Lyndell Williams, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about your book.

Sweet Love, Bitter Fruit by Lyndell Williams

Genre romance

Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R

From Lyndell Williams, author of My Way to You, a new novel about keeping the flames of love and passion burning in a world determined to snuff them out.

Harlem lawyer Marcus Kent fights for justice while preserving a stable, passionate marriage with wife, Toni. Smart and confident, he has it all together—that is until his world turns upside down.

Not only is someone stalking his sister, but an intern at work is also getting too close for comfort.

On top of all of that, Toni’s renewed infertility obsession causes them to continually argue, adding more strain and cooling off their steamy union.

Struggling with insecurities and yearning to have a child, successful psychologist Toni Kent looks to her husband for support. Unfortunately, relentless distraction and stubbornness prevent Marcus from being there when she needs him the most and jeopardizes their happy home.

After multiple failed in vitro attempts, Toni is ready to try again, but Marcus is done. He doesn’t want another headache or more heartache. Will infertility tear this dream couple apart?

Why did you write this book?  

I am a huge proponent of using fiction as social commentary. Novels can reflect and influence society, and many readers seek to connect to realistic characters with problems and issues reflecting the human condition. I wrote Sweet Love, Bitter Fruit to highlight how strong love is not invincible. There are times and situations that will test the strongest bond. Toni and Marcus have it all—fabulous careers, awesome Harlem apartment and the respect of their family and community—but they have to endure the trials of infertility. They are usually simpatico, but when Toni wants to go through more in vitro treatments after agreeing to give up, it threatens their love.

What is your favorite genre to read?  

Romance, romance, and more romance. The genre offers the chance for authors to show the ways characters navigate and negotiate a foundational human emotion. Romance can be diverse, influenced by readers and the broader culture. It is truly a misunderstood genre that deserves more respect than it gets in the literary world. Love elements exist across genres, so romance is a foundational part of literature.

Who is your favorite character from fiction (not including your own)?  

I don’t have one.

What are you working on at the moment?  

I am finishing up Building on Broken Dreams, book three in the Brothers in Law series. Adam Kane is a European American Muslim convert. A native Bostonian from a wealthy family, he turned away from a life of luxury and privilege. He concentrates on living simply and his faith when he meets Maryam Avery, an African American Muslim woman and pursues her.

I am also writing three novellas for the Open to Love series. The three stories feature three Muslim women: Hafsah, Tarika and Rahma. Each of them struggles to allow love to enter their lives and keep it there.

What books will we see from you in coming months?  

I plan on releasing each novella in the Open to Love series over the coming months, after the release of Sweet Love Bitter Fruit. Then there is book three in the Brothers in Law series, Building on Broken Dreams.

Where to buy Sweet Love, Bitter Fruit

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Love-Bitter-Fruit-Brothers-ebook/dp/B07WZ9LT97

Lyndell Williams Social Media

Lyndell Williams (Layla Abdullah-Poulos) holds a B.A. in Historical Studies and Literature, M.A. in Liberal Studies, and an AC in Women and Gender Studies. She is an adjunct instructor as well as an anti-racism and gender equity advocate. She is the senior New York trainer for the Muslim Anti-Racism collaborative.
Williams is a cultural critic with a background in literary criticism specializing in romance. She has been published in peer-review journals and presented at national conferences about Muslim and interracial romance fiction as well as racism, sexism and the Black Muslim experience.
She is the founder and managing editor of the NbA Muslims blog on Patheos and a cultural contributor for Radio Islam USA. She is a contributor to the online publications About Islam and Haute Hijab.
Williams is the lead content editor WriteType Editorial Services and mentors aspiring writers across genres.
She’s had numerous short stories published in collections and enjoys a growing list of subscribers to her Layla Writes Love online short story series.
Williams self-published her first interracial romance novel My Way to You. The novel made it onto four Amazon bestsellers lists its premiere weekend.
She is committed to the traditional use of literature as social commentary to affect positive social change.
Williams is married and the mother of six children.
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