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	<title>Author Shelia M Goss &#187; Contests</title>
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		<title>Love is in the Air Contest</title>
		<link>http://sheliagoss.com/2012/02/14/love-is-in-the-air-contest/</link>
		<comments>http://sheliagoss.com/2012/02/14/love-is-in-the-air-contest/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:00:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelia</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Contests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sheliagoss.com/?p=5196</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Whether you&#8217;re single or married or in a relationship, you can&#8217;t deny that romance is in the air. As a writer who writes about romance, this is one of my favorite times of the year. To my single friends: Love yourself and don&#8217;t worry about if you&#8217;re in a relationship. Valentine is your day too. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/withlovevdayBH_button.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5134" title="withlovevdayBH_button" src="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/withlovevdayBH_button-199x300.jpg" alt="" width="199" height="300" /></a>Whether you&#8217;re single or married or in a relationship, you can&#8217;t deny that romance is in the air. As a writer who writes about romance, this is one of my favorite times of the year. To my single friends: Love yourself and don&#8217;t worry about if you&#8217;re in a relationship. Valentine is your day too. Do something special for you?</p>
<p><strong>Below is a list of some of my favorites. What are some of your favorites in each category?</strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #247cd4;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><span style="color: #247cd4;">My Top 5 Favorite Romance Authors</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #247cd4;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><span style="color: #339966;">Francis Ray<br />
Brenda Jackson<br />
Beverly Jenkins<br />
Donna Hill<br />
Danielle Steele</span></span></span></p>
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<td style="font-size: 14pt; color: #ecc487; font-family: Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif;" align="middle"><span style="font-family: Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif; color: #3366ff; font-size: medium;"><strong>Top 10 Romantic Movies</strong></span></td>
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<td align="middle"><a title="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=frb7ajcab.0.0.wcaaajcab.0&amp;p=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JGHO/officiwebsi03-20/102-0322889-2646532?creative=327641&amp;camp=14573&amp;link_code=as1&amp;id=preview" href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=frb7ajcab.0.0.wcaaajcab.0&amp;p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2FASIN%2FB00000JGHO%2Fofficiwebsi03-20%2F102-0322889-2646532%3Fcreative%3D327641%26camp%3D14573%26link_code%3Das1&amp;id=preview" target="_blank"><img title="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=frb7ajcab.0.0.wcaaajcab.0&amp;p=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JGHO/officiwebsi03-20/102-0322889-2646532?creative=327641&amp;camp=14573&amp;link_code=as1&amp;id=preview" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FMMT3DZHL._AA240_.jpg" alt="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=frb7ajcab.0.0.wcaaajcab.0&amp;p=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JGHO/officiwebsi03-20/102-0322889-2646532?creative=327641&amp;camp=14573&amp;link_code=as1&amp;id=preview" width="144" height="144" border="0" /></a></td>
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<td style="font-size: 10pt; color: #bd1010; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" align="middle"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #bd1010; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #bd1010; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #800000;">I&#8217;m an avid movie watcher. The movies on this list I&#8217;ve seen several times. Some will make you laugh, some will make you cry, but they all have one thing in common &#8211; romance. Here&#8217;s my top 10 Romantic Movies list, but in no certain order: </span><strong></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #800000;">Love Jones </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #800000;">Two Can Play that Game </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #800000;">Lady Sings the Blues </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #800000;">Love &amp; Basketball </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #800000;">You&#8217;ve Got Mail </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #800000;">Bridget Jones Diary </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #800000;">Sleepless in Seattle </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #800000;">Brown Sugar </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #800000;">When Harry Met Sally </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #800000;">The Best Man To add one of these movies to your collection, </span><a title="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=frb7ajcab.0.0.wcaaajcab.0&amp;p=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JGHO/officiwebsi03-20/102-0322889-2646532?creative=327641&amp;camp=14573&amp;link_code=as1&amp;id=preview" href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=frb7ajcab.0.0.wcaaajcab.0&amp;p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2FASIN%2FB00000JGHO%2Fofficiwebsi03-20%2F102-0322889-2646532%3Fcreative%3D327641%26camp%3D14573%26link_code%3Das1&amp;id=preview" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800000;">click here.</span></a></li>
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<td style="font-size: 14pt; color: #ecc487; font-family: Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif;" align="middle"><span style="font-family: Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif; color: #ecc487; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #ffcc00;"><strong><span style="color: #0000ff;">Music to Set the Mood</span></strong> </span></span></td>
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<td align="middle"><a title="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=frb7ajcab.0.0.wcaaajcab.0&amp;p=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JNNY/officiwebsi03-20/102-0322889-2646532?creative=327641&amp;camp=14573&amp;link_code=as1&amp;id=preview" href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=frb7ajcab.0.0.wcaaajcab.0&amp;p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2FASIN%2FB00000JNNY%2Fofficiwebsi03-20%2F102-0322889-2646532%3Fcreative%3D327641%26camp%3D14573%26link_code%3Das1&amp;id=preview" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffcc00;"><img title="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=frb7ajcab.0.0.wcaaajcab.0&amp;p=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JNNY/officiwebsi03-20/102-0322889-2646532?creative=327641&amp;camp=14573&amp;link_code=as1&amp;id=preview" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/3122FAGXP7L._AA240_.jpg" alt="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=frb7ajcab.0.0.wcaaajcab.0&amp;p=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JNNY/officiwebsi03-20/102-0322889-2646532?creative=327641&amp;camp=14573&amp;link_code=as1&amp;id=preview" width="144" height="144" border="0" /></span></a></td>
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<td style="font-size: 10pt; color: #bd1010; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" align="middle"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #bd1010; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #bd1010; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #800000;">Besides books and film, music is another one of my passions. If you want to set the mood for a romantic evening, you can&#8217;t go wrong with putting one of these in your CD player. </span><strong></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><a title="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=bcuzvsbab.0.0.d8ewjxn6.0&amp;p=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000026V9/ref=ase_officiwebsi03-20/102-0322889-2646532?s=music&amp;v=glance&amp;n=5174&amp;tagActionCode=officiwebsi03-20&amp;id=preview" href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=bcuzvsbab.0.0.d8ewjxn6.0&amp;p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2FB0000026V9%2Fref%3Dase_officiwebsi03-20%2F102-0322889-2646532%3Fs%3Dmusic%26v%3Dglance%26n%3D5174%26tagActionCode%3Dofficiwebsi03-20&amp;id=preview" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800000;">Best of Luther Vandross </span></a></li>
<li><a title="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=bcuzvsbab.0.0.d8ewjxn6.0&amp;p=http://www.timelife.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=20010&amp;CategoryName=6&amp;id=preview" href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=bcuzvsbab.0.0.d8ewjxn6.0&amp;p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.timelife.com%2Fis-bin%2FINTERSHOP.enfinity%2FeCS%2FStore%2Fen%2F-%2FUSD%2FDisplayProductInformation-Start%3FProductSKU%3D20010%26amp%3BCategoryName%3D6&amp;id=preview" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800000;">Time Life Soul Ballads Collection</span></a></li>
<li><a title="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=bcuzvsbab.0.0.d8ewjxn6.0&amp;p=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005NOZE/officiwebsi03-20/102-0322889-2646532?creative=327641&amp;camp=14573&amp;link_code=as1&amp;id=preview" href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=bcuzvsbab.0.0.d8ewjxn6.0&amp;p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2FASIN%2FB00005NOZE%2Fofficiwebsi03-20%2F102-0322889-2646532%3Fcreative%3D327641%26camp%3D14573%26link_code%3Das1&amp;id=preview" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800000;">Body and Soul Collection</span></a></li>
<li><a title="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=bcuzvsbab.0.0.d8ewjxn6.0&amp;p=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000063CND/officiwebsi03-20/102-0322889-2646532?creative=327641&amp;camp=14573&amp;link_code=as1&amp;id=preview" href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=bcuzvsbab.0.0.d8ewjxn6.0&amp;p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2FASIN%2FB000063CND%2Fofficiwebsi03-20%2F102-0322889-2646532%3Fcreative%3D327641%26camp%3D14573%26link_code%3Das1&amp;id=preview" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800000;">Isley Brothers Greatest Hits</span></a></li>
<li><a title="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=bcuzvsbab.0.0.d8ewjxn6.0&amp;p=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JNNY/officiwebsi03-20/102-0322889-2646532?creative=327641&amp;camp=14573&amp;link_code=as1&amp;id=preview" href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=bcuzvsbab.0.0.d8ewjxn6.0&amp;p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2FASIN%2FB00000JNNY%2Fofficiwebsi03-20%2F102-0322889-2646532%3Fcreative%3D327641%26camp%3D14573%26link_code%3Das1&amp;id=preview" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800000;">At Last &#8211; Etta James</span></a></li>
<li><a title="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=bcuzvsbab.0.0.d8ewjxn6.0&amp;p=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005AWMF/officiwebsi03-20/102-0322889-2646532?creative=327641&amp;camp=14573&amp;link_code=as1&amp;id=preview" href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=bcuzvsbab.0.0.d8ewjxn6.0&amp;p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2FASIN%2FB00005AWMF%2Fofficiwebsi03-20%2F102-0322889-2646532%3Fcreative%3D327641%26camp%3D14573%26link_code%3Das1&amp;id=preview" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800000;">Best of Sade</span></a><span style="color: #800000;"><br />
</span></li>
</ul>
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<p><img class="aligncenter" src="http://sheliagoss.com/images/contest3.gif" alt="" /></p>
<p><a href="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/thebadtwin200x300.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-5101" title="thebadtwin200x300" src="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/thebadtwin200x300.jpg" alt="" width="180" height="217" /></a>Win an ebook copy of <strong>The Bad Twin by Shelia M Goss:</strong></p>
<p><strong>The Bad Twin</strong> is sibling rivalry at its best. Rose’s ultimate goal is to remain in the spotlight; preferable on the movie screen. To her fans, Rose is sincere, glamorous, and charitable; but to Violet, her twin, she’s a conniving, manipulative person that starves for constant attention.</p>
<p>When Violet gives a shocking interview about the life of Hollywood actress Rose to a popular magazine, all hell breaks loose. Can these sisters ever be friends, or will they always stand divided?</p>
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<div class="tab_content">
<div class="rotator audio_and_video" style="position: absolute; top: -50001px;">
<h2>Audio and Video</h2>
<ul class="hr circle_arrow">
<li><a class="lightwindow" href="http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/_swf/hbg_audioplayer.swf?mediaPath=/_swf/audio/adults/MLK_BOX_SET_2.mp3&amp;imgPath=&amp;titleVar=Listen%20to%20an%20Excerpt&amp;">Listen to an Excerpt </a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><span style="color: #008000;"><strong>What do you have to do to enter?</strong></span> Leave a comment on this blog post. Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. cst on February 14, 2012. U.S. &amp; Canada residents only. Avoid where prohibited by law. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><span style="color: #000000;">You also have a chance to read about and enter other contests by visiting the sites on the blog hop. Here&#8217;s the link:</span> <a href="http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page/" target="_blank">http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page/</a>  </span></p>
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		<title>Frances Harper and Contest</title>
		<link>http://sheliagoss.com/2012/02/07/frances-harper-and-contest/</link>
		<comments>http://sheliagoss.com/2012/02/07/frances-harper-and-contest/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:00:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelia</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Contests]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sheliagoss.com/?p=5189</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I found out about Phyliss Wheatley, the first AA female poet, when I was in high school but it would be years later that I would find out about Frances Harper. I read a synopsis of one of her novels and had to get a copy. Below is more information about Frances E.W. Harper from [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/BlackHistoryMonthGiveaway.png"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5133" title="BlackHistoryMonthGiveaway" src="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/BlackHistoryMonthGiveaway-219x300.png" alt="" width="219" height="300" /></a><a href="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/francesharper.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1966" title="francesharper" src="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/francesharper.jpg" alt="francesharper" width="150" height="199" /></a> I found out about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillis_Wheatley">Phyliss Wheatley</a>, the first AA female poet, when I was in high school but it would be years later that I would find out about Frances Harper. I read a synopsis of one of her novels and had to get a copy.</p>
<p>Below is more information about Frances E.W. Harper from Wikipedia.</p>
<blockquote><p>Frances Ellen Watkins Harper(September 24, 1825 – February 22, 1911) was an African American abolitionist and poet. Born free in Baltimore, Maryland, she had a long and prolific career, publishing her first book of poetry at twenty and her first novel, the widely praised Iola Leroy, at age 67.</p>
<p><iframe style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=officiwebsi03-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as1&amp;asins=0807065196&amp;fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;lt1=_blank&amp;m=amazon&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;bc1=000000&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;f=ifr" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" width="320" height="240"></iframe><br />
<em>Iola Leroy</em> was for some time cited as the first novel by an African-American author. Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr<a title="Henry Louis Gates, Jr." href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Louis_Gates,_Jr.">.</a>&#8216;s 1982 rediscovery of Harriet Wilson&#8217;s <em>Our Nig</em> (1859) displaced it from that spot. Harper&#8217;s novel remains important as one of the earliest novels written by an African American and as a fictional work dealing with complex issues of race, class, and politics in the United States.</p>
<p>Frances Ellen Watkins was born to free parents in Baltimore, Maryland. After her mother died when she was three years old in 1828, Watkins was orphaned. She was raised by her aunt and uncle. She was educated at the Academy for Negro Youth, a school run by her uncle Rev. William Watkins, who was a civil rights activist. He was a major influence on her life and work.</p>
<p>At fourteen, she found work as a seamstress. Frances Watkins had her first volume of verse, <em>Forest Leaves</em>, published in 1845 (it has been lost). Her second book, <em>Poems on Miscellaneous Subjects,</em> published in 1854, was extremely popular. Over the next few years, it was reprinted in 20 editions.</p>
<p>In 1850, Watkins moved to Ohio, where she worked as the first woman teacher at Union Seminary, established by the Ohio Conference of the AME Church. (Union closed in 1863 when the AME Church diverted its funds to purchase Wilberforce University.) The school in Wilberforce was run by the Rev. John Brown (not the same as the abolitionist.) In 1853, Watkins joined the American Anti-Slavery Society and became a traveling lecturer for the group. In 1860, she married Fenton Harper, a widower with three children.</p>
<p>They had a daughter together in 1862. For a time Frances withdrew from the lecture circuit. Fenton died in 1864. Frances Harper was a strong supporter of prohibition and woman&#8217;s suffrage. She was also active in the Unitarian Church, which supported abolition.</p>
<p>She often would read her poetry at the public meetings, including the extremely popular <em>Bury Me in a Free Land</em>. She was connected with national leaders in suffrage, and in 1866 gave a moving speech before the National Women&#8217;s Rights Convention, demanding equal rights for all, including black women.</p>
<p>She also continued with her writing and continued to publish poetry. In 1892 she published <em>Iola Leroy, or Shadows Uplifted</em>. One of the first novels by an African-American woman, it was quite popular. Harper continued with her political activism, and in 1897 was elected Vice-President of the National Association of Colored Women.</p></blockquote>
<p>For more information on Frances Harper and to read some of her poems, go to: <a href="http://www.afropoets.net/francesharper.html">http://www.afropoets.net/francesharper.html</a></p>
<p><img class="aligncenter" src="http://sheliagoss.com/images/contest3.gif" alt="" /></p>
<p><a href="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/thebadtwin200x300.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-5101" title="thebadtwin200x300" src="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/thebadtwin200x300.jpg" alt="" width="180" height="217" /></a>Win an ebook copy of <strong>The Bad Twin by Shelia M Goss:</strong></p>
<p><strong>The Bad Twin</strong> is sibling rivalry at its best. Rose’s ultimate goal is to remain in the spotlight; preferable on the movie screen. To her fans, Rose is sincere, glamorous, and charitable; but to Violet, her twin, she’s a conniving, manipulative person that starves for constant attention.</p>
<p>When Violet gives a shocking interview about the life of Hollywood actress Rose to a popular magazine, all hell breaks loose. Can these sisters ever be friends, or will they always stand divided?</p>
<div class="right">
<div class="tab_content">
<div class="rotator audio_and_video" style="position: absolute; top: -50001px;">
<h2>Audio and Video</h2>
<ul class="hr circle_arrow">
<li><a class="lightwindow" href="http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/_swf/hbg_audioplayer.swf?mediaPath=/_swf/audio/adults/MLK_BOX_SET_2.mp3&amp;imgPath=&amp;titleVar=Listen%20to%20an%20Excerpt&amp;">Listen to an Excerpt </a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><span style="color: #008000;"><strong>What do you have to do to enter?</strong></span> Leave a comment on this blog post. Contest ends on February 28, 2012. U.S. &amp; Canada residents only. Avoid where prohibited by law. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<div style="text-align: center;">Black History Month Giveaway Hop</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">February 1st &#8211; 7th.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Hosted by Reflections of a Bookaholic &amp; <a href="http://mochagirlsread.wordpress.com/">Mocha Girls Read</a> </div>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<div style="text-align: center;">To participate, please be sure to visit: <a href="http://www.reflectionsofabookaholic.com/2012/01/black-history-month-giveaway-hop-sign.html">http://www.reflectionsofabookaholic.com/2012/01/black-history-month-giveaway-hop-sign.html</a></div>
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		<title>Sarah Rector &#8211; A Rich Negro Woman and Contest</title>
		<link>http://sheliagoss.com/2012/02/06/sarah-rector-a-rich-negro-woman-and-contest/</link>
		<comments>http://sheliagoss.com/2012/02/06/sarah-rector-a-rich-negro-woman-and-contest/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:00:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelia</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Contests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[History]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Black History Month]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sheliagoss.com/?p=5192</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[According to BlackAmericaWeb, Sarah Rector, a former slave, became one of the richest little girls in America in 1914. The headlines would read: “Oil Made Pickaninny Rich – Oklahoma Girl With $15,000 A Month Gets Many Proposals – Four White Men in Germany Want to Marry the Negro Child That They Might Share Her Fortune.” [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/BlackHistoryMonthGiveaway.png"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5133" title="BlackHistoryMonthGiveaway" src="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/BlackHistoryMonthGiveaway-219x300.png" alt="" width="219" height="300" /></a><a href="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/sarahrector.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2072 alignleft" title="sarahrector" src="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/sarahrector.jpg" alt="sarahrector" width="156" height="250" /></a>According to <a href="http://www.blackamericaweb.com/?q=articles/news/the_black_diaspora_news/16243">BlackAmericaWeb,</a> Sarah Rector, a former slave, became one of the richest little girls in America in 1914. The headlines would read: “Oil Made Pickaninny Rich – Oklahoma Girl With $15,000 A Month Gets Many Proposals – Four White Men in Germany Want to Marry the Negro Child That They Might Share Her Fortune.”</p>
<p>$15,000 a month back then is probably the equivalent to millions a month now. I came across the most fascinating article the other day about Sarah Rector. Below is a short excerpt from the article and the link.</p>
<blockquote><p>When she was born, Rector was given a rough, hilly allotment, considered worthless agriculturally, in Glenpool, 60 miles from where she and her family lived. Her father had petitioned the Muskogee County Court to sell the land, but he was denied because of certain restrictions placed on the land, for which he was required to continue paying taxes.</p>
<p>In 1913, when she was ten years old, large pools of oil were discovered on Rector’s land. One year later, her land produced so much oil that she had already yielded $300,000; her fortune was increasing at a rate of $10,000 per month. Her mother had died years earlier from tuberculosis. In 1914, her father died in prison, leaving her orphaned.</p>
<p>Even before her father’s death, Rector was appointed a guardian who was responsible for managing Rector’s money and providing for her education and care. The law at the time required full-blooded Indians, black adults and children who were citizens of Indian Territory with significant property and money, to be assigned “well-respected” white guardians who often cheated them out of their lands. There are stories of swindlers, oil tycoons and other unscrupulous types who kidnapped and murdered the children and adults to get their land.</p>
<p>Click on the link to read more: <a href="http://www.thedefendersonline.com/2009/02/18/sarah-rector-the-richest-colored-girl-in-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-2773">http://www.thedefendersonline.com/2009/02/18/sarah-rector-the-richest-colored-girl-in-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-2773</a></p></blockquote>
<p><img class="aligncenter" src="http://sheliagoss.com/images/contest3.gif" alt="" /></p>
<p><a href="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/thebadtwin200x300.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-5101" title="thebadtwin200x300" src="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/thebadtwin200x300.jpg" alt="" width="180" height="217" /></a>Win an ebook copy of <strong>The Bad Twin by Shelia M Goss:</strong></p>
<p><strong>The Bad Twin</strong> is sibling rivalry at its best. Rose’s ultimate goal is to remain in the spotlight; preferable on the movie screen. To her fans, Rose is sincere, glamorous, and charitable; but to Violet, her twin, she’s a conniving, manipulative person that starves for constant attention.</p>
<p>When Violet gives a shocking interview about the life of Hollywood actress Rose to a popular magazine, all hell breaks loose. Can these sisters ever be friends, or will they always stand divided?</p>
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<div class="rotator audio_and_video" style="position: absolute; top: -50001px;">
<h2>Audio and Video</h2>
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</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><span style="color: #008000;"><strong>What do you have to do to enter?</strong></span> Leave a comment on this blog post. Contest ends on February 28, 2012. U.S. &amp; Canada residents only. Avoid where prohibited by law. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<div style="text-align: center;">Black History Month Giveaway Hop</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">February 1st &#8211; 7th.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Hosted by Reflections of a Bookaholic &amp; <a href="http://mochagirlsread.wordpress.com/">Mocha Girls Read</a> </div>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<div style="text-align: center;">To participate, please be sure to visit: <a href="http://www.reflectionsofabookaholic.com/2012/01/black-history-month-giveaway-hop-sign.html">http://www.reflectionsofabookaholic.com/2012/01/black-history-month-giveaway-hop-sign.html</a></div>
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		<title>Mary Eliza Mahoney &amp; Contest</title>
		<link>http://sheliagoss.com/2012/02/05/mary-eliza-mahoney-contest-2/</link>
		<comments>http://sheliagoss.com/2012/02/05/mary-eliza-mahoney-contest-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:00:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelia</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Contests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Black History]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sheliagoss.com/?p=5185</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m highlighting Mary Eliza Mahoney today for two reasons. #1 She was the first African-American registered nurse and #2 Our past might be entwined as her name comes up when I trace my family history on my Dad&#8217;s side. Her exact date of birth is questionable. Some sources say she was born in April and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/BlackHistoryMonthGiveaway.png"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5133" title="BlackHistoryMonthGiveaway" src="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/BlackHistoryMonthGiveaway-219x300.png" alt="" width="219" height="300" /></a><img src="http://www.asu.edu/nursing/courses/nur361/leader13/images/mahoneyPainting.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="209" /></p>
<p>I&#8217;m highlighting Mary Eliza Mahoney today for two reasons. #1 She was the first African-American registered nurse and #2 Our past might be entwined as her name comes up when I trace my family history on my Dad&#8217;s side.</p>
<p>Her exact date of birth is questionable. Some sources say she was born in April and others May of 1845.</p>
<blockquote><p>According to various sources, including <a href="http://www.asu.edu/nursing/courses/nur361/leader13/biography.html">ASU,</a> Mary Eliza Mahoney was the first African-American registered nurse in the U.S.A. She was born free on April 7 or May 7, 1845 in Dorchester, Massachusetts and became interested in nursing when she was a teenager. She worked for fifteen years at the New England Hospital for Women and Children (now Dimock Community Health Center) in Roxbury, Massachusetts as a cook, janitor, washerwoman and an unofficial nurse&#8217;s assistant. In 1878, at the age of thirty-three, she was admitted as a student into the hospital&#8217;s nursing program established by Dr. Marie Zakrzewska. Sixteen months later, she was one of four who completed the rigorous course (of forty-two who started with her). After graduation she worked primarily as a private duty nurse for the next thirty years all over the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. She ended her nursing career as director of an orphanage in Long Island, New York, the position she had held for a decade. She never married.In 1896, Mahoney became one of the original members of a predominately white Nurses Associated Alumnae of the United States and Canada (later known as the American Nurses Association or ANA). In 1908 she was cofounder of the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN). Mahoney gave the welcoming address at the first convention of the NACGN and served as the association&#8217;s national chaplain. Mary Eliza Mahoney died January 4, 1926. She is buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett, Massachusetts.</p>
<p>In 1936, the NACGN created an award in honor of Mahoney for women who contributed to racial integration in nursing. This award was then continued by the ANA after the NACGN was dissolved in 1951. In 1976, fifty years after her death, Mary Eliza Mahoney was inducted into the Nursing Hall of Fame.</p>
<p>To read more about Mary Eliza Mahoney, <a href="http://www.blackscholarsindex.com/2010/01/mary-eliza-mahoney-first-black-professional-nurse-in-america/">click here.</a></p></blockquote>
<p>If you know someone interested in nursing, there&#8217;s a Mary Mahoney scholarship given out to minority nursing students. There&#8217;s a site dedicated to Mary Mahoney. Please visit: <a href="http://www.marymahoney.org/">http://www.marymahoney.org</a></p>
<p><img class="aligncenter" src="http://sheliagoss.com/images/contest3.gif" alt="" /> </p>
<p><a href="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/thebadtwin200x300.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-5101" title="thebadtwin200x300" src="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/thebadtwin200x300.jpg" alt="" width="180" height="217" /></a>Win an ebook copy of <strong>The Bad Twin by Shelia M Goss:</strong></p>
<p><strong>The Bad Twin</strong> is sibling rivalry at its best. Rose’s ultimate goal is to remain in the spotlight; preferable on the movie screen. To her fans, Rose is sincere, glamorous, and charitable; but to Violet, her twin, she’s a conniving, manipulative person that starves for constant attention.</p>
<p>When Violet gives a shocking interview about the life of Hollywood actress Rose to a popular magazine, all hell breaks loose. Can these sisters ever be friends, or will they always stand divided?</p>
<div class="right">
<div class="tab_content">
<div class="rotator audio_and_video" style="position: absolute; top: -50001px;">
<h2>Audio and Video</h2>
<ul class="hr circle_arrow">
<li><a class="lightwindow" href="http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/_swf/hbg_audioplayer.swf?mediaPath=/_swf/audio/adults/MLK_BOX_SET_2.mp3&amp;imgPath=&amp;titleVar=Listen%20to%20an%20Excerpt&amp;">Listen to an Excerpt </a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><span style="color: #008000;"><strong>What do you have to do to enter?</strong></span> Leave a comment on this blog post.  Contest ends on February 28, 2012. U.S. &amp; Canada residents only. Avoid where prohibited by law. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<div style="text-align: center;">Black History Month Giveaway Hop</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">February 1st &#8211; 7th.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Hosted by Reflections of a Bookaholic &amp; <a href="http://mochagirlsread.wordpress.com/">Mocha Girls Read</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">To participate, please be sure to visit: <span style="color: #ff0000;"><a href="http://www.reflectionsofabookaholic.com/2012/01/black-history-month-giveaway-hop-sign.html">http://www.reflectionsofabookaholic.com/2012/01/black-history-month-giveaway-hop-sign.html</a></span></div>
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		<title>Cynthia Eden Interview and Deadly Lies Contest</title>
		<link>http://sheliagoss.com/2011/03/14/cynthia-eden-interview-and-deadly-lies-contest/</link>
		<comments>http://sheliagoss.com/2011/03/14/cynthia-eden-interview-and-deadly-lies-contest/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Mar 2011 23:35:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelia</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Contests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sheliagoss.com/?p=4438</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Cynthia Eden has become one of my favorite romantic suspense writers. Deadly Lies is her new book and I got a chance to ask her a few questions. Check out the interview below. 7 Questions with Cynthia Eden By Shelia M Goss When did you decide you wanted to be a writer? Growing up, I [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/deadlylies.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4439" title="deadlylies" src="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/deadlylies.jpg" alt="" width="224" height="353" /></a> <img src="../../images/contest3.gif" border="0" alt="" /> Cynthia Eden has become one of my favorite romantic suspense writers. <em><strong>Deadly Lies</strong></em> is her new book and I got a chance to ask her a few questions. Check out the interview below.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>7 Questions with Cynthia Eden</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>By Shelia M Goss<br />
</strong></p>
<p><strong>When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?</strong><br />
Growing up, I always knew I wanted to be a writer.  I wrote my first story in elementary school, and when I was eighteen, I wrote my first novel (a very bad novel, but I still wrote it!).</p>
<p><strong>Do you find it hard to write in multiple genres?</strong><br />
I actually love to write in multiple genres. Switching genres challenges me, and I think that challenge pushes me to be a better writer.</p>
<p><strong>I&#8217;ve read the other two books in the Deadly series and can&#8217;t wait to read Deadly Lies. The cases from the books seem so real and they read like newspaper clippings from real cases. Did you have to do research before writing this series?</strong><br />
Thank you! I am so glad you enjoyed the other Deadly books.  The Deadly books are definitely the most research intensive books that I’ve ever written.  Before I started writing them (and while I was writing them), I read a ton of books and talked with all sorts of experts. For DEADLY HEAT, I even went and toured a fire station (and got to shoot the hose, but that’s another story…)</p>
<p><strong>Does it matter which order readers read the books in the Deadly series or should they start in order before reading Deadly Lies?</strong><br />
The books are written so that they can stand alone, but I think readers will gain more insight into the characters if they start with DEADLY FEAR, then read DEADLY HEAT, and finally pick up DEADLY LIES.</p>
<p><strong>Samantha Kennedy has to be tough in her line of work, but what makes her soft and vulnerable?</strong><br />
An FBI Agent certainly does have to be tough, but Samantha is still recovering from a traumatic attack when DEADLY LIES opens.  So while she’s putting on a brave front, she’s actually terrified on the inside. Sam has always been more comfortable behind a desk than in the field, but she is desperate to regain control of her life, so she’s pushing herself to step up her game and find courage.</p>
<p><strong>Tell readers about Samantha&#8217;s love interest Max Ridgeway. </strong><br />
Max is a complex guy.  Tall, strong, handsome, he’s a self-made millionaire, but he’s also a guy with a very dark and twisted past—one that is coming back to haunt him.</p>
<p><strong>How can readers learn more about you and your books?</strong><br />
I have excerpts and book information on my website:  <a href="http://www.cynthiaeden.com/">www.cynthiaeden.com</a>.  Readers can also follow me on Twitter (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/cynthiaeden">www.twitter.com/cynthiaeden</a>) or friend me on Facebook (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/cynthiaeden">www.facebook.com/cynthiaeden</a>).</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff0000;">Enter for a chance to win a copy of </span><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Deadly Lies by Cynthia Eden</span><br />
</strong></p>
<p>Two ways to enter:</p>
<div>1. TODAY- <strong>LEAVE A COMMENT</strong> on this blog post.</div>
<p>2. <strong>Throughout the month of March, you will have other opportunities to enter. The more comments you leave, the better chances you have to win.  At the end of any post between now and April 1, 2011, leave a  response. Your comment will automatically increase your chances. </strong></p>
<p>To be updated on the blog posts, I suggest you sign up to my mailing list if you&#8217;re not already a member. <strong> </strong>To sign up, click or paste the following link: <a title="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=498262" href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=498262">http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=498262</a></p>
<p>All entries must be in between now and 11:59 p.m est 4/1/11. Several  winners will be chosen at random. US &amp; Canada Residents Only. Void  where prohibited by law.</p>
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		<title>Pynk Interview and Contest</title>
		<link>http://sheliagoss.com/2011/01/24/pynk-interview-and-contest/</link>
		<comments>http://sheliagoss.com/2011/01/24/pynk-interview-and-contest/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Jan 2011 17:15:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelia</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Contests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sheliagoss.com/?p=4257</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Introducing Pynk I&#8217;ve read some of your books under your real name. Why did you decide to use a pen name? Thanks for reading my works. Appreciated! ! Years ago, I was asked to contribute an erotic short story to an anthology called Morning, Noon and Night. It was challenging, but I enjoyed the no-limits aspect and decided to write a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h1 style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://sheliagoss.com/images/contest3.gif" border="0" alt="" /> Introducing Pynk</h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/pynk.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4258" title="pynk" src="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/pynk.jpg" alt="" width="154" height="238" /></a></p>
<p><strong>I&#8217;ve read some of your books under your real name. Why did you decide to use a pen name?</strong></p>
<p>Thanks for reading my works. Appreciated! ! Years ago, I was asked to contribute an erotic short story to an anthology called Morning, Noon and Night. It was challenging, but I enjoyed the no-limits aspect and decided to write a full-length erotica book under a pen name. The main reason I chose a pen name was because I wanted readers to be able to identify my erotic works from my mainstream works, and also to ensure that contractually, the different genre releases would not conflict.</p>
<p><strong>Was it an easy transition into a new genre?</strong><br />
Yes, because most of my women&#8217;s fiction titles were hot and steamy anyway &#8211; May December Souls, Hot Boyz, Make Me Hot, Dr. Feelgood, Something He Can Feel. The intimate scenes in those titles were pretty sexy. I write mainstream and inspirational romance as well, but when I&#8217;m actually into the nitty-gritty of writing, I don&#8217;t think genres as much as concentrating on throwing fiction-friction in the lives of the characters whom I work so hard to develop. The only difference is if it&#8217;s erotica, I&#8217;m free to use grittier words. In some erotica books I use those words a lot, and in some I don&#8217;t - it just depends upon the story, the characters, and the scenes.</p>
<p><strong>Tell readers a little back story on Magnolia, Rebe and Darla from Sixty-Nine.</strong><br />
Sixty-Nine is a story of sexual repression. Magnolia Butler, Rebe Richardson,and Darla Clark have been best friends since high-school. They were born in 1969 (thus Sixty-Nine) and are about to turn the big 4-0 in 2009. Each has had her share of major drama in life, and dated and/or married in the past, but find themselves single on New Years&#8217; Eve, wishing they&#8217;d lived outside of the box, particularly as far as sex is concerned. Magnolia is always the bridesmaid, never the bride, Rebe&#8217;s NFL ex-husband left her for the freaky cheerleader, and Darla&#8217;s husband passed away five years ago yet she&#8217;s been celibate ever since. Set in Miami, Sixty-Nine is a coming-of-age story of life awakenings and sexual discovery as these women go beyond the missionary and explore the wild side of life.</p>
<p><strong>Who are the men of Sixty-Nine and what makes their roles so important in the ladies lives?</strong><br />
The men (and there are more), Neal, Armani, and Six Nine are important catalysts to the unveiling of the repressive sides of these three women. Neal has been Magnolia&#8217;s &#8220;stop to start&#8221; man, and she just can&#8217;t seem to let him go, even after he breaks her heart, again. Young hunk Armani works hard to show Rebe the swinging vixen in her, but an unexpected person changes everything. And Six Nine is the man in Darla&#8217;s x-rated imagination, whom she feels safe with in that with him, she won&#8217;t actually betray her deceased husband, but even her husband ends up in her dreams. Can she ever share her bed again without him in it? </p>
<p><strong>Do you think women place too much of an emphasis on turning 40? </strong></p>
<p>Good question! I do believe age is nothing but a number, however, even though we may believe that in our heads, our bodies have a totally different plan. We begin to go through the dreaded menopause, and even if we don&#8217;t dread the word, we will soon find it is no joke. Our libidos change, cycles downshift (not to mention night sweats, moodiness, etc.), our metabolism slows down so we gain weight, our memories play dirty-little tricks on us, we begin to reflect back upon life like never before, and we&#8217;re willing to take greater risks upon the recognition that life is short. Forty is young, but it is not the new 30. It is a real crossroads for a lot of women. Yes, we look better at 40 now than women ever did before, but we&#8217;re also noticing that we&#8217;re now old enough to be the moms of these twenty-something women of the world. For me, creating forty year old women was critical to the story.</p>
<p><strong>What message would you like readers to take away from reading Sixty-Nine?</strong><br />
I&#8217;d like women who are afraid to experience true satisfaction with their husband, lover, etc., to examine what&#8217;s blocking their ability to let go and enjoy. What voices are they hearing from years ago that set the tone for their repression? Sexual repression is very real and there are some women who have never experienced an orgasm. It&#8217;s okay to embrace our sexuality without being slutty or taking bad risks. Healthy, safe sexual exploration between grown folks is okay. Ladies, it&#8217;s not just the men who should come away satisfied. Use the &#8220;ladies first&#8221; theory and know what pleases you. Ask for it or do it yourself. Change those old messages and become, as I call it, Sex-See!</p>
<p><strong>How can readers learn more about you and your books?</strong><br />
Readers can visit <a title="http://www.authorpynk.com/" href="http://www.authorpynk.com/" target="_blank">www.authorpynk.com</a> to find information about my books, tour, contact information, and more.</p>
<p>Thank you so very much for this opportunity to share my latest book, Sixty-Nine, with your readers. I had a ball.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Enter for a chance to win a copy of <strong>Sixty-Nine by Pynk</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff0000;">Two ways to enter:</span></p>
<div><span style="color: #ff0000;">1. TODAY- <strong><span style="color: #000000;">LEAVE A COMMENT</span></strong> on this blog post.</span></div>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">2. </span><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Throughout the month of January and February, you will have other opportunities to enter. <span style="color: #ff0000;">The more comments you leave, the better chances you have to win.</span> At the end of any post between now and February 28, 2011, leave a response. Your comment will automatically increase your chances. </span></strong></span></p>
<p>To be updated on the blog posts, I suggest you sign up to my mailing list if you&#8217;re not already a member. <strong> </strong><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">To sign up, click or paste the following link: </span></span><a title="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=498262" href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=498262">http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=498262</a></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></span></p>
<p>All entries must be in between now and 11:59 p.m est 2/28/11. Several winners will be chosen at random. US &amp; Canada Residents Only. Void where prohibited by law.</p>
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		<slash:comments>29</slash:comments>
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		<title>Contest Winners Announced and Have You Picked up Delilah Yet?</title>
		<link>http://sheliagoss.com/2011/01/03/contest-winners-announced-and-have-you-picked-up-delilah-yet/</link>
		<comments>http://sheliagoss.com/2011/01/03/contest-winners-announced-and-have-you-picked-up-delilah-yet/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:36:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelia</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Announcement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Contests]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sheliagoss.com/?p=4147</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Have you picked up your copy of DELILAH yet? If so, what did you think? Leave a comment here and if you don&#8217;t mind, also post your review on Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com. Y&#8217;all (with my southern accent) just don&#8217;t know how excited I am about Delilah and I&#8217;m also excited to announce the winner of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/DELILAH-FRONT.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3269" title="DELILAH-FRONT" src="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/DELILAH-FRONT-197x300.jpg" alt="" width="197" height="300" /></a> Have you picked up your copy of DELILAH yet? If so, what did you think? Leave a comment here and if you don&#8217;t mind, also post your review on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1601628854?tag=officiwebsi03-20&amp;camp=14573&amp;creative=327641&amp;linkCode=as1&amp;creativeASIN=1601628854&amp;adid=1P2EDFAT2NEMFG3MKR6M&amp;">Amazon.com </a>or BarnesandNoble.com.</p>
<p>Y&#8217;all (with my southern accent) just don&#8217;t know how excited I am about Delilah and I&#8217;m also excited to announce the winner of the <strong>Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry Contest</strong> and the three winners of the <strong>Love, Honor, and Betray by Kimberla Lawson Roby Book Contest</strong>.  </p>
<p><img src="http://sheliagoss.com/images/contest3.gif" alt="" /> <a href="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/kinberlarobybookcover.jpg"><img title="kinberlarobybookcover" src="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/kinberlarobybookcover.jpg" alt="" width="94" height="142" /></a></p>
<p>The winners are listed in the comments section of this blog post. Congratulations!</p>
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		<title>Delilah Contest</title>
		<link>http://sheliagoss.com/2010/12/15/delilah-contest/</link>
		<comments>http://sheliagoss.com/2010/12/15/delilah-contest/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Dec 2010 04:36:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelia</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Contests]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sheliagoss.com/?p=4057</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You can now win a copy of Delilah before you can buy it. Author Michelle McGriff did a reading of my book Delilah on her video blog. Watch the video and answer the following question via the contact form below: What is the color of the teapot in the background? To watch the video, go [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/DELILAH-FRONT.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3269" title="DELILAH-FRONT" src="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/DELILAH-FRONT-197x300.jpg" alt="" width="197" height="300" /></a><img src="http://sheliagoss.com/images/contest3.gif" border="0" alt="" /><br />
You can now win a copy of <strong>Delilah</strong> before you can buy it. <a href="http://www.michellemcgriff.com/mcgriffbooks.html">Author Michelle McGriff</a> did a reading of my book Delilah on her <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMbSwsUJA7U">video blog</a>.</p>
<p>Watch the video and answer the following question via the contact form below: <span style="color: #ff0000;">What is the color of the teapot in the background?</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><span style="color: #0000ff;">To watch the video, go to: </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMbSwsUJA7U">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMbSwsUJA7U</a></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>All correct responses will be entered.</strong></span></p>

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<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>To order your copy of Delilah,</strong></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1601628854?tag=officiwebsi03-20&amp;camp=0&amp;creative=0&amp;linkCode=as1&amp;creativeASIN=1601628854&amp;adid=0V2EM9VA8FNY84F33CMH"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong> CLICK HERE.</strong></span></a></p>
<p><em>DELILAH will be in stores at the end of December in some places and beginning of January everywhere.</em></p>
<p><em>Contest open to US residents only. Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. December 22, 2010. Void where prohibited by law. The winners will be notified via email. If the winner hasn’t responded within 48 hours of the initial email with their shipping address, the next name pulled will be the winner.</em></p>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<title>Love, Honor, and Betray by Kimberla Lawson Roby Contest</title>
		<link>http://sheliagoss.com/2010/12/14/love-honor-and-betray-by-kimberla-lawson-roby-contest/</link>
		<comments>http://sheliagoss.com/2010/12/14/love-honor-and-betray-by-kimberla-lawson-roby-contest/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Dec 2010 04:01:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelia</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Contests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kimberla Lawson Roby]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sheliagoss.com/?p=4052</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[  Enter for a chance to win one of three copies of Love, Honor, and Betray by Kimberla Lawson Roby. Leave a comment and let me know why you think Curtis Black is an unforgettable character. If you haven&#8217;t read any of the books in the series, you can still enter. If you’re NOT on my [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://sheliagoss.com/images/contest3.gif" alt="" /> <a href="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/kinberlarobybookcover.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4053" title="kinberlarobybookcover" src="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/kinberlarobybookcover.jpg" alt="" width="94" height="142" /></a></p>
<p>Enter for a chance to win one of three copies of <strong><em>Love, Honor, and Betray by Kimberla Lawson Roby. </em></strong>Leave a comment and let me know why you think Curtis Black is an unforgettable character. If you haven&#8217;t read any of the books in the series, you can still enter.</p>
<p>If you’re NOT on my mailing list, <strong>to enter</strong>, just<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=498262"><strong>sign up</strong></a> <strong>AND </strong>leave a comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in the contest. To sign up, click or paste the following link: <a title="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=498262" href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=498262">http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=498262</a></p>
<p><em>All entries must be in between now and 11:59 p.m est <strong>12/30/10</strong>. Several winners will be chosen at random.</em></p>
<p>For those receiving this in your email, click on the following link to go directly to the blog post on site and leave your comment: <a href="http://sheliagoss.com/2010/12/14/love-honor-and-betray-by-kimberla-lawson-roby-contest/">http://sheliagoss.com/2010/12/14/love-honor-and-betray-by-kimberla-lawson-roby-contest/</a></p>
<p><strong>About Love, Honor, and Betray </strong></p>
<p>The infamous Reverend Curtis Black&#8217;s sordid past is no secret, as his wife, Charlotte, is well aware. But when Curtis&#8217; long-time mistress and mother of his illegitimate two-year-old, dies, he and Charlotte have no choice but to raise Curtina together. While the living, breathing reminder of her husband&#8217;s infidelity infuriates Charlotte, Curtis couldn&#8217;t be happier to finally have his whole family together. Despite her best efforts to keep her feelings hidden, Charlotte resents Curtina, taking her emotions out on the young girl.</p>
<p><em>Contest open to US and Canada residents only. Void where prohibited by law. The winners will be notified via email. If the winner hasn’t responded within 48 hours of the initial email with their shipping address, the next name pulled will be the winner.</em></p>
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		<slash:comments>20</slash:comments>
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		<title>Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry Feature &amp; Contest</title>
		<link>http://sheliagoss.com/2010/12/13/traci-lynn-fashion-jewelry-feature-contest/</link>
		<comments>http://sheliagoss.com/2010/12/13/traci-lynn-fashion-jewelry-feature-contest/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:49:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelia</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Contests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jewelry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sheliagoss.com/?p=4047</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m excited to introduce you all to Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry (www.tracilynnjewelry.com). The jewelry is affordable and beautiful. Be sure to check out the catalog. Introducing Traci Lynn Whether she’s in her role as an in-demand motivational speaker, author, or as the owner and driving force behind the hugely successful direct-sales company Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/jewelry1.bmp"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4050" title="jewelry1" src="http://sheliagoss.com/sheliawp/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/jewelry1.bmp" alt="" width="239" height="253" /></a>I&#8217;m excited to introduce you all to <strong>Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry (<a href="http://www.tracilynnjewelry.com">www.tracilynnjewelry.com</a>)</strong>. The jewelry is affordable and beautiful. Be sure to check out the <a href="http://www.tracilynnjewelry.com/catalog/index.html ">catalog</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Introducing Traci Lynn</strong></p>
<p>Whether she’s in her role as an in-demand motivational speaker, author, or as the owner and driving force behind the hugely successful direct-sales company Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry, entrepreneur Traci Lynn has the same mission: “I call it ‘passing the MIC,’” she says. “MIC: motivate, inspire, change. My goal is to motivate people to step out of their comfort zone, inspire them to greatness, and to change their lives. It’s about letting people know that they can do anything they set their mind to if they see the bigger picture. We have the power to change our own financial future and our destiny.”</p>
<p>Lynn’s unwavering commitment to offering her team the chance to own their own businesses, balance their lives, and achieve financial independence has earned her the nickname “The “Millionaire Motivator.” It has also enabled her to grow the Delaware-based Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry from its modest beginnings (launched with $200) into a multi-million dollar enterprise that retains more than 3,000 independent sales consultants in 33 states. The company sells high-quality, stylish, affordable jewelry through a wholesale network and direct sales. Products are delivered through consultants to customers via home or office shows, personal shopping, and orders from color catalogs that feature former America’s Next Top Model contestants Eva Marcille (also a star of the CBS soap The Young and The Restless), Fatima Siad, and Toccara Jones. Most recently, the company’s pieces, crafted from Austrian crystals, pearls, cubic zirconia, and rhodium plating, were a hit among celebrities backstage at the 2010 Grammy Awards Gifting Suite.</p>
<p>“I believe in chasing the dream,” Lynn says. “I don&#8217;t chase the money. And because I chase the dream and not the money, I can love freely. I love the consultants and they know that.”</p>
<p>Lynn has been serious about business ever since she was a child. Her grandmother recruited young Traci at age four to help her sell clothes out of the back of her car in West Philadelphia. “My job was to remember the clients’ names and where they lived,” Lynn recalls. “I had a list and I had to map out where we were going. The part I didn’t like was going shopping for the merchandise with her, but I was learning about colors and styles whether I liked it or not. So my grandmother trained me not only to have fashion sense, but about entrepreneurship as well.” At 15, Lynn opened a hair salon in a family-owned apartment and got her beauty-college certificate, all the while saving money for college. While in high school, she got her nursing license thinking she was going to be a doctor. “My mother had programmed me to be a physician,” Lynn says. “If you asked me at age four what I wanted to be when I grew up, I’d tell you that I wanted to be an OB/GYN even though I had no idea what that meant.”</p>
<p>Lynn majored in medicine at the University of Michigan, but ultimately didn’t have the stomach for it. “I was fainting every day!” she says with a laugh. She decided to return to what came naturally to her: business, and earned a degree in finance. After graduating, Lynn took a job as an investor information representative at mutual-fund giant The Vanguard Group Inc., where she was quickly promoted to supervisor and then manager. But Lynn found herself itching to run her own shop and left Vanguard to try her hand at a variety of enterprises: selling clothes out of her home, a nail technician agency, a wedding planning company (“I had one client who ran me ragged,” she says, “I wound up making $2 an hour when all was said and done”). Nothing took. “I was struggling to find that one inspired idea,” she says, “and it wound up being jewelry. I figured, ‘It’s one-size-fits-all, how could you go wrong?’”</p>
<p>Lynn launched Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry in Philadelphia in 1989. She was 25. The company, and its founder, became an inspiring local success story. In 1994, Essence magazine dubbed Lynn one of the most innovative entrepreneurs under 30. She was also featured on Good Morning America for owning one of the top-grossing businesses among young entrepreneurs and received the Madame CJ Walker Award for entrepreneur excellence. Despite all that, Lynn folded the company a few years later. “The women enjoyed the motivation, but we couldn’t sustain it financially,” she says. “I learned by trial-and-error and that is too costly. But my real failure was letting other people’s negativity destroy my confidence. That was the beginning of the end for me. I could have overcome the financial situation if I had had the passion for it, but I had nothing left to give.”</p>
<p>Yet it was while running the company that the seed was planted for her other line of work. Every month, Lynn had given pep talks to rally her sales force. One consultant told her that Lynn reminded her of the motivational speaker Les Brown. “I had no idea who that was, but my husband forced me to listen to one of his tapes,” she says. “When I heard Les, it stopped me dead. I said, ‘This man stole every line I ever said.’” She decided to embark on a new career as a public speaker, eventually parlaying her gift for communication, not to mention her considerable humor and charm, into speaking to Fortune 500 companies around the world about attitude, leadership, and motivation. “That’s still my message today,” she says. “Attitude is everything, and I had to confront my own. I realized that I was blaming other people for my company folding, when I hadn’t really followed my instincts. I had researched the direct-sales business model, and knew I should create a catalog, but I didn’t and it cost me.”</p>
<p>After many years of traveling the world as a motivational speaker, Lynn decided to relaunch Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry in 2005. This time she was able to avoid the pitfalls that bedeviled her the first time around and trust her own entrepreneurial intuition. Her motivational message became her company’s mission, and as a result, she has transformed the lives of thousands of women who have taken advantage of the company’s business training and become entrepreneurs in their own right.</p>
<p>Lynn says seeing the effect the company has had on its consultants is the most gratifying part of the business. “At one of the weekend sales rallies, a 10-year-old girl stood up and read a letter that she had written me about being a witness to the changes in her mother’s life,” Lynn says. “Her mother had lost her job, and working with us enabled her to continue to provide for her family. But more importantly, this little girl talked about seeing her mother smile again and get excited about something. She read this letter aloud and there was not a dry eye in the place.”</p>
<p>Over the years, Lynn has become a published author (Wealth Without Sorrow and The Mind of A Millionaire) and earned two doctorate degrees in Divinity and Theology. She also continued to rack up awards, earning the University of Pennsylvania’s Carrier of Hope Award for her community service and The Spirit of Greatness Award for Outstanding Leadership in Business.</p>
<p>Lynn’s goal is to continue to empower her consultants and create a legacy business. “I’m looking for the day of 30,000 consultants,” she says, “then 100,000 and more. The sky’s the limit.”</p>
<p><img src="http://sheliagoss.com/images/contest3.gif" border="0" alt="" /><span style="color: #ff0000;">Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry is also sponsoring this month&#8217;s contest. One lucky reader will win jewelry. </span></p>
<p>Two ways to enter:</p>
<div>1. TODAY- <strong>LEAVE A COMMENT</strong> on this blog post.</div>
<p>2. <strong>Throughout the rest of the month of December, you will have other opportunities to enter. The more comments you leave, the better chances you have to win. At the end of any post from December 13 &#8211; December 30, leave a response. Your comment will automatically increase your chances of winning. </strong></p>
<p>To be updated on the December posts, I suggest you sign up to my mailing list if you’re not already a member. <strong> </strong>To sign up, click or paste the following link: <a title="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=498262" href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=498262">http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=498262</a></p>
<p>All comments should be left between now and 11:59 p.m est 12/30/10. Winner must be a U.S. resident. Winner will have 48 hours to respond. If the winner doesn&#8217;t respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen. Good luck!</p>
<p><strong>Be sure to visit Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry website: </strong><a href="http://www.tracilynnjewelry.com"><strong>www.tracilynnjewelry.com</strong></a></p>
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