AUTHOR RELEASES POST-KATRINA NEW ORLEANS ROMANCE NOVEL

New Orleans – January 19, 2007 – Romance author and New Orleans native, Farrah Rochon, today announced the upcoming release of the first African-American romantic fiction novel to openly discuss post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. The very sensitive subject was inspired by the author’s own local observations in the aftermath of Katrina. Her upcoming book, Deliver Me, is a story though of love and rebirth rather than tragedy. Deliver Me is set for release next month on Feb. 27, 2007 from Dorchester Publishing, it is the third book in Dorchester's new African American romance line. According to the Romance Writers of America, which Rochon is a member of, romantic fiction accounts for 54.9% of all popular mass-market fiction sold and $1.2 billion in sales each year.

Rochon hails from a small town just west of New Orleans and when her editor first broached the subject of addressing Katrina in Deliver Me, she was torn as how to incorporate what remains a very sensitive subject to those from the New Orleans area. However, she realized that she could use Deliver Me as a vehicle to showcase the ‘new’ New Orleans.

“I work at the base of the famous French Quarters, and am lucky enough to witness this great city’s rebirth first-hand,” said author Farrah Rochon. “I wanted to bring to the masses the magic that is occurring in the Crescent City. When someone reads Deliver Me I want them to feel compelled to immediately book a flight to New Orleans so they can see for themselves that The Big Easy is on its way to becoming better than ever.”

Deliver Me, centers on an African American heroine, Monica Gardner, who after being dumped by her boyfriend and passed over for yet another promotion moves to New Orleans, determined to make a name for herself as the new attending ER physician at Methodist Memorial Hospital. As for men—she's through with them. But when given the chance to chair the hospital's annual charity banquet, Monica must elicit the help of gorgeous Ob-gyn Elijah Holmes. Eli will do anything to thwart his matchmaking Mama's plan to reunite him with his high school girlfriend. So, when the sexy new ER doc asks for his help in planning this year's charity banquet, Eli devises the perfect scheme: He'll help put on the best banquet the hospital has ever seen, if Monica poses as his new girlfriend. But when Eli finds himself falling in love, he realizes convincing Monica of his true feelings may be his greatest delivery yet.

A cum laude graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana, Rochon also holds a Masters degree in Psychology from Southeastern Louisiana University. For more information on Deliver Me and Rochon’s books please visit www.farrahrochon.com.

Publishing Notes:
ISBN-10: 0-8429-5862-6
ISBN-13: 978-0-8439-5862-1
Category: Contemporary Romance
Setting: New Orleans, present day
Price: $6.99 US/ $8.99 CAN/ $5.999 UK/ $14.95 AUS
Rights: World
Pages: 320
Spine: 26/32"

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