sheenabinkley
- Nov 24, 2016
- 6 min read

Color of Love Blog Hop 2016 & Giveaway

Hi everyone! I hope you all are enjoying the start of the holiday season with lots of hugs and good cheer! Speaking of the holidays, not only is it the time to be in the festive mood, but also to celebrate the Color of Love blog hop! This is my first year participating and I’m so excited to be amongst such wonderful bloggers and authors!

Starting November 25th thru December 4th, not only do you get to meet some awesome authors, but you also get to win a ton of prizes through the blog hop giveaway. How cool is that?!

One of the reasons why I wanted to participate in this amazing event is because it celebrates multicultural and interracial love. With me being an author who writes in the both genres, I wanted to not only show my support, but also showcase my book collection. As an African-American author, I think this it is extremely important to offer stories about romance and diversity.

With all of my stories, not only do I write about romance, but also the journey a couple has to endure to reach their happily ever after. The road might be a bit bumpy at times, but I will always give my couples a happy ending. Why write a romance story if the ending is not a happy one, right?

Check out a preview to one of my stories, The Love Chronicles, which is a spin-off from my very first series, In Love With My Best Friend:

Blurb:

Andrea “Andie” Williams and Dexter Robinson have known each other since they were in diapers. While their parents are the best of friends, the two are barely even acquaintances. While Dexter is the most popular guy at Williamson High School and only cares about which girl he will sleep with next, Andrea is focused on getting into her dream college, Yale.

When they are placed together for an unlikely project, the two have to come together not only to pass their class, but also graduate. With a series of events surrounding them, they both realize that their first experience at love could be with the person who was right in front of them all along.

Excerpt:

Andie

January, 2034

Senior year is the empirical time of your life when everything matters. From what college you choose to how you carry yourself around your peers, senior year pretty much makes or breaks the rest of your life. For me, anyway. And I guess I’m the only one who felt this way since my classmates only cared about who was throwing the next party or getting laid. That’s probably why I have the highest GPA in my class and am slated to be valedictorian. It’s an accomplishment I’d worked so hard to achieve.

It was the beginning of the new semester as we returned from winter break. This was our last semester before graduation, so the slackers better get a move on it if they want to actually graduate.

Speaking of slackers…

I stood by my locker as I watched Dexter coming down the hall with his “posse” as he called it. In my opinion, they were a bunch of losers who smoked weed all day. I’m surprised they made it to school on time.

He looked at me and rolled his eyes before going to his locker, which was across from mine.

“I don’t see how you grew up with him and never wanted to jump his bones.”

I looked over and saw my friend, Mashawn Peterson, standing by my locker. She was your typical dreamer who wanted some handsome guy to sweep her off of her feet and they live happily ever after. Even I know that only happens in fairy tales.

“Because Dexter Robinson has been with practically every girl, and possibly some teachers, at Williamson High School. Besides, unlike you, I’m not focusing on guys. I really have to buckle down and get my GPA up for Yale. I missed early entrance, so I’m trying to see if I can get in by the fall.”

“Why did you miss early entrance?”

“Because I wanted my SAT score to be 1600. I only made 1540, so I retook the test.”

Mashawn shook her head and sighed. “Always the perfectionist.”

“Which will pay off. Once Yale sees my credentials, they won’t have a choice but to let me into the program in the fall. I’m the poster child for the college elite.”

“What a bore!” Andrew Pierce, one of Dexter’s friends, yelled out.

“You need some fun in your life, and I’m willing to provide it, if you know what I mean,” his other friend, Damien Taylor, hollered while thrusting his pelvis.

I watched them make fools of themselves in the busiest hallway at Williamson. I shook my head and closed my locker.

“And this is the next generation that could be running this country. What a shame,” I muttered.

I stared at Dexter, who shook his head. “Leave her alone, and stop acting as if you two don’t have any common sense,” he scolded his friends.

They shrugged, and Dexter nodded at me. I rolled my eyes at him and headed down the hall. I looked behind me, quickly taking in everything about him: his deep mocha skin, chocolate eyes, the bit of facial hair that made him look older than 17, and his body, which was strong and muscular. I definitely wasn’t blind; he’d grown up from the little boy who tried to feed me booger sandwiches in second grade. He was fine, but we had grown apart since we were little. He’s more into girls and his social status and I’m more into my future.

“What was that?” Mashawn asked, looking from me to Dexter. She almost bumped into someone before falling into step with me.

“What was what?”

“That look you and Dexter gave each other.”

I shrugged. “It was nothing, Mashawn.”

“It was. I’m sure you still have a little crush on him.”

No. I never have. He was kind of like a brother to me.”

“God, you’re lucky. If I was you, I’d be climbing through his bedroom window every day and night. Did you ever do that, a la ‘Dawson’s Creek’?”

“Dawson who?”

“Oh my God! You’ve never heard of ‘Dawson’s Creek’? That’s nostalgic TV.”

“I told you, I don’t watch TV.”

“You really need to live a little. Anyway, Dawson and Joey were really good friends, and she used to come into his room through the window. That’s why I said that.”

“We only did that once, and that was because he was afraid of the dark.”

“How was he able to climb through since it was night?”

“I shined a flashlight. He almost fell, but he made it safely.”

I glanced back at his locker again, and he was now talking to some girl. Her hand rested on his bicep as he grinned widely.

The crowd was getting heavy, so I couldn’t see him anymore. I shook my head, wondering why I was even looking at him. We barely talked anymore and when we did, it was because we were around our parents; we didn’t have a choice.

I looked straight ahead and went to my first class. I had to stay focused, and I wouldn’t accomplish anything thinking about Dexter.

Not only will there be a giveaway for the blog hop, but I will also be doing a giveaway as well. For my giveaway, I will be giving one lucky winner a signed paperback copy of The Love Chronicles, as well as a $5.00 Amazon gift card. If you would like to enter, I would need for you to answer the following question:

What was the first romance novel that you have ever read?

Please include your response in the comment section below. I will randomly choose a winner from the comments section, so please make sure to place your response there to qualify.

The giveaway will end on December 4th at 11:59 P.M.

For the blog hop giveaway, the grand prizes are included below. Five winners will be chosen to receive various prizes, including a $75 gift card: