The Devil is a Lie Blog Tour

Meet ReShonda Tate Billingsley

ReShonda Tate Billingsley is a national bestselling author of 17 books, all published by Simon and Schuster/Pocket Books. Her sophomore novel, Let the Church Say Amen, is being made into a movie and national touring stageplay of which she is Executive Producer and actress Regina King is the director. Five of her other books, have also been optioned for film by CodeBlack Entertainment.

ReShonda’s literary career is such a success that in 2007, she was able to leave her job as a reporter with Fox 26 News in Houston to pursue writing full time. ReShonda has appeared on the Essence Bestseller’s list more than 20 times, as well as The Washington Post, Dallas Morning News and Ebony Magazine Bestseller’s lists.

ReShonda has won numerous awards for her journalism, fiction and poetry writing skills. She is a five-time winner of the National Association of Black Journalists Spirit in the Words competition. ReShonda’s upcoming projects include The Devil is a Lie (July 2009), Holy Rollers (2010) and two more teen novels. The Houston native and University of Texas at Austin graduate also serves as a freelance editorial and marketing consultant. She has ghostwritten four fiction projects and five non-fiction projects. She is married with three small children.

Tell us about The Devil is a Lie.

It is about a woman who wins the lottery and when she goes to claim her winnings, her ex husband shows up – with the woman he left her for- and informs her that their divorce was never finalized and they want half.

How did you come up with the idea for this book?

I was visiting a bookclub when one of the members started telling a story about how she and her husband were divorced three years before they found out because of paperwork error their divorce was never finalized. Later that evening I was having a conversation with a friend, telling her about the bookclub meeting. She was intrigued and decided to look into her own divorce and lo and behold, contrary to her belief her divorce was never finalized either. Since I’m a ‘what if’ person, all I could think was What if my friend had won the lottery (we both play a lot)….and the story took off from there.

Who are your main character(s)?

Nina Lawson, her fiance’ Rick Henderson. Her not-so-ex, Todd Lawson and his money-hungry girlfriend Pam.

Did you have a favorite character(s)? Who and why?

I love Pam because she was the total opposite of me.

Did you have to do quite a bit of research for this novel?

I did research lottery rules and regulations, stories on lottery winners and divorce. I was so surprised to see the number of people who, for one reason or another, never get their divorces finalized.

What do you hope readers will learn/discover from reading The Devil is a Lie ?

To discern that true wealth lies in your heart.

Okay, a not-so-fun question. How important are reviews to you as a writer?
I like reviews because we are a word of mouth people and that’s the best way to spread the word about a good book. I do not like reviews if they are not constructive.

About the Book

AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT. . . .

When Nina Lawson wins $16 million in the Texas Lottery, the real estate executive and her fiancé, ecstatically begin planning their future — from paying off their credit card debt, to setting their wedding date, to a spontaneous, spare-no-expense island getaway.

But when Nina goes to claim her winnings, she gets an astounding twist of fate: her ex-husband, Todd Lawson, shows up to inform he isn’t her ex —since the paperwork for their divorce was never officially filed. By Todd’s side, his money-hungry girlfriend, Pam – the woman he left Nina for.

MORE MONEY, MORE PROBLEMS

Between her divorce drama, Nina also has to deal with relatives coming out of the woodwork to seek a payday for themselves. Before all is said and done, Nina must ask herself if scoring a fortune in cash comes with too high a price tag. With a little bit of luck, Nina will discern the real wealth in her heart, not just her bank account—or risk losing everything—to find out what matters the most.

Visit ReShonda online at http://www.reshondatatebillingsley.com/ .

Follow the blog tour at http://bitly.com/TheDevilIsALie.