Independent Publisher of the Year...I Need You

When a Storm is just what you Need

Since its first release of The Triumph of My Soul, Peace in the Storm Publishing Company has worked to consistently deliver books that encourage, inspire, uplift, and entertain readers. Both the premium quality of these books and the stellar talent of PITS authors have been recognized by several nominations across several categories in the 2009 African American Literary Awards Show. At Peace In The Storm, our first priority is to give readers what they deserve and desire as well as to show our appreciation for their support by continung to offer enjoyable experiences through literary journeys.
Peace in the Storm Publishing recognizes that we need our readers to be purposed and driven writers, if not for them, who would we be? PITS would like to thank you for your continuous support and ask for your help in acknowledging the art and the peace that has been introduced to the literary world through the creative and collective storm of talent that is Peace in the Storm. We humbly ask that you please help us by placing your vote at http://www.literaryawardshow.com/voting.html for your favorite Peace in the Storm authors in the following categories:

Romance
Jacqueline D. Moore – Serving Justice
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Non-Fiction
Cheryl Lacey Donovan – The Ministry of Motherhood
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Break-out Author Of The Year
Ebonee Monique – Suicide Diaries
Lorraine Elzia – Mistress Memoirs
S. D. Denny – The Bakers Dozen
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Short stories/Anthologies
Elissa Gabrielle (editor) - The Soul of a Man: A Triumph of My Soul Anthology
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Independent Publishing House of the Year
Peace In The Storm
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Let your vote reflect that your soul has found Peace in the Storm
Thank you for being there when we needed you most
Please cast your vote today
www.literaryawardshow.com/voting.html

Serving Justice by Jacqueline Moore coming 2009!

What happens when a prominent and successful Chicago Judge falls in love with her driver?Angela Jenkins decided as a child that she would become a lawyer. Fighting injustices perpetrated against those who could not or would not fight for themselves ran like passion through her veins. Growing up, Angela was taught that putting God first in her life, respecting the rights and choices of others, and working hard, were the most important things a person should strive for. While in pursuit of her law degree, Angela meets Rhonda, Theresa, and Darlene who are there reaching for the same goals. Over the next two decades, an unbreakable bond forms and friends become sisters.Angela finds the more successful she becomes, the more she begins to lose her connection with God and starts conforming more to the world, than to the word of God. When love enters her heart, she must decide if having a relationship is more important than what others, including her friends, have to say. Angela is forced to look at what's important in her life and has to choose between allowing others to shape who she is or conforming to what God wants her to be.

Coming 2009 from Peace In The Storm Publishing!

Jackie Moore is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree in religion and offers spiritual words of encouragement daily on her website www.virtuousliving.com. and her myspace page www.myspace.com/mamajacq. She and her two sons, James and Joseph reside in Detroit, Michigan.She is also a contributing author to several anthologies including 2008 releases, Triumph of my Soul, Stories of Hope, Triumph and Inspiration, Journeys of Love, Voices of the Heart, and Gumbo for the Soul, Here's our Child Where is the Village.Her contributions to online magazines or ezines are many. They include; Bahiyah Magazine, Precious Stones, Divine Afro European Sisters Network, Rise Up Magazine, The Blessed Room Magazine, and most recently, More Beautiful Woman Magazine.Jackie has served as a Deaconess, as well as served on various boards and committees. She has taught a basic computer skills class in an after school program at her church and she has also worked as a consultant for an after-school motivational program that teaches students how to write books.She has been a parent Advocate with the Detroit School Board. Jackie has also served as a consultant to a non-profit organization incorporated to address the problems of domestic violence in a pro-active way.www.JacquelineDMoore.com

Win a NAUGHTY & NICE Gift Basket!

The atmosphere is changing...

Can you smell the thunder?
Do you feel the rumble?
It's in the air around you!

A STORM is brewing and you can help announce its arrival.

There are those that chase storms...
Those that follow them......
And those that are lost in the aftermath.

Here's your chance to anchor in the storm as it comes in. Your opportunity to be a Publicist to authors who “Give your soul a rise, One page at a time.”

Why not become our Publicist for the week?

Help us spread the word about Peace In The Storm Publishing, its authors and forthcoming titles and you could win a great prize to boot!

How do you enter?

It's fairly simple. Use your vast creative imagination to let folks know about The Storm. Help us announce its arrival. It could be as simple as an email contact, group announcements, placing notices and various reader sites. The goal is to get readers to sign up for Peace Authors’ News You Can Use Yahoogroup, at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PeaceAuthorsNews. The more people you get to sign up, the closer you get to winning the prize!

Round up everyone you can, and make sure you shoot us an email with the names of the persons you spread the word to so we can keep track; Simply cc: books@peaceinthestormpublishing.com!

What's in it for you?

A Naughty & Nice Gift Basket with books written by or contributions made by some of Peace In The Storm Publishing’s Authors…

An autographed copy of Journey of Love
An autographed copy of The Triumph of My Soul
An autographed copy of I Can Have My Cake and Eat it Too by Claudia Brown Mosley
An autographed copy of Good to the Last Drop by Elissa Gabrielle
An autographed copy of Erogenous Zone: A Sexual Voyage
A gift from Greetings from the Soul: The Elissa Gabrielle Collection Signature note cards
Cheryl Lacey Donovan’s Worth More than Rubies CD
An autographed copy of Promises Made, Promises Kept by Tamara Angela Grant
An autographed copy of Erotigasm by S.D. Denny
An autographed copy of Chicken Soup for the African American Woman’s Soul
Jacqueline Moore’s Daily Devotional emails!
A Sneak-Peak and First-Look at the forthcoming titles from Peace In The Storm
Delicious Spa Products and a few surprises in between!
(Over $200 Value)

The top three runner-up’s names will be placed in a drawing to win an autographed copy of the forthcoming, highly-anticipated, The Cooling Board by Tamara Angela Grant!

Contest begins July 7, 2008 and ends July 11, 2008.
The winners will be announced on July 25, 2008
at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PeaceAuthorsNews!

Put on your gear and help anchor in The STORM!

**********
More info on some of our Upcoming Titles

THE BAKER’S DOZEN by S.D. Denny
Breanna Baker is no stranger to misfortune. Losing her father in a tragic accident when she was a teen left her guarded and afraid of commitment, believing its best not to get too attached to anyone because surely someday she’d regret it. So, when Bree’s doctor drops the unexpected bomb that she’s five weeks pregnant by her live-in boyfriend, Charles, she immediately decides to hide the news from him and have a secret abortion. Before she has an opportunity to put her plans in motion, Bree learns that her grandmother has passed away and she must return home to Charlotte, North Carolina for the funeral. The short visit she has planned suddenly becomes extended after an announcement that the reading of Granny Bee’s last Will and Testament will not take place until one week following the funeral, and Bree must be present. While visiting with family and catching up with her eleven brothers and sisters, Bree accidentally uncovers startling information that makes her question what really happened the night of her father’s death and suddenly the past has more influence on Bree’s future than she could ever have imagined.

MISTRESS MEMOIRS by Lorraine Elzia
What kind of woman becomes a mistress? Someone who has no regard for the unspoken cardinal rule among women of “Thou shalt not covet another woman’s husband?” Certainly not Kahla Thompson; or so she thought.

Kahla is beautiful, single, and independently successful, possessing all the material goods a woman could desire. Her life is surreptitiously turned upside down when she meets Kevin Eckhart, a married man with a million-dollar smile and a seductive charm she falls prey to. The two have a magnetic, compelling attraction for each another and begin a relationship under the guise of friendship. Kahla struggles to suppress her hunger for Kevin, but soon finds herself in a paradox; fighting her natural propensity to avoid an affair versus her lascivious desires for a married man and all he represents.

Mistress Memoirs is an engaging, unorthodox lurk into the mind of a mistress. Through the illuminating introspective words of Kahla; Lorraine Elzia engrossingly entertains, while skillfully removing the cocoon of preconceived notions as to why a woman becomes a mistress. By delving into the self-analyzing inner thoughts that catapult Kahla into the role of the woman on the side, Mistress Memoirs gives a vision of who the other woman really is as viewed from the standpoint of the mistress herself.

THE COOLING BOARD by Tamara Angela Grant
Only one thing could drag the worldly Jhonnie Bell Devereaux back to her birthplace of Regal City, Louisiana. When she hears news of the impending death of her mother, Jhonnie Bell rushes to her mother’s side and in the process, finds herself getting reacquainted with the small town, rural life on the bayou of the hometown she anxiously left behind years ago. LuluBell Darling Devereaux's passing leaves her family without the matriarch they all look to for advice and guidance. Staying true to her role as the family’s glue, Mrs. 'Bell, even in death, won't let the grave get in the way of her job of holding her family together. She has left each immediate family member a letter that details her words of wisdom, but with one catch...no one can read her Last Will and Testament until they heed the admonishments from her last words to each of them.

Shock, joy and panic encompass the family’s emotions. But does all hell break loose in the interim? Will Mrs. 'Bell's letters bring the family together as she intends or will it push them all further apart? There’s a thin line between love and hate. Tamara Angela Grant pens an intriguing and heartwarming tale of a family who loves each other despite the fact that they may not always like each other. Enchanting and enlightening, The Cooling Board is an entertaining and strikingly clever, witty, and honest look at the way a family copes with the devastating loss of a loved one.

A WHISPER TO A SCREAM by Elissa Gabrielle
Queen Thomas is a successful, young, African American defense attorney. Righting the wrongs of the justice system is her passion. She is in love with Derrick Simmons, a corrections officer she meets while working on a case. After some time dating, Queen uncovers a horrible secret about Derrick, and if she doesn’t end the relationship soon, Derrick’s secret will be the death of her.
Queen was raised by her father, since the age of four. Longing for a deep maternal connection all of her life, fate steps in, and she is introduced to her long, lost mother she fondly remembers.
Quincy Hughes is a handsome doctor, who Queen meets under the most unconventional of circumstances, and over time, a whirlwind romance ensues, but Queen’s reservations about the acceptance their romance will find among society, threatens to keep them apart. Disaster comes along the way in the form of a jilted ex, almost ripping the faith from Queen's soul.
Will true love and passion allow Queen and Quincy to follow their hearts, no matter where it takes them?
A Whisper to a Scream is ground-breaking fiction, written in a fashion owned by Elissa Gabrielle, Best-selling author of Good to the Last Drop. Sexy, emotional, deliciously witty and inviting, A Whisper to a Scream will put you in a trance, pulling you deep into a socially eye-opening, erotic, emotionally-charged ride, full of twists and turns bold enough to leave you wholly satisfied.

The Ministry of Motherhood by Cheryl Lacey Donovan coming soon!

In The Ministry of Motherhood, author Cheryl Lacey Donovan tackles the issue of single parenting with raw emotion, insightful lessons, biblical references and relevant life changing inspiration for mothers of all ages. It will minister to women who are living the life that Cheryl has overcome. The empowering refreshing messages will challenge mothers to look inside themselves for change. It will help them to identify the strongholds in their lives; public assistance, lack of education, abusive relationships, and tear them down with the help of the creator so that they can in turn take the steps necessary to build a better life for themselves and their children. Cheryl's transparency in The Ministry of Motherhood tears down all of the excuses for why single mothers can't succeed. It breaks away at all of the lies that are told about why single mother's are in their current situations; and it defies the statistics that say the children of single mother's will never amount to anything.

The Ministry of Motherhood is Cheryl's journey from being a teenage parent to being a successful mother, author, talk show host, and inspirational speaker. It tells of Cheryl's transition from the devastation of an abusive marriage which left her with two sons at an early age to her testimony of deliverance and release. It gives an insightful look into what it means to be a "mother"; the hard choices, the sacrifices, the dreams deferred. The Ministry of Motherhood is more than just a mere book. It is a testimony of God's ability to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ever ask.

A must read book for mothers of all ages and circumstances.

Coming from a legacy of preachers, Cheryl Lacey Donovan is walking in her destiny. An anointed woman of God, her mission is to challenge you to look inside yourself for change, to identify the strongholds in your life, and to tear them down with the help of the creator. Once you have crossed her path, your life will never be the same. Cheryl Donovan is an acclaimed author, inspirational speaker, and compelling advocate for personal empowerment. Her book Women What the Hell are You Thinking remained in the top 10 of Amazons Hot New Releases during its first two months of publication. Her new work The Ministry of Motherhood is destined for the bestseller list as it ministers to mothers who are living through what Cheryl has already overcome. Cheryl believes in Psalms 11:25 which says, She who refreshes others will herself be refreshed; therefore, she tries to be transparent as she speaks and writes about her valley to mountain experiences. Cheryl’s internet radio talk show Worth More than Rubies reaches thousands of listeners each Friday and has impacted women all across the nation. Her syndicated column of the same name can be found in both print and online magazines. She is also a regular contributor to several blogs including her own, “Worth More Than Rubies,” with blogspot.com. Cheryl’s work was most recently published in the anthology “The Triumph of My Soul.” Cheryl has been recognized nationally for her work. She has been the featured author on radio talk shows such as Artist First, Power Talk FM, An Hour to Empower with Mo and Mickey, and Urban Echoes’ Voices and Vibes. Her interviews have also appeared in Empowering African American Women Magazine, Swaggie’s Blog Spot, AA Kulture Zone, The Book Suite, and Women’s Self Esteem. She was recently awarded the 2007 Literary Power Award and she has been nominated in several categories for the Infini Awards. Cheryl will be featured for the inaugural season of What Shall We Read, a literary program which airs on CAN-TV in Chicago. She will also be inducted into the 2008 Who's Who in Black Houston.

I'm a Hustler...

When one thinks of Idols, what often comes to mind are those untouchable celebrities we see on television, or the even more impermeable velvet voices we hear on the radio, as they sing those special songs, written especially for us. We are a nation consumed by the concept of idol and the goal to aspire to be just like ours.

To God Be The Glory. I have never had to aim to be like those I’ve witnessed on television, in the movies, on the radio, those beautifully perfect individuals we’ve labeled our idols. In fact, I’ve had the pleasure, the challenge, the glory and the privilege to witness, in action, my very own Icon. You see, I was born of blessed seed. My Mother is my Idol, Icon, Shero, Hero, Deity, My Angel, My Friend, she is all that I’ve ever aspired to be.

A true hustler at heart, my mother single-handedly changed how women, women of color in particular, are viewed in the entertainment industry. They are no longer assistants and secretaries, they are so much more. Breaking down doors at every turn, and creating her own pass into the “Boys Club”, as the first vice president of marketing for a major record label, in her hayday, my mother was the Woman. I’ve watched and learned how a hustler does it-with integrity, guerilla intensity, honest initiative and an unbelievable resolve to make it to the top.

There’s no question as to why, I too, am a Hustler. You see, I was indeed born of blessed seed, with a resounding resilience and a courage rivaled by some of the strongest men around.

“A Woman who doesn’t take a chance, never had one,” is the lesson I will take with me to the grave because of her. Hearing this as I grew from a girl into a woman, from a woman to a wife and from a wife to a mother, instilled in me that anything I desire in life ain’t worth a thing unless I take the chance to make my dreams reality.

Sadly, as many of the grandmothers of the world today, as we know them, are forced with the task of raising their grandchildren, a direct result of the age and years of drug addiction. As our youth was swept away, falling prey to a system designed to have our inner city youth succumb to the perils of drug use, I’ve watched my super-strong Mother, who gracefully encompasses the strength once held by my late ancestors, those who’ve had to experience the most dreadful of circumstances, so that I could walk on this Earth and get my hustle on. Witnessing the misery and the pain, I’ve learned even more from my Mother, now in her glory years, start from scratch, after raising her children, to raising her children’s children. She’s done it with an unbelievable dynamism and with the dedication only a Mother can bear.

So it is with a Hustler’s spirit, my Mother’s guidance, the fortitude and resilience of the women who came before me and by the Grace of God that Greetings From the Soul: The Elissa Gabrielle Collection was born and in honor of all the incredible mothers this Mother’s Day, and as a tribute to the reason for my existence, my Mother, I offer you, the title poem for one of my Mother’s Day cards, entitled, “The Queen of My Heart.” God Bless you today, tomorrow and always. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL OF THE WONDERFUL MOTHERS WHO WERE INDEED BORN OF BLESSED SEED!

~Elissa Gabrielle

THE QUEEN OF MY HEART
Thank you for giving me life.
Thank you for enduring so much pain.
Thank you for how hard you tried
to bring me a brighter day.
Thank you mother, you gave so unselfishly.
Thank you mother,
my guidance, my direction.
You are the reason for my being.
It is easy to take for granted who you are.
It is upon reflection that I can't escape
the magic that is you.
For you are the Queen of My Heart.
The reason I am alive.
You were the lifeline, my breathtaker,
at the time when there was no me without you.
I just need for you to know that I love, admire, and adore you so.
The life that you produced,
I would give up in a heartbeat, if needed.
I would go the extra mile, the distance, if you could benefit.
The last shirt off my back, the last dime to my name,
is yours for the taking.
And know that I'd accept any pain to prevent your soul from aching.
Dearest Mother, my comforter, my best friend.
For the wisdom you have given,
For the knowledge I have gained,
Count on me ‘til the very end.

Alvin C. Romer reviews Purple Panties for The Romer Review!

Briefed in purple is not all bad!, April 25, 2008
By Alvin C. Romer "The Jackal" (Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews

There are all types of scenarios that depict sexual preference nowadays as the freedom of expression has extended to the bedroom, and everywhere else to display such liberations between women making love. The release of yet another anthology of lesbian love does nothing to hide the fact that stories of this nature are being produced to satisfy both a growing genre and a lifestyle that is prevalent in our society. Best-selling author and literary guru, ZANE has a new compilation worthy of her reputation - Purple Panties. There's no other color that readily whets my appetite than the color purple. Coupled with the catchy cover photography, by-passing this book will be hard to do! For the most part, the stories are provocative and tend to leave no holds barred, which has always been the mantra that the editor has exhibited in her own writings. Nevertheless,options relative for inclusion run the gamut from tepid to sizzling hot in this set. Reading the stories I couldn't help feeling like a privileged spectator looking through the windows of a world created especially for me! Ask me would any man find something that would change his view of uninhibited love and reckless abandon with license for liberal pleasure, and I'm sure there would be vociferous views for more. Each story had points of contention for the individual author's penchant for quality and means to elicit excitement. I have my favorites - namely PLEASURES by Elissa Gabrielle; Allison Hobbs' THE PRIVATE ROOM; and JACQUIE by Jolie du Pre. You will undoubtedly recognize a few authors here that are no strangers to erotica, but with typical anthologies you will also find some stories better written than others. There's a good mix that doesn't take away from any perceived negative for the most part. Turn the tables, close your eyes, and do away with the stereotypical notion that usually permeate your mind about sex and who's administering it, and you won't be disappointed in how page-turning delight can REALLY excite. There's no room for player-hating. Interestingly enough, I didn't read this book verbatim...I derived pleasure by randomly reading when I needed something to drive my senses to another level after dealing with a long day at the office. All I had to do was envision purple panties dancing though my sensibilities to color my world! Add this book to your collection of erotica. Anything with ZANE'S input is a winner!

The Incomparable Alvin C. Romer reviews The Triumph of My Soul

“Winners in the face of adversity!”

Triumph of My Soul by Elissa Gabrielle

The trials and tribulation that God allows us to traverse says a lot about challenges and change. We are broken on purpose to have the wherewithal and ability to keep our heads to the sky, and know that if there’s a will there’s a way. TRIUMPH OF MY SOUL by Elissa Gabrielle is the first of several books in a series that will give voice to human conditions that cater to the angst and adversity that color our spiritual Diaspora as people of color. These are inspiring stories of victory over adversity, and the ability to know the difference between living vertically vs. horizontally. The Triumph of My Soul ably delivers poignant testimonies with heartfelt stories of love, hope, faith, redemption and inspiration.

With this firmly in mind, the authors therein presented in this anthology spoke with heart-felt vigor and preservation of mind opening their souls to succeed beyond and despite the ‘brokenness’. These are their stories, and in the midst of the storms, there’s courage, faith, and wisdom to call upon He who strengthens us. You get a chance to read each entity and perhaps rejoice knowing that “this too shall pass”. Author Elissa Gabrielle assembled a worthy crew of writers to expound on these ideals of hurt and pain illustrating personal vistas in discovering solutions and applications. Albeit, not all of the stories in this set are created equal. There are a few that weren’t as strong as others which are typical of anthologies of this nature where balance may not be in the offering. In this case though, nothing is taken away from the overall tone of success that I render.

How far must one travel to know that a new lease on life is eminent, or there’s a saving Grace in adhering to that still small voice? I found ardent answers as I read each story and imagined how I could be the recipient of His loving embrace! The authors bearing their souls are some that I’m familiar with, and others that are cutting their literary teeth for the first time. The emotions and struggles seemed up front and personal. I can hark to the stories that touched me most. To wit: Jessica Tilles’ ‘Julian’s Grace’ showed how one can go beyond living for the moment to enable a deeper value of an innate love beyond the surface. It’s a gut-wrenching love story that demands your attention; my favorite by Allison Deese – ‘Discovering the Joy Within’ is the story of how a teenaged mother rallied against the forces of nature to triumph over an abusive lover, and how examples were shown to give credence for perseverance. Then there are stories depicting adolescence where maturity materializes in the end for new leases on life, and where the downtrodden can realize how victory can be won by exhibiting due diligence.

In times like these we need shining examples of inspired triumph in the face of adversity, and this collection of short stories are yours to revel and rectify ways to ease issues that may be definitive in helping rather than hurting. This is the benefit of the empathy that compelled me to put my feet in the shoes of the authors that bared their souls. If this is the mettle that Ms Gabrielle adheres to, then the subsequent books that will be part of her lore will give notice that she is a force to be reckoned with. Grab this book, read it, and know that there’s a silver lining behind every dark cloud! Kudos to you Elissa for bring this coterie of writers together to share what it means to do what it takes to be winners!

Reviewed by Alvin C. Romer for the Romer Review
http://www.TheRomerReview.com