May 21 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Book Covers of Books I’ve Read

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Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week’s topic: Top Ten Favorite Book Covers Of Books I’ve Read

They say pictures are worth a thousand words, and these covers give a great visual to the words inside the book. Based on this compilation, I enjoy books with colorful, creative and sexy images. Some of the covers are older versions, but I enjoyed them nonetheless. It was so difficult to narrow it down to just 10 covers, but according to the rules I had to. Here, in no specific order, are my Top Ten Favorite Book Covers Of Books I’ve Read

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Hush Now by L.A. Green

The artwork is alluring. The subject matter, about a slave and master’s daughter who fall in love, are just as provocative (and sweet).

I Ain’t Yo Bitch by Jabulile Bongiwe Ngwenya

This gritty sets the backdrop for the story of a female rapper in an all-male crew trying to make it in South Africa while battling her sexuality.

If You Love Me, Come by Claudia Moss

I can’t say enough of this 5-star book, other than love and its many forms are beautiful. As is this cover.

Girl in the Mirror by Alix B. Golden

I love the girly and sensual look of Golden’s book, as well as the color scheme. The cover definitely matches the story, one of a woman facing herself and finally loving what she sees.

Consequences by Skyy

Why do I love this cover? Let thee count the six main characters on the front. Skyy’s second novel is the first one where we can finally put faces to the characters we’ve been reading about. The cover has since changed, but I’ll always appreciate this one. Her newest, and last in the Choices series :’(, Full Circle, will be out soon.

Walk Like a Man by Laurinda D. Brown

The cigar, the tie, man’s shirt, and feminine smirk all contribute a good look to Brown’s short-story tome.

Bliss by Fiona Zedde

The very first Fiona Zedde novel. Striking, vibrant and just as hot as Bliss and Hunter. The sea backdrop is inviting. It takes you away, along with Zedde’s prose. Her newest title, Broken in Soft Places, is out now.

Black Girl in Paris by Shay Youngblood

Who can resist butterflies? Eden’s excursion to Paris was as rich and pleasing as this cover. It’s a timeless novel.

My Got a Girlfriend by James Tanner

This cover is pure eye candy. Voluptuous femme. Handsome stud. You would think the novel was just as sexy cover. Not so much. The book was horrible. I would rather stare at this couple for days on end than read this book again.

Purple Panties: An Eroticanoir.com Anthology edited by Zane

Purple is one of my favorite colors. The fact that both ladies are clad skimpy undergarments in the same shade, clearly doesn’t hurt. The sex between the covers is just as hot.

Tell what you think of these book covers? What’s your own favorite cover art?

May 15 2013

I am Your Sister: Season 2 by Ericka K. F. Simpson

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iamyoursister2-2Publisher/Date:  EKS Books, Apr. 2013
Genre:  Romance, Religious, Family, Stud’s Point of View
Pages:  287
Website:  http://www.ekfsimpson.com

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Forgiveness. An 11-letter word whose concept is hard to give and even harder to do.

It is also Symone Holmes’ Achilles heel, and the emotional theme flowing through Ericka K. F. Simpson’s I AM YOUR SISTER: SEASON 2. The college basketball star is all grown up in the sequel to the previous I am Your Sister, but she learns life gets harder out of school and off the court.

At the novel’s start, Symone has a female b-baller’s dream: she’s the top draft pick for the WNBA,  about to graduate college, and considering forever with the love of her life, Regina. Nothing could make the point guard happier. Then she gets a phone call that her mother has had a stroke – and it brings her unhappy history with her mother front and center.

The relationship between Symone and her mother Paula became rocky the summer before her sophomore year in high school when it was “discovered” that Symone liked girls. Through flashbacks, a flood of painful memories continue to haunt Symone, reliving her mother practically disowning her. Paula refused to acknowledge her daughter’s lesbianism, and their bond disintegrated to zero contact. Moving on with her life, it took being away at school for Symone to put the past behind her but she never forgave her mother or herself.

This guilt takes its toll on her relationship with Regina in ways Symone didn’t realize. It’s the answer to why she is never able to fully open up. Why she feels she couldn’t bring Regina home to her family. Why never she allows Regina to share in her past hurts. Really, Symone could blame her generational curse for her inability to share her emotions, passed on from the male elders in her family, but she knows she can’t rely on excuses when both her mom and her future wife need her. It’s time to truly play ball, and this time, she needs this victory to heal her heart.

I’ve mentioned before that I am Your Sister is one of my favorite books, mainly because Symone is such a complex character. Simpson puts her everything into Symone, and after reading her memoir, Living With 3 Strikes (which you should definitely pick up), I understand how Simpson is inspired by her own experiences in IAYS2. This gives Symone the touch of realism that I’ve come to expect from this writer.

Symone is deeply-drawn, far from perfect, and trying on her adulthood with the help of God. She doesn’t pretend to be something she’s not and doesn’t apologize for whom she is. There’s also a down-home appeal to this Virginia-reared stud, one I found refreshing.

I am Your Sister 2 does have its minor flaws –  the ending left me flabbergasted – but between the laughter and the “wows” I had while reading convinced me that I will always have a soft spot for Symone Holmes.

Now I’m ready for another season.

Reviewed May 2013

May 14 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects

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Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week’s topic: Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects (abuse, suicide, grief, etc. or something personal hard for you):

  1. Accept the Unexpected by L. Cherelle: This was a book I read after a breakup with my long-time girlfriend. It helped to see Keleya’s breakup and new relationship, and to know I could pick up the pieces.
  2. Am I My Sister’s Keeper? by S. Stephens (Dec. 2005 Pick of the Month): I read this book a long time ago, but the struggle Elise deals with in coming to terms with her sexuality and trying to tell her family resonated with me when I was dealing with my own coming out issues.
  3. Be the Sun Again by Teryn: Self-love and self-esteem issues were tragically brought to life with Teryn’s novel that shows one should rely on God to show you the way to loving yourself.
  4. Diary of a Sex Addict by Shalona L. Amos: MC Tiffany’s sexual addiction stemmed from low self-esteem and abandonment, and you really get into her head as she spirals out of control. For Tiffany, sex was a way to feel powerful, and then alone once the high wore off, just like any other addiction. But she does learn to love herself — eventually.
  5. Grace After Midnight by Felicia “Snoop” Pearson: Snoop’s story of her life, her upbringing in the streets of Baltimore, the place that both raised and almost killed her. The night of she killed a girl in self-defense is talked about, as well as her stint in prison and her rise to fame on HBO’s The Wire. Gritty, but reflective.
  6. HIGH – On Love & Addiction by April Joy Bowden and Jeanie RAINBOW Bell: The relationship between two women who deal with one’s drug addictionis a hard read at times, to witness what the addiction does to Joy and Jeanie’s relationship.
  7. I Am Your Sister by Ericka K. F. Simpson: This is one of my favorite books. Symone’s sexuality was a hindrance to her basketball career, but she always managed to bring it back to God and trust in Him. I was moved by her tale.
  8. M+O 4EVR by Tonya Hegamin (Aug. 2010 Pick of the Month): Sad, sad, sad story about unrequited love and how that love could have saved a life. My heart broke for Opal, but her story does have a somewhat happy ending.
  9. Mental Silhouette by Renair Amin: Amin’s poetry is beautiful, colorful and full of ache. She touches on so many personal issues that any woman can relate to on some level.
  10. The Other Side of Paradise by Staceyann Chin: Such a heartbreaking story about Chin’s growing up in Jamaica after her mother’s abandonment and discovering her sexuality. The writing, though sad, is luscious.
  11. BONUS PICK:  Girl in the Mirror by Alix B. Golden (Aug. 2012 Pick of the Month): This tale of trying to find love through others instead of loving yourself is deeply moving. Considering I’m a daddy’s girl, Christen’s relationship with her father truly touched me.
May 10 2013

Just This Sistahs Opinion: Happy Mother’s Day

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motherdaughterhandsHappy Mother’s Day

A story about my mom…

Last week, my mother and I were watching the local 6 o’clock news. One report that grabbed our attention was a story about domestic partnership registry becoming available in our city. Now both gay and straight couples can register to be granted rights as unmarried couples or couples whose marriages or aren’t recognized under state law. Under the registry, domestic partners can make health-care and end-of-life decisions for one another, visit one another in the hospital or jail and take part in educational decisions of their children. It’s a big step for our sleepy college town.

Watching two men sign the papers to have their relationship recognized, my mother made her trademark sound of, “Mmmmmm.” It’s the noise she makes when something doesn’t agree with her (think of the “ooooh” cat from Puss in Boots, and you get the picture).

Then the next thing she said is, “You better not go up there!”

She meant City Hall to register a domestic partnership with my girlfriend.

My back was facing her, so I couldn’t see her face. But I knew my mother, in her usual fashion, was half-joking, half-serious. While my relationship is no secret to her, it doesn’t exactly motivate her to run though the streets, announcing her baby daughter has a female partner.

So I laughed and returned the joke, “I’m grown. And what are you gonna do if I do?”

To which my mom replied with a smile, “You just better not be up there.”

Despite my mother’s warning that I stay away from City Hall with a black pen in hand, I know she wants the best for me in all aspects of my life. My sexuality is still a tender spot for her (it will get better), but she loves and accepts me. As long as I’m happy, I believe that’s all she cares about.

She knows I’m happy.

No matter whom I’ve dated, her love remains unchanging. She always calls me when I don’t call her after a couple of days, threatens to stay a week with me when I’m sick, and detects even the slightest distress notes in my voice.

Most importantly, my mother prays for me. Every morning, she sits for a spell with her Bible, and her talks with God ensure her child is safe, healthy and in His hands.

My mother’s prayers, I’m sure, have kept me.

And for Mother’s Day, and all the days between, I’m thanking God for her.

Just This Sistahs Opinion is column about lesbian literature and life.

 

Apr 30 2013

The Space Our Love Demands by Kionne Nicole (Apr. 2013 Pick of the Month)

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Publisher/Date:  Resolute Publishing, Aug. 2012
Genre(s):  Romance, College Life
Pages:  207
Website:  http://www.respublishing.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Does distance really make the heart grow fonder? Or does distance lead to distraction?

That’s the test Hadiyah Matthews faces in THE SPACE OUR LOVE DEMANDS, the debut novel from Kionne Nicole.

Hadiyah is in a new city, Louisville to be exact, pursuing a graduate degree and trying to cope after a breakup with long-term girlfriend, Charity. They were together seven years, and after things went sour, they mutually decided it was better to be apart than to be miserable together. Being on her own is hard, but Hadiyah is there to get an education – until Fatma comes along.

Fatma is a distraction with a capital D. The brown beauty captures Hadiyah’s senses from the first moment they meet, and Hadiyah catches a rainbow vibe from her classmate. She might be mistaken, though. Fatma is definitely attracted; between the research and studying, they flirt and feel each other out, but is she available?

More so, is Hadiyah available? Charity is still fresh in her mind. When another opportunity presents itself in the form of Adrienne, Hadiyah is even more confused about what she wants. She wants to explore and get to know herself, and these women – as well as great friends – teach her about life and love, its pleasures and its high cost.

The Space Our Love Demands is a witty novel that touches on a few serious issues. Long-term relationships, sexuality and labels, Afrocentricity, local pussy…it’s all in there. And the supporting characters – Tee is my absolute favorite; she needs to have her own book now – only make Space better. Hadiyah’s learning curve, after being in a seven year relationship, is fast and almost makes your head spin. The good thing is she may be blinded by the women in her life, but she ultimately sees things for what they really are.

Reviewed April 2013

Apr 30 2013

The Best of Friends Can Be Lovers by Vickey Simmons

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bestofloverscanbefriendsPublisher/Date:  Vickey L. Simmons; Nov. 2012
Genre:  Romance
Pages:  57

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

“It’s funny how at a time when I thought that I didn’t want to be close to anyone, she was the one person to help me realize that I didn’t want to be alone.”

Ladies, isn’t that how we all feel when we’ve met the one?

Except in Mahogany’s case, where Saun is “the one,” it’s the age old lesbian-question of, “Can I cross the line with my bestie – and not have it be awkward?” The answer is not so simple in THE BEST OF FRIENDS CAN BE LOVERS, the e-book from Vickey Simmons.

The relationship between Mahogany and Saun starts in a work-related orientation, the pair clicking immediately. They could talk about anything, and Mahogany, with a fiancé, wasn’t turned off by Saun’s lesbian lover. In fact, they regularly discussed their love lives, which is how they knew exactly what they were missing.

When Mahogany’s relationship disintegrates, it ends up bringing the co-workers closer. Somehow the lines blur, and Mahogany finally allows her mind to wander to that place with Saun. Her mixed emotions eventually come to a head, and she finally begins to see forest – and the trees.

Saun, meanwhile, patiently stays true to her and Mahogany’s friendship, which she cherishes more than she lets on. She’s always been there for Mahogany. Will her loyalty be rewarded?

The Best of Friends Can Be Lovers is a pleasurable, swiftly-moving novel that moves a just the right pace. You see Mahogany really contemplating her decisions, and being a grown woman sure about what she wants. Though Simmons’ book could end here, I could see this not being the end of Mahogany and Saun’s story.

Reviewed April 2013

Apr 30 2013

Forever Tangled: A collection of poems and stories from the heart and between the thighs (Volume 1) by Monique ‘Being True’ Thomas

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forevertangledPublisher/Date:  CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Nov. 2012
Genre(s):  Romance, Erotica, Poetry, Short Story
Pages:  112
Website:  http://authormoniquebeingtruethonas.wordpress.com

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

The Plot:  In the first volume of FOREVER TANGLED: A COLLECTION OF POEMS AND STORIES FROM THE HEART AND BETWEEN THE THIGHS, Monique ‘Being True’ Thomas invites you ”to the playground of love and seduction” to “enjoy your time playing on the jungle gym” of her thoughts. Her erotic material – such as “Watched” and “Wet” –  will surely get your heart rate (and other things) up; at the same time, Thomas brings love to the table, like in “All I Wanted to Do” and “Reflection” (my personal favorite). Poetry also rounds out this first installment.

The Good:  Thomas’ stories have a familiar feel, if you’ve remember or read some of her other works featured on Kuma2.net and in the Life, Love, Lust series by Lesbian Memoirs. The love scenes are extremely sensuous, and her poetry is expressive.

The Not-So-Good:  A couple of the stories have a been-there-done-that quality.

The Bottom Line: Forever Tangled is a small read with big of heart.

Reviewed April 2013

Apr 30 2013

Hush Now by L. A. Green

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hushnowPublisher/Date: Dog Ear Publishing, LLC, Nov. 2012
Genre(s):  Romance, Historical Fiction
Pages:  216
Website:  http://www.hushnowbook.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Right now, I’m fighting the urge to sing “Go Down Moses” in honor of HUSH NOW.

Here you have two women – one a white slave owner’s daughter, the other a house slave – who fall in love but can’t be openly together because of their stations in life. Author L.A. Banks presents Rebecca Montgomery and Ruth’s star-crossed love story, and the vivid emotions this kind of affection creates.

Written with spunk and a sense of humor, Hush Now is the novel about love that speaks only in whispers and late-night Shakespeare sessions. Their attraction blossoms through their love of literature, with Rebecca happily discovering that Ruth was taught to read, a secret they both hold close. After all, Rebecca’s plantation-owning father, Grafton, is generous to his workers but recognizes that “a happy slave is money in the pocket.” She believes her father wouldn’t understand the love she has for Ruth.

Ruth has to protect herself, as well. The society she inhabits looks down on her simply because of her skin color. The consequences of loving Rebecca would be far worse for her than owner. But the closeness they feel can’t be helped. How can they ever be together when the world tells them they can’t?

A combined effort by Bonnie Lee Harrison and Gleycia Green, Hush Now is a moving story, and the full cast adds a life to this tale. But make no mistake: L. A. Green’s Hush Now will anger, frighten and enlighten you. Reading it, I felt moved by Rebecca and Ruth, but more so connected with Ruth and her dilemma. The way she was treated by some didn’t sit well with me, but with a story about blacks enslaved for monetary gain, it shouldn’t. It should make you wistful.

It also should make you believe in love – and embracing love in spite of.

Reviewed April 2013

Apr 30 2013

It’s Complicated (Maxi’s Place #2) by Literary Stud

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itscomplicatedliterarystudPublisher/Date:  Amazon Digital Services, Inc., Jan. 2012
Genre(s):  Romance, E-Short
Pages:  50
Website:  http://twitter.com/literarystud

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

The Plot:  What a difference 3 months makes in IT’S COMPLICATED, the second installment of the Maxi’s Place series. Author Literary Stud gave us an intriguing sample with Rumor’s Ring True, but It’s Complicated offers much more flavor. Maxi’s Place owner, Cole, takes after her womanizing aunt for whom the restaurant is named after; her good friend and cook, Tasha, wonders why she can’t get her stud to be as ambitious Cole. Taylor tries to leave her past behind, but it continues to follow the bartender. And finally, we’re reacquainted with Bailey and Ava, still keeping their relationship under wraps, but soon realizing it’s hard to hide secrets at Maxi’s Place.

The Good:  Literary Stud does an excellent job introducing the new characters and sharing their issues, compared to the previous story that mostly focused on Bailey and Ava’s blossoming romance. This second episode delves deeper into the lives of Maxi’s Place workers and makes you wish for the next serving.

The Not-So-Good: The fact it leaves you hanging on.

The Bottom Line: Maxi’s Place is a spot you’ll want to revisit for the third time.

Reviewed April 2013

Apr 30 2013

the other by amir

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theotherPublisher/Date: Lulu.com, June 2012
Genre(s):  Romance, Transgender, Straight Books with Lesbian Characters
Pages:  320
Website:  http://www.soulfulbooks.webs.com

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

The Plot:  Three best friends – Alex, Tyrell and Jewel – confront issues in their lives while holding on to their friendship in the other. It ain’t easy, though. Writer Alex, who made the transition from woman to man years prior, attempts to work through the tumultuous relationship with his late father – and then a new love steps into his life. Jewel has a new love, as well, but can’t put doggish ex Kyree out of her mind. Speaking of canines, compulsive cheater Tyrell has a gorgeous fiancé, Samantha, at home – and many others behind her back; he chalks up his behavior to being a “man” and Sam not giving him what he wants sexually. Despite the friends’ internal and romantic dilemmas, the one thing they never let go of is each other.

The Good:  The friendship is the best thing about the other. No matter what crazy situations the friends find themselves in, one is always there to be the voice of reason. the other also has a great voice in Alex, the deepest one of the trio, and Jewel is a diva with heart. Tyrell on the other hand…

The Not-So-Good:  Tyrell is a mess. How can one man be so heartless? I guess you’ll find out just how much. And at 320 pages, I think some pages could have been trimmed to make a neater story.

The Bottom Line: the other is for you if you like a thoughtful, drama-filled, character based story.

Reviewed April 2013

Apr 30 2013

Royal BLU by Feral Kitty

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royalbluPublisher/Date:  CreateSpace, Oct. 2012
Genre(s):  Romance, Drama
Pages:  362

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

It all started on a Friday night in ROYAL BLU. A simple start to the weekend that begins DJ Royal and her three closest friends on a long, wild expedition to love and drama.

Bold, italics, and underline on the drama.

Taking center stage in author Feral Kitty’s debut novel is Royal Ann Hanson, a 27-year old DJ still living at home with her grandparents and her 11-year-old daughter from a teenage relationship. With beautiful golden brown skin, slim athletic frame and long brown cornrows, she’s a magnet for the ladies, straight or lesbian, attached or single. While she may use them for what they offer, she also knows she’s not ready for a real relationship. Royal is content with life, her friends, her car (a vintage candy-apple red 1970 Cadillac Coupe de Ville), and her job at Club BLU, but recognizes that she needs a true equal; and she finds a worthy opponent in Asia, her best friend’s roommate.

Despite their age difference, Royal and 20-year-old Tiana are best friends, and Ti looks to Royal as a role model of sorts; her own stud swagger is owed to watching Royal’s antics. Her come-ons pay off on that fated Friday night when Ti has an affair with someone outside the stud-femme box, but Ti worries more about what her best friend will think instead of letting herself fall.

KC, though, fell for the completely wrong woman, and everyone knows it. Her girlfriend, Ebony, is too rowdy for this white butch lesbian, who’s always had a thing for sistahs. Her friends want her leave Ebony’s melodramatics behind and see past her fighting, cheating, and abusive ways. On some level, KC is waiting for the love she longs for from Ebony. Yet how long to is too love to love yourself?

Paul, owner of Club BLU, is the older voice of reason in the foursome. In a 17-year relationship with wife Candi, they find raising a daughter working full time doesn’t allow much time for romance. Paul stays true to their love, but that’s not to say temptations don’t find her every now and again.

Royal BLU is, on one level, an entertaining, comical novel that you can’t put down. On another, it needs a lot of polishing – with punctuation and grammar especially – to make it a great novel. The characters were a hot mess a times, but truth be told, we all know people like them (or at least I did in my 20s). In its favor, Royal BLU brings up a few issues in our community about labels and slut-shaming that are important, and also shows flaws from both sides of the femme-stud dynamic.

All in all, I’m looking forward to what this Kitty brings next.

Reviewed April 2013

Feb 2 2013

My Got a Girlfriend by James Tanner

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mygirlgotagirlfriendPublisher/Date: Park Bench Entertainment, May 2011
Genre: Erotica
Pages: 188
Website: http://parkbenchentertainment.weebly.com

Rating: ★½☆☆☆ 

The Plot: In James Tanner’s MY GIRL GOT A GIRLFRIEND, main character Dontaye, a hustler born from a lesbian pimp and a gay male prostitute, capitalizes on studs and femmes by creating a lesbian brothel. There female customers can purchase illicit services from other women. It earns Dontaye money and respect in the game, something his hard-nosed mother preached to her ambitious son. Meanwhile, Dontaye falls hard for Envy, who’s shadier than a mighty oak in the summertime. Too bad he didn’t listen to Mama about women, because the young pimp finally met his match.

The Good: Not too much was great about My Girl. The sex scenes did generate slight heat; the story moves swiftly. The way it ends, there’s bound to be a sequel.

The Not-So-Good: Where do I begin? Like I said, the sex between women was okay, but repetitive in action. The entire story was narrated by Dontaye, which allowed me to get only in his head; I didn’t care for the view. While he spoils his female employees with material things, these women were sex objects to him; he saw them as a means to success and respect. Not only that, there was nothing captivating about Dontaye; at times, he was mad corny.

The Bottom Line: My Girl Got a Girlfriend is best suited to someone who enjoys unconvincing street lit. Tis all.

Reviewed February 2013

Feb 2 2013

Bi-Curious by Natalie Weber

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bi-curiousPublisher/Date:  Urban Books, Jan. 2011
Genre:  Romance
Pages:  204
Website:  http://www.urbanbooks.net

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

When Serenity arrives for her first year of college, she knew she would discover an entirely new world – what she didn’t expect to find was drama and murder.

And it all began when she unlocked her hidden lesbian fantasies in BI-CURIOUS, the first book in the series by Natalie Weber.

Serenity wants to whet her appetite for women, and college seems like the best place to discover what her older sister, Carla, has always known as a stud. Her guardian since their mother passed away, Carla would never let anything happen to her baby sister.

But her sister is not there to protect her when Serenity’s curiosity lands her in the trap of the hottest stud on campus: Sadie Smith. She’s the one that ladies – gay or straight — want in their beds, and the dude that other dudes envy. Her wealth makes her stand out, and her parties are legendary. Never without a woman, Sadie is determined to add Serenity to her stable of beauties. And what Sadie wants, she gets.

Soon, Serenity is plunged into a world of sex, drugs, and possessiveness…all courtesy of Sadie. She has a hold over Serenity that leads her down the wrong path, to the point it’s affecting her studies and her relationship with Carla. When she tries to leave, Sadie’s manipulations lead her back. Can Serenity escape the dangerous web Sadie has spun around her before she gets hurt?

Weber, sister-in-law to famed author Carl Weber, definitely follows in his storytelling footsteps. Bi-Curious is full of spicy sex and drama you’d expect in an erotic tale. Not all of it is believable, but it does make for a juicy read. Bi-Curious 2 is already out, with Bi-Curious 3, coming soon, and I wonder just how far Weber will take Serenity’s story.

Reviewed February 2013

Feb 2 2013

Rose from the Bayou by Teryn Williams

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rosefromthebayouPublisher/Date:  Teryn Williams, Sept. 2012
Genre:  Romance, Suspense, Supernatural Fiction
Pages:  220
Website:  http://scarletroselaveau.wix.com/rose

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Enfant, l’amour est fou…

In other words: chile, love is crazy. Nothing says this better than ROSE FROM THE BAYOU, the bewitching novel from Teryn Williams, also the author of Be the Sun Again.

Set in 1990s New Orleans, the story follows the friendship of Scarlet Rose Laveau and Koral Baptiste. Soul sisters and neighbors since childhood, the women are now 24 and long-time lovers. Their relationship is deeply befuddling, especially to their families. Whereas Koral is sensitive and loving, Scarlet is cold and selfish. Her practices in what some folks call voodoo or black magic, passed down from her mother’s side of the family, constantly label her a bad seed.

Scarlet relishes her otherworldly abilities, channeling spirits and cavorting with the afterlife, which makes her an asset to people who need her assistance. But she what she uses for good, she also exploits to her advantage. Scarlet is a hedonist with a cause.

“My appetite was fierce and something not of this world. I was not born to be slaved beneath a relationship. I wanted to love freely. Love has no face and love had no color and love was androgynous. Or maybe I was speaking of sex because my heart was a deep dark hole that I often searched for a feeling but there was nothing but space looking for more of that same feeling. A space big enough to hold whatever and whomever I wanted to occupy it.”

However, Koral is the solitary soul she allows into her realm, mostly because Scarlet knows she has Koral’s heart on a string. She dominates the dark-skinned beauty, and because Koral doesn’t know her worth, she lets Scarlet control her. Talks her into doing heinous things, anything to keep Scarlet’s love and attention. Besides her grandmother, Nana, Scarlet is the only family Koral has. Their connection is powerful, and Koral wants nothing more than Scarlet’s “undying” love. With the thoughts Scarlet has, that could be the only way for Koral to win her heart.

Koral should be careful what she wishes – she might just get it.

Rose from the Bayou is one of those books with rich character development that pulls you in. You will either find yourself loving and/or hating Scarlet and Koral and the eccentric personalities in this book. Williams’ book could use more editing, but if you’re into dark stories, Rose will be a book that’s just as sweet.

Reviewed February 2013

Feb 2 2013

Stud by Sa’id Salaam

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studPublisher/Date: G Street Chronicles, Aug. 2012
Genre(s):  Bisexual, Romance, Suspense
Pages: 142
Website: http://www.gstreetchronicles.com

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

What we know as a masculine lesbian takes on an entirely different definition in STUD, the book from street lit author Sa’id Salaam.

Stud apparently has many descriptions, but Salaam portrays protagonist Andrea “Dre” Coleman as a drug-dealing, gun-toting young woman with an identity crisis.

It wasn’t always this way, though.

Tomboy Dre never wanted to wear pink or ribbons. Dressing like a boy for protection, she emulates her hustling older brother, Bernard, and prefers beating up the boys and playing lookout for big bro. Bernard is her hero, and when her brother is killed, it’s up to Dre to take over the game in Bernard’s honor.

Easier said than done. Dre finds it hard to gain respect when you’re a girl filling in bigger shoes.

Luckily, Dre’s best friend Ramel, is her partner-in-crime. The two make a great pair, and when things get rough, or somebody needs to become a nobody, Ramel is in the trenches with her. Doing the kind of work they do, it bonds them without many words being said.

This attraction between Dre and Ramel is what throws the reader completely off when reading Stud. You’ve been introduced to Dre the stud and her romps with women, but you end up knowing Dre the bisexual. And if that’s what she wants to be, that’s fine. But the book’s title seems misleading. Was the author trying sending a message or creating a confusing character for entertainment value?

As entertaining as it may be, it’s also a head-scratcher. What Stud has in its corner is that the writing is decent, and some may like this urban tale. But what Salaam is writing about brings about the issue of what defines a stud. Do clothes or attitude make a stud, or is it a combination? Who’s to say what a stud is?

Sadly, you won’t find out by reading Stud.

Reviewed February 2013