The Deal, The Dance and The Devil (book giveaway)

I have a new book to give away: "The Deal, The Dance and The Devil: A Novel" by Victoria Christopher Murray (Touchstone Books, June 7, 2011, $15, paperback, 391 pp.)

Per information released by Touchstone, the novel is a "page-turner" about high school sweethearts Evia and Adam who came from nothing but have built a nice life for themselves over the years. When Adam loses his job due to the recession, the couple starts to flounder, unable to support their family of five.

It's then that Evia's boss makes a proposition that involves a pile of money. "But will temptation be too much to resist? Will the Langstons choose their love of money over their love of God? Just how far will they go to save their family?" reads the press release.

Murray said she got the idea for the novel on Facebook: "I asked a simple question - would you give up your husband for five million dollars. Whew! The answers flowed in ..."

Murray crowdsourced her novel idea!

Click here to watch Murray read Chapter 1.

If you would like a chance to "win" this brand new fiction book, simply comment on this blog with your mailing address or, if you'd rather, email it to me at mkaras@pottsmerc.com.

About the author: Victoria Christopher Murray is the author of 10 bestselling novels, including "The Ex Files," "Too Little, Too Late" and "Lady Jasmine." A native of Queens, N.Y. Murray majored in communication disorders at Hampton University and later earned an MBA from New York University. Murray spent 10 years working a corporate job before opening a financial services agency for Aegon, USA. In 1997, she decided to pursue her dream of writing full-time.

About her first book, "Temptation," which Murray originally self published, she said:

"I wanted to write a book as entertaining as any book on the market, put God in the middle, and have the book still be a page-turner," she said. "I wasn't writing to any particular genre - I didn't even know Christian fiction existed. I just wanted to write about people I knew and characters I could relate to."

In 2000, Time Warner published "Temptation," which made numerous bestsellers lists and remained on the Essence bestsellers list for nine consecutive months. In 2001, "Temptation" was nominated for an NAACP Image Award in Outstanding Literature. Murray went on to write nine other adult novels, including: "JOY," "Grown Folks Business," and the popular Jasmine Cox Larson Bush series. She was a contributor to the first Christian fiction anthology, Blessed Assurance and the contributing editor for the "Aspire Women of Color Bible" published by Zondervan. Murray has received numerous awards including the Golden Pen Award for Best Inspirational Fiction and the Phyllis Wheatley Trailblazer Award for being the pioneer in African American Christian Fiction. Since 2007, Victoria has won six African American Literary Awards for best novel, best Christian fiction and Author of the Year - Female.

In 2008, Murray's first novels in her Christian fiction teen series - The Divine Divas - were published. "I was concerned with what our young ladies were reading. I decided to do something about that - give them stories full of drama, but with a message." The Divine Divas has been optioned to become a TV series. She is currently touring major cities in support of "The Deal, The Dance and The Devil," - however, the Philadelphia area is not on the list. However there's one not too far away. If you'd like to travel to Waldorf, Md., Murray will be signing books at the Walmart, 11930 Acton Lane, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 9.

Learn more about Murray and her books on her website, www.victoriachristophermurray.com