Tag: Interracial Romance Author Latrivia S. Nelson

Author Latrivia Nelson on Rihanna’s Dress for the CFDA (BYE FELICIA)

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Thursday Night, I stayed up for what felt like forever and worked on copyediting for the upcoming box set that I’ll be teaming up with other 8 other amazing authors on set to drop in July.  And somewhere between the setting of the sun and rising of it, on the verge of epiphany or a mental breakdown, I decided to take a creative break and surf the net.  Well, I came across a multitude of Rihanna stories, splashed across every website in America like she was the cause of the Benghazi incident.

Why?

Because she had on a dress that you could see through at the Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards (I gasp).

OKAY…

I sat up in the bed to make sure that I wasn’t just underreacting because I’d been up for 30 hours, and I zoomed in on the dress.  NOPE.  It didn’t seem to bother my fragile sensibilities one bit. (And I’m quite fragile).

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Yes, you could see her ta-tas.

Yes, you could see her rear end.

BUT (Wait for it)

In truth, she looked gorgeous.  The dress was tasteful, and fresh and alluring…but the one thing that did bother me was wondering what in the hell I would look like in something like that.

DISTURBING!!

I had to laugh at myself.  Me pulling off that dress would be like… well, Family Guy has already done that analogy, so I won’t reinvent the wheel.

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But what I found incredibly inspiring was her recognition of mover and shaker Josephine Baker.  Truly, when I saw the dress, I thought about the roaring 20’s. I thought of gangsters in tuxedos and Tommy guns and Harlem Nights and reporters with cameras that had huge light bulbs in them.

So, she must have hit the nail on the head. Excellent choice on the dress.  And maybe (and what do I know, my favorite color is black and I wear basic Armani to slim my look only when I’m not in Target {pronounced TAR-JAY} and a soft cotton t-shirts) that was her point and why she was being honored in the first place.  She wanted to do something that had not been done.  After all, that’s what they pay her for.  They pay her to create sounds and music that we haven’t already heard, to dress and inspire like we’ve never seen and be a superstar.  Well, she did her job.  Bravo Rihanna!

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Now back to me…behind deadline and exhausted…definitely on the verge of breakdown now that the epiphany has passed.  And this is comical and very symbolic….while most of America stopped to judge her doing her job as she is supposed do, most of us aren’t nearly as diligent about our own affairs.  So, I’m sure that she went home to her multi-million dollar home, took off her amazing dress and relaxed in her comfy pajamas while flipping through the Internet completely unmoved by all the yammer.  In fact, I’m willing to bet that she was like, “Bye, Felicia.”

Bye Felicia

And more power to her.

 

 

Stay thirsty my friends,

 

Latrivia

What Order Should I Read Latrivia Nelson’s Books

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Books Currently Released and Order to Read:

 

The Agosto Series:

Ivy’s Twisted Vine (2008) paperback

Ivy’s Twisted Vine Redux (2011) paperback/eBook

The World in Reverse (2013) paperback/eBook

 

The Medlov Series:

Dmitry’s Closet (2010) paperback/eBook

Dmitry’s Royal Flush: Rise of the Queen (2010) paperback/eBook

Anatoly Medlov: Complete Reign (2011) paperback/eBook

Saving Anya (2012) paperback/eBook

 

The Chronicles of Young Dmitry Medlov:

Book One (Same as V1:V4) paperback/eBook

The Chronicles of Young Dmitry Medlov: Volume 1

The Chronicles of Young Dmitry Medlov: Volume 2

The Chronicles of Young Dmitry Medlov: Volume 3

The Chronicles of Young Dmitry Medlov: Volume 4

The Chronicles of Young Dmitry Medlov: Volume 5 (eBook only)

The Chronicles of Young Dmitry Medlov: Volume 6 (eBook only)

 

 

The Lonely Heart Series:

The Ugly Girlfriend (2010) eBook/paperback

Finding Opa! (2011) eBook/paperback

The Grunt (2011) eBook/paperback

The Contingency Plan (2012) eBook only

 

Tri-State Defender Does Great Story on Latrivia S. Nelson

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It’s always awesome to be highlighted at home. The Tri-State Defender did an excellent story on me. I just wanted to share it with you.  Thanks so much to the TSD for this.

http://tri-statedefenderonline.com/articlelive/articles/7411/1/Author-helps-power-explosion-of-interracial-romance-novels/Page1.html

 

Author helps power explosion of interracial romance novels
By Tri-State Defender Newsroom | Published  Yesterday | Arts & Leisure | Rating:
Making love a black and white issue
Special to the Tri-State Defender
Native Memphian Latrivia S. Nelson sat down in front of her computer in 2008 and wrote her first novel, “Ivy’s Twisted Vine.”

Latrivia S. Nelson writes interracial romance novels that “women from all walks of life can identify with and enjoy.” (Courtesy photo)

Today, “Ivy’s Twisted Vine” is recognized as the largest interracial romance novel in the black woman/white man (bw/wm) genre to date, with many readers referring to it as the “bible of IR.”
“I write interracial romance novels that women from all walks of life can identify with and enjoy,” said Nelson. “The heroines are strong, beautiful, curvaceous and smart. They know what they want out of life, and they go for it. What man, black or white, wouldn’t want them?”
Sales didn’t soar with her first book, but her dreams did. Since then, Nelson’s following has gone from 500 readers to over 50,000. She has fans in over 38 countries and across the U.S. In 2011, she wrote the number one bestselling novel on Amazon’s Multicultural bestseller’s list, “The Grunt,” from her Lonely Heart Series and stayed on the list for over four months. During that time, she also had a second book on the top twenty list for multicultural romance, “The Ugly Girlfriend” (2011).
Nelson’s love for books surfaced as a child. She wrote stories and regularly recited them to her families. In high school, she once sought her mother’s “true feedback” about one of her books by telling her mother that she’d copied pages from a reference book for a class project.
At The LeMoyne-Owen College, Nelson’s alma mater, she wrote for the “Magician” newspaper. She also served as vice president of the Student Government Association and as president of her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., before she went on to be Ms. LeMoyne-Owen College in 2001 and graduate with honors in 2003. Later, she received her MBA from Strayer University.
With a long history in public relations and development, she has worked for nationally recognized companies such as The Carter Malone Group and Trust Marketing, and for the non-profits ALSAC/ St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, The Memphis Redbirds and the National Civil Rights Museum. And while she was afforded the opportunity to write, her passion was unfulfilled.
Trace Nelson’s inspiration for interracial romance and it leads to family roots.
“As one half of an interracial marriage, I wanted to dispel certain myths and give women and men in those types of relationships something to read that positively highlighted them,” she said.
Nelson married Adam Nelson, a decorated United States Marine in 2005, and the couple has two children.
Highlighted in hundreds of reviews and interviews, Nelson visits readers in myriad places throughout the nation. Her last stop was at the “Beautiful Trouble Eat and Greet” in Winston-Salem, N.Car., and her next appearance will be at the Romance Slam Jam in Little Rock, Ark., where she will be a guest speaker on the interracial romance genre.
“I surround myself with positive people. New York Times bestselling author, Brenda Jackson, is a dear friend of mine, and I look up to her and what she has done for the romance genre as a whole,” said Nelson. “On the home front, I have mentors like Beverly Robertson and Deidre Malone, who have groomed me for years. These women have also taught me to be vigilant in my desire to be the best and do the best that I can.”
In the last four years, Nelson has written 12 novels and novelettes. Five of those titles have been national bestsellers. From the popular romantic suspense series, “The Medlov Crime Family,” her next book will be out on March 28, 2011, entitled “Saving Anya.”
Nelson has ensured a way to get her work out to the world as well as help other aspiring authors. She founded RiverHouse Publishing in 2010 and has offices in the Clarke Tower in Memphis and on Broad in Manhattan, NYC.
“I wanted to give bold authors a chance to let their voices be heard on their own terms,” Nelson said about her publishing company.
And she’s done just that with five authors signed to RiverHouse Publishing, LLC and five new authors set to be introduced this year.
(For more information on Latrivia S. Nelson, visit http://www.latrivianelson.info or http://www.riverhousepublishingllc.com. You can also reach her at 901-322-6191.)

 

So Close to the Finish Line

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I know the question is, what happened?  Even as I sit here and right this, I’m asking myself the exact same thing.  I went to North Carolina to participate in the Beautiful Trouble Publishing Eat and Greet, which was awesome by the way, and then I came home to complete hysteria.  Deadlines were falling out of the sky like dead birds and the minute that they hit the ground, they infected me with more work.  In between traveling like a complete psycho, hitting the office, and taking care of home, I was getting four hours of sleep at most, but the one thing that I did accomplish was Saving Anya.  I have notes that go a mile long, at least.  I wrote on napkins and paper bags, on books and notepads.  I got great ideas that forced me to change the story at least ten times.  But you know what, somehow all of the hysteria in my life only made me more creative.

On the due date of Saving Anya, I had a choice.  I could drop a book that I would be embarrassed to put my name on or I could wait and give you something that was worth your money.  So that’s what I’m doing.  I’m literally on the cusp of this book being finished and I feel damned good about it.  I can’t tell you how good that feels.

Now, in order to that, I had to fade to black.  I didn’t accept any phone calls or send out any emails.  So, I promise that I’ll answer all of them once I’m done.  I didn’t get on Facebook, Twitter anyone, or even blog.  That was so hard not to do.  But I had to focus .  Every moment that I could, I wrote.  Now I am so close to the finish line.

Being such, I can finally get back to at least blogging with you guys.  There are things that I can’t wait to ask you, and I can’t wait to share like my experience with the best group of gals in the world from BTP.  That will be in a blog entry shortly following this one entitled The League of Extraordinary Gentlewomen. Even though I was under the gun, I got a chance to meet the world’s most amazing librarians, some seriously empowered authors and devoted fans. It was totally worth pulling away, and my mom even went with me.  That was so cool…even though she is more of a free thinker than I first knew.  That’s a whole other blog entry.

So, I’ve been taking care of Adam, who is getting better by the day.  I’m proud to report that he’s looking great these days.  I’m so proud of him, and so proud that he’s pulling through.  With everything that he’s been through, to see him smile and laugh (my brother-in-law and sister-in-law came down for a week to help out and totally made our month), is better than any amount of money.

You know, people always say that they’ll do anything for their spouse, but sometimes we have to prove it.  We have to put everything down and stand in front of the bus with it moving at top speed and say take your best shot because I’m not going anywhere.  Well, that’s what I’ve been doing in his healthcare.  I’ve been standing in front of that bus, and even though the impact hurt, I’m not flat yet, ladies.  I’m still standing.  But the bus…isn’tJ

So you want to know when the book will be out.  You don’t want empty promises.  Well, let me give you a real timeline.  This book will be finished in draft form by this Monday.  Our good friend Karen is going to look over it and give it her proofreading and editing seal of approval and then we send it to the printer for a week.  Basically, we’ll b ready to take e-book orders and pre-orders on March 27th or sooner.  Then it’s on to The World in Reverse.  Hey, no one ever said life was easy.

To everyone who has called and sent emails, I want you to know that I love you, appreciate you and pray for you also in return.  Thanks for being amazing, and having patience.  This has not been an easy time in my life at all, but God has given me strength, and I’m still here.  And as long as I’m here, I’ll be writing for you guys.  So, I may be late, but I’ll be there.

Until next entry, have a great one.

XoXo and all that jazz,

Latrivia

The Lonely Heart Series Now On Sale in Paperback! Pre-Order The Grunt Today!

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Hello Everyone!!!

It’s been a long time coming, but I am happy to announce that we are taking pre-orders for all three books in the Lonely Heart Series (The Ugly Girlfriend, Finding Opa! and The Grunt). You can purchase each book separately or you can purchase all three books in the Lonely Heart Paperback Pack for $19.99, plus shipping and handling.  Simply go to www.latrivianelson.info to put in your order today in time for Labor Day weekend. 

I hope that you all enjoy the books.  We have received over 300 requests since The Grunt was released last week to format it in paperback.  In response, the team has worked tremendously hard on getting a tangible product in your hands. 

This has been an exciting week, and I’ll be sharing a little more with you about why on upcoming blog entries.  However, I want to say now that I appreciate each and every one of you for your kind words of support and encouragement and your continued support of my work through your purchases.

I’ll be returning to the blogs more in the upcoming weeks also.  I know everyone wonders where I went.  Working on upcoming projects, I have been locked in the office and at the home office typing up a storm, but I need a break and I need to get back to my people.

I also am working hard right now to return each and every email that I have received about the books. I even printed them out so that I can read them when it’s late at night and I’m tired and want to quit.  You all have given me so much motivation.  I think of each of you every time I sit in front of the computer to write a book.

God Bless,

Latrivia S. Nelson

 

Best Boutique in town: Celery

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Ann Taylor Loft's sign in Hudson, Ohio

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I’d like to think that I’m a simple woman with simple tastes, but I had to re-evaluate my inner truth when it came time to shop for clothes in Memphis.  There were only a few stores that matched what I was looking for in style: comfort, sleekness, quality and classic design.  I’m the type that likes to buy quality the first time around and keep it in my closet for many years to come.

When arriving in Memphis back from Camp Lejeune, the first thing that I did was cozy up to Ann Taylor, one of the only stores that I frequent incessantly.  The second thing I did was find a good shoe store.  I was horrified to find that the only store to fit my big foot was Nine West.  The soles don’t hurt and the shoes don’t crush my toes.

We’ll talk about Victoria Secret, the best place to find perfume, lotions and hosiery on a later post. 

So, if I don’t go online and grab something from Saks Fifth or Neiman Marcus, then I’m at Ann Taylor.  Needless to say that my wardrobe is pretty boring, except for the occasional haul-ass to Muse for nights when I really want to impress.  My favorite color in the world is black.  I buy black Armani everything, and I get a good buy on Armani.com, where I often jet off to the Armani exchange for sales items for daily wears.

Then one day, I was in Ann Taylor at WolfChase and this woman leans into me and says that she should have gone to Celery before coming here.  I stood there puzzled.  What was Celery?

She told me that it was a high-end boutique right in the heart of Memphis on Brookhaven circle that carried Ann Taylor among a thousand other names that I nearly choked after hearing.  This nameless saint did not have a card from the place but told me exactly where to find it.

The next day in between house errands and working at the office, my interest peaked and I found myself at Celery.  Sure enough, it was right where the woman said it would be.  

It is a lime green building with white border right in the middle of Brookhaven cove.  In truth, it is less than intimidating.  It looks like a secret hiding place for girls.  I immediately thought that on the screen door there should have been a sign – No Boys Allowed.  It gives you a giddy feeling when you pull up, like you’ve arrived at an adult playground for women with discriminating tastes. 

I was greeted by a nice young woman, a graduate of University of Memphis I believe, who gave me a ticket with three types of sales: 75% off, 50% off and 25% off.  As a budding penny-pincher, I felt proud that I was actually in a place where I could spend some cash and save even more to spend later on the kids who suck me bone dry.   

As I entered this secret layer covered in jewelry, fine silks, purses, belts and other accessories, the sales women were right there beside me. They wanted to know what I was looking for, what were my favorite labels, etc. It was very helpful when I realized what a gold mine I had fallen into.  I needed a seat!  I needed to catch my breath!

You see, this place, this Celery had Armani, Coach, St. John, Dolce & Gabanna, Ann Taylor (of course), Bowl of Cotton, Chanel, the list goes on and on.  Most of the clothes still had the price tag on them from the original purchase, everything looked brand new, everything was incredibly priced, everything was incredibly cute and jazzy and it was all mine!

Overloaded, I had to sit down for a minute. The women there provided top-notch service, offering a glass of wine, a fitting room, great smiles, good conversation and they had the nerve to play great music. 

The greedy and spoiled Trivi felt like this was one secret that I could not share.  If I told everyone why I was always dressed so smart and had extra money to spare, they might overrun my new haven and take all the deals for themselves.  But the good witch Trivi knew that there are far too many women out there who work themselves to the bone, want to look good and don’t want to spend retailer’s price for top-drawer fashion.

So, here I am pouring my name brand heart out to you and telling you my secret.  The best boutique in Memphis is a little place off Poplar on Brookhaven Circle called Celery.  They have everything: dresses, shoes, accessories, purses, suits, jeans, t-shirts, tank tops, cocktail dresses, evening gowns and I think I saw a unicorn!

Tell them that I sent you and get 10% off.

On Wednesdays, they have the mother of all sales.  Wine and Snacks from 4-7 and a preview of some killer summer styles.

What’s the address?

728 Brookhaven Circle

Memphis, TN 38117

http://www.celeryresale.com/

The concept is just ingenious.  Consignment of only designer, in-season labels in the best condition.  What more can I say?  You’ll do yourself a favor by stopping by. 

Until the next extry, take over the world one idea at a time.

XoXo & all that jazz,

Latrivia  

 

Interracial romance writer gains fans

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Nelson makes race a ‘secondary concern’

Suburban mom Latrivia S. Nelson spends time in a fictional place where the Russian Mafia has a Memphis branch.

Nelson’s world has given her a growing fan base as a romance novel writer. She says she has sold more than 7,000 copies of her latest book, “Dmitry’s Closet,” released in early 2010.

Nelson’s novels are books of interracial suspense and romance, involving black women and white men. They’re books she wrote when she couldn’t find interracial romance novels that made race a secondary concern.

“All the interracial romance novels were so based on race,” she said. “Once they got past that one (character) was black and the other was white, it was over.”

While a student at LeMoyne-Owen College, Nelson wrote stories for her friends.

After a short, unsuccessful marriage to her college sweetheart, Nelson met her husband, Adam Nelson, a retired U.S. Marine. The Cordova couple have two children, Jordan, 7, from her first marriage, and Tierra, 4.

The Nelsons married in 2005, and he encouraged her to write. Her first novel, the self-published “Ivy’s Twisted Vine,” came out in 2008.

Other books followed and while he was in Iraq, Adam Nelson’s fellow Marines were curious.

“They said, ‘Is this really about you and her?’ I said, ‘No, it’s not. We don’t have any Russian Mafia friends,'” he said laughing.

Nelson said she tried and failed to find an agent for her first novel. “It just wasn’t happening for me,” she said.

So she started RiverHouse Publishing, defined on its website as a place for “male and female, Caucasian and African-American, affluent and starving writers.”

“Our diversity allows us to explore new frontiers in writing and focus on cutting-edge situational relationships that speak to the inner desires of many fiction readers,” the RiverHouse description says.

“I wanted to be able to give people a voice to be able to get what they feel is important to them out there,” she said.

La-Tessa Montgomery, vice president of the River City Romance Writers Association, knows Nelson’s frustrations.

A publisher Montgomery met with liked the storyline in her interracial romance novel, but passed on the book because she didn’t know how to sell it.

“Meaning she didn’t know how to sell a book by an African-American or with African-American characters,” Montgomery said. “And to further segment that, she didn’t know how to sell a book with an African-American heroine and a Caucasian (male) lead.”

Interracial contemporary romance is a sub-genre in the romance novel world, and big publishers shy away from sub-genres, said Debra Dixon, head of publisher Belle Books, dedicated to “Southern Fried Fiction,” and a co-founder of River City Romance Writers.

Publishers look for broad markets, limiting the opportunities for the “cowboy interracial Christmas time-travel romance,” she joked. But those books still will have fans.

“We have companies that publish black romance, Latino romance, Asian romance,” said Dixon. “So there’s something out there for everybody. You need to find a publisher who can sell that.”

— Linda A. Moore: 529-2702

© 2010 Memphis Commercial Appeal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

The Ugly Girlfriend by Latrivia S. Nelson is the first book in the Lonely Heart Series:

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December has been a busy month.  We released The Ugly Girlfriend, we’re working on releasing The Chronicles of Young Dmitry Medlov: Volume 2, and we are in preparation for dropping Anatoly Medlov: Complete Reign in January.

Many readers have asked, so I wanted to take a minute and share with you exactly what The Ugly Girlfriend is:

LaToya Jenkins is the quintessential woman: smart, successful, grounded and determined.  She only has one problem socially – she’s overweight.  As the “big one” of her girlfriends, she often faces rejection from the men of their social circle because of her size and/or her dark skin.  And due to a painful past relationship, she gives up on love completely  until, she takes on Mitchell “Mitch” O’Keefe as a new client. 

The Irish born architect needs a professional cleaning service to help him literrally clean up his life after a nasty divorce, but he  winds up finding a true friend in LaToya, the owner of It’s An Honor Cleaning Service.   

While LaToya is handicapped emotionally by her baggage, Mitch thinks she’s the strongest woman he’s ever seen and breath of fresh air in his hectic life.  His only goal is to prove to her that his interest in her is more than lust sparked by curiosity.  

Read the story of two beautiful people in totally opposite ways who help each other see that beauty is not skin deep but soul deep in the first book of Latrivia S. Nelson’s Lonely Heart Series, The Ugly Girlfriend. 

Why Did I Write The Ugly Girlfriend?

So many people write to me and ask me to write something that is very realistic.  They love the Medlov Series because it is fantasy, but they wanted something that speaks to the relationships that happen for two normal people in day-to-day life. 

The Lonely Heart Series is a collection of books that will be released this year from me to you with the purpose of doing just that.  As you read the stories, you’ll be able to see yourself, see someone you know and definitely identify with their romance. 

Also, I look at all the beautiful women that I know and many of them share with me that they consider themselves the ugly one.  I can’t even understand how they can say this about themselves.  They are all talented, beautiful, funny and caring.  Yet, people look on the outside and make these horrid judgments about them.  I wanted each of my friends to know and women out there who read my books that beauty truly comes from within and the right man can see that in you and respect you.  As a matter of fact, I believe he’ll want to love you, because you love yourself. 

You can purchase the PDF for $3 on www.latrivianelson.info.  I hope that you’ll check it out.  And I hope that you enjoy it.

Revenge of the Pillow Pet

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My dear, sweet 3 ½ year old begged us for a Pillow Pet for two weeks. Every time that I thought she had forgotten about it, the commercial would come on the television and remind her to ask us again. My husband got so fed up the other morning, he grabbed his keys and headed to Wal-Mart. He emerged half an hour later with the lady bug pillow pet that is now wrapped in my daughter’s embrace even as I write this post.

The pillow pet has been our worst nightmare. It’s not that it can talk or that it sheds pet hair or even lights up at night. It acutally does none of that.  It’s the fact that I have to pry it out of her little fingers so get her to eat a meal, pull it out of the tub before she turns on the jets, forbid it from being taken into the bathroom, kiss it before bedtime and yes, sing to it. I wish that I had half the marketing resources and mind manipulation that the creators of this little shaggy pillow has. The song is a jingle that the kids remember and sing over and over again. The concept is cheap and efficient and when I’m not completely annoyed, it’s sort of cute. It’s a pillow, it’s a pet…