passions to aid her cause. Much as she hated to resort to such deceitful measures, she could see no other way to escape her marriage to Charles. And it would not be entirely an act; for just now, with him sitting so near, so dangerously near, she wanted nothing more than to be in his arms.

“What if I want you to ruin me?”

Here’s the Review by Sue Ellen

This is the first historical romance that the author has brought to her readers and I must say that I truly enjoyed the book. Her descriptions allow us to fully understand what is going on with the story and also her characters. She takes you to a time when women were supposed to be angelic, obedient, and forced into marriages not of their choosing. Louisa is one of these women that was born during this time; however, she does not follow the rules. She will go through all odds to get what she wants and keep what was doomed as her faith by the family from happening. The author brings you a woman who is strong, makes up her own mind, and will follow her heart no matter what others say. She sees a person for who they truly are inside and not by a physical appearance. Theo is a man that has endured physical pain from the war and then emotional pain when the woman he loved is repulsed by him. He has a big heart and will do anything for those he loves. He has shut himself off from woman. How will a man whose heart turned cold melt? One thing I love about the book is how the author will take you for a spin with her twists. The novel is smooth to read and a page turner for sure. You can tell that this author takes her research and novels seriously because the time fitting and characters characteristics during those times were executed amazingly. I would definitely recommend this to anyone that is looking for a Historical romance with a twist. I will be hoping the second in this new series comes quickly.

Here’s Nina’s author bio:

Nina Mason, the author of eleven published books to date, is an incurable romantic who strives to write love stories that entertain and edify. A research fanatic, she goes to great lengths to ensure the locations and time periods in her books are accurately portrayed (and thanks the Powers That Be for the internet). Born and raised in Southern California, Ms. Mason lived in Oregon briefly before moving to Georgia, where she lives with her husband and college-bound daughter. When she isn’t writing, she makes historic dolls, fairy babies, and putters in her garden.

Here are Nina’s stalker links:

Visit Nina’s website

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🔥🔥Happy Release Day: Without Warning by Desiree Holt 🔥🔥

Blurb:

When you don’t know how the story will end . . .

After years of hard work honing his craft, Blake Edwards is now an international bestselling author. But one thing he never imagined was that his fictional world would become all too real. When a stalker turns Blake’s latest book tour into a treacherous and nearly deadly trap, it’s time for Blake to hire protection. But the body assigned to keep an eye on him is someone he never wants out of his sight . . .

As a bodyguard for Vigilance, the private security agency in Blake’s hometown of Arrowhead Bay, Samantha Quenel has found the perfect outlet for her military experience. But her latest client is also a former high school flame, which might explain her willingness to protect Blake at all costs—even if that means staying in the same room with him, on the same bed, under the same torrid sheets . . .

Buy Links:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/without-warning/id1252335605?mt=11

https://play.google.com/store/search?q=9781516103683&c=books

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/without-warning-14

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/without-warning-desiree-holt/1126641691?ean=9781516103683

Author Bio:

Desiree Holt is the world’s oldest living published author of erotic and spicy romance. A graduate of the University of Michigan with double majors in English and History, her earlier careers include agent and manager in the music industry, public television, associate vice president of university advancement, public relations, and economic development.

She is three times a finalist for an EPIC E-Book Award (and a winner in 2014), a nominee for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, winner of the first 5 Heart Sweetheart of the Year Award at The Romance Studio as well as twice a CAPA Award winner for best BDSM book of the year, a USA Today Bestselling author and winner of the Holt Medallion for Excellence in Romance Literature.

She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Village Voice, The Daily Beast, USA Today, The (London) Daily Mail, The New Delhi Times, The Huffington Post and numerous other national and international publications. She is also the Authors After Dark 2014 Author of the Year.

“Desiree Holt is the most amazing erotica author of our time and each story is more fulfilling then the last.” (Romance Junkies)

Learn more about her and read her novels here:

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