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New York, NY — New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Brenda Jackson is celebrating the launch of The Secret Affair – the newest title in her bestselling Westmoreland series – by holding a Spa-tacular Contest in which the grand prize winner will receive an organic spa gift basket that will allow her/him to pamper themselves at home and get some much needed R&R. The grand prize winner and 5 runners-up will also receive personally autographed copies of The Secret Affair.
The Spa-tacular grand prize includes spa-inspired organic slippers, a natural anti-aging nourishing kit, a king-size bedding sheet set made from organic cotton, and a lightweight organic cotton kimono bathrobe courtesy of OrganicLifestyle.com – a set valued at $500 USD. The Spa-tacular Contest runs from November 24, 2014 – December 1, 2014, and participants may enter on Brenda Jackson’s Facebook page.
As an added bonus, fans of Brenda’s Westmoreland series can pre-order the book from any major online retailer and receive a free ebook from Harlequin Desire. Simply enter your transaction number here to claim your free ebook. The first 100 people to register will also receive an exclusive journal and calendar from Brenda Jackson. Preregistration is available until November 30, 2014.
The Westmorelands are like a second family to their creator. Brenda has always emphasized the closeness of the Westmorelands and how they are always there for each other, through thick and thin – which is a reflection of her own family. In fact, Brenda was inspired by the love and faith of her fictional family to help her write this newest chapter in their story. Her husband, Gerald, passed away in the spring, and she found relief and the strength to persevere in this most difficult time through the affection and concern her characters share for each other.
Compassion and giving back to her community are of seminal importance to Brenda. She was a 2012 NAACP Image Award Nominee for her 2011 novel, A Silken Thread. She has received community service awards from the Delta Sigma Theta, AKA and Zeta Phi Beta Sororities. And because she believes so firmly in the power of education, in 2004 Brenda established the Josiephine Streater Threatt Scholarship Foundation at Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens in honor of her grandmother. In the past decade, over $100,000 has been donated to the foundation to provide scholarships to students seeking a college education. This year, Brenda was presented with the Mary McLeod Bethune Community Service Award from the Jacksonville Alumnae Chapter of Bethune-Cookman University.
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Brenda earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Jacksonville University and worked in management for a major insurance company for 37 years. In 1994 her first novel, Tonight and Forever, was released. Since then Brenda has had more than 100 novels and novellas published (the first African-American author to accomplish such a feat) and has over 3 million books in print. Brenda Jackson is the first African-American author to have a book published by Harlequin Desire and the first African-American romance author to make the New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller lists in the series-romance genre. In 2012, Brenda received the Romance Writers of America’s Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award – one of the highest literary awards a romance author can receive. In 2013, she was recognized by the mayor and the city of Jacksonville as being a trailblazer in the literary field.
In 2010, she collaborated with Five Alive Films to turn her Truly Everlasting title into a feature film. In 2015, A Silken Thread is scheduled to be filmed with Debbie Allen attached as director.
Brenda has two sons. She and Gerald were high school sweethearts and were married for forty-one years. She still proudly wears the going-steady ring he gave her at age fifteen.
About Harlequin
Harlequin (www.Harlequin.com) is one of the world’s leading publishers of books for women, with titles issued worldwide in 34 languages and sold in 102 international markets. The company publishes more than 110 titles monthly and more than 1,300 authors from around the world. Harlequin is a division of HarperCollins Publishers, one of the largest English-language publishers in the world. Harlequin has offices in 18 countries, including offices in Toronto, New York and London. For more information, please visit Harlequin.com and Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks. Follow Harlequin on Twitter: @HarlequinBooks.
PRESS CONTACT:
Michelle Wong
michelle_wong@harlequin.ca
416-445-5860