Jun 18 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Books At The Top Of My Summer TBR List

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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 At The Top Of My Summer TBR List

Believe me when I say, I have a lot of books of my TBR (to-be-read) list. So much so, that this summer you will frequently see me with a book in my hands or page-turnin’ on my Kindle (which is really no different from any other time). But these books are ones I want to read in the near future. And by near future, I mean in the next weeks. I have a lot to choose from, and I hope you find something you want, as well. Without further ado (and in no ranking order)…

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Full Circle by Skyy
The final book in the Choices series? I get to see if Lena and Denise finally end up together? I’m there!

The Exchange by Nikki Rashan (out June 25)

I’m looking forward to reading another Nikki Rashan book, especially since it’s been 3 years since her last, Cyber Chase.

The Summer We Got Free by Mia McKenzie

This debut novel from Mia McKenzie’s was just recently bestowed with the Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Debut Fiction, but this had long been on my TBR list. The story of Ava Delaney, a wild young girl and a brilliant artist, and how life changes dramatically after a violent event that rocks her entire family,  has been lauded by the equally brilliant author Jewelle Gomez of The Gilda Stories.

Gilding the L.I.L.L.(y) by T. Jurrette

Since being enamored with Finding Us, I’ve been waiting for a new T. Jurrette’s novel. Gilding the L.I.L.L.(y) promises romance, murder and family issues rolled into one.

Hersband Material (The Cartel Publications) by C. Wash

Based on the good reviews I’ve seen, this book should be a hot one. Who can resist craziness, drama and betrayal?

GIRL: A Story for Every Les Being by Christiana Harrell

Originally released in 2009, GIRL has been re-edited and re-released with fourteen of the author and fans’ favorites stories. Christiana’s first short story collection introduces you to the life of women who love women. I have been wanting to read one of her books for a while. Better to begin with the one that started it all.

Out of Innocence by Sandi Webb

I’m anticipating good things in this novel about Toni Wells, nineteen-year-old stud, a drug dealer for the LA Bloods by night and worker for her transit job by day. Should be gritty and fast-paced.

On the Come Up by Hannah Weyer (out July 23)

This novel has been getting some buzz before its July pub date. It’s based on a real-life story from indie filmmaker Hannah Weyer, about a 14-year-old pregnant teen trying to survive and ends up becoming an actress. There’s a lesbian element to it, as well.

Happy Families by Tanita S. Davis

Are happy families really all alike? Teen twins Ysabel and Justin Nicholas lead a pretty lucky life. Until their father reveals he’s transsexual, and has been cross-dressing for several years. I’m curious to read about how a Black family deals with such issues.

The Womon by Seconya Y. Bagby

This love triangle between a woman, her female best friend and new male love interest seems intriguing. I want to know whom she ends up. I also enjoy a good romance. Who doesn’t?

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Do any of these novels appeal to you? What books are you looking forward to reading this summer? Plan to read on the beach or take a staycation?

Jun 12 2013

It’s Complicated: Misconceptions by Erika Renee Land

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itscomplicatedPublisher/Date:  Ezarie Publishing, Jan. 2013
Genre(s):  Romance, Drama
Pages:  254
Website:  http://twitter.com/elandthewriter

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Why does it seem as if in some lesbian breakups that we never really break up, at least not completely? There’s that unfinished business that gets pushed aside, not resolved, as we move to the next woman.

Enter IT’S COMPLICATED: MISCONCEPTIONS, the debut novel from Erika Renee Land. It’s a whole mess of things going on this book, mostly surrounding Laila Morriston and her 8-year relationship with Victoria. Good as all are relationships are, their romance dwindles due to Victoria’s infidelity. Laila can’t trust Tori, and in my eyes, should have left her a long time ago, but Laila is still holding on to that connection they still have when times are good.

Just when she thinks things are getting back on track, Tori pulls the disappearing acts again. Acting secretive. Leaving the house at all hours of the night. Laila has had it up to here, and decides that Tori needs a taste of her own medicine. Enter Camille, the stripper she meets on a night Tori got missing. What transpires between them was nice, but Tori is still the love of Laila’s life and she wants to put things back right between them.

As always, though, things are good, and then Tori acts shady again. This back and forth causes them to separate, and Laila believes it’s truly over this time. Enter Nadia, another woman Laila meets at a vulnerable time, an assistant to a client of hers, and a dynamite woman. They could talk about anything, and bonded over loved cultural events and books. Nadia was someone she could see herself with – if she weren’t still wondering about and pining for Tori. Dating Camille and Nadia at the same time, both women are smart, beautiful and open up Laila’s eyes to new possibilities. The problem is Laila isn’t truly honest about her unresolved feelings for Tori; neither woman knows just how deep Laila’s feelings still run for her ex.

When Tori returns, what’s a woman to do with the new relationships she’s entered into in the meantime? Is she willing to drop everything for the woman who left her, or take a chance on someone new?

A fast-paced read, there is more to this story than I should put in this review, but trust me, you’ll read all about the deception, heartbreak and betrayal (plus crazed stalkers) in It’s Complicated: Misconceptions. One thing I should say is that everything is not what it appears. What is transparent is that Laila and Tori’s back-and-forth relationship was something that could have been resolved if they were more mature about how they handled each other. But after 8 years of cheating, why was Laila still even with Tori? As 32-year-old landscape architect at a respectable firm (one that is unbelievably tolerant of her messy personal life), she’s smart, but naïve and too into her head. We’ll see if she learns the game in the sequel. Hopefully.

Reviewed June 2013

Jun 10 2013

Broken In Soft Places by Fiona Zedde

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brokeninsoftplacesPublisher/Date:  Bold Stroke Books, May 2013
Genre:  Bisexual, Romance, Drama
Pages:  264
Website:  http://www.fionazedde.com

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Leave it to Fiona Zedde to come up with a tantalizing theme for her latest book – polyamory – a subject that black folks might do, but don’t talk candidly about. Being a part of a couple that openly allows the other to have sex with someone outside their relationship is usually left to whispered conversations. Zedde shows us in BROKEN IN SOFT PLACES that it’s not only possible, but there may be a reason why people engage in or stay away from this type of coupling.

Sara Chambers could never resist the enigmatic Rille Thompson since their first meeting at a college party, Sara as an innocent freshman to senior Rille’s big-lesbian-on-campus status.  Sara spent a good amount of time wishing Rille could be hers only, however, Rille resisted being tied down to anything singular in nature, including her lovers – be they female or male. Sara and Rille attempted to find freedom in each other for different reasons, but their feverish connection proves combustible right before Rille graduates.

Fast forward to present day, and the pair found their way back to each other, despite the many wounds Rille inflicted on Sara way back when. Much hasn’t changed, except now Sara is an attorney and Rille is a physics professor. And they have someone else occupying their bed. A man named Steven.

Sara never liked this arrangement from the start, and it weighs on her, never having Rille to herself, a situation Sara has allowed since their college days. The good thing is Sara recognizes why she stays with Rille, a woman with no self-control, and why being with Rille makes her feel somehow feel whole. Or does it? Can she untangle herself from Rille’s dominance as she allows monogamy to pass her by? Will she keep allowing her heart to be baby-sat by a woman someone who doesn’t know what love is?

Layers upon layers disintegrate the more you get to know the people in Broken In Soft Places. I can’t say enough about the flawless writing Zedde endows the reader, words coming together seamlessly and alluringly like Zedde knows how to do. She also dug deep in her portrayal of the war-torn Sara and Steven, and to a smaller extent, Rille. *sigh* Rille is so callous and as I read, she just got under my skin (the sign of a good character). I couldn’t stand how she treated Sara, and really anyone who stood in the way of her pleasure principle (Freud would have a field day with her on his couch). Yet, I did feel some sympathy for her that she couldn’t open up herself to love. And frustrated that Sara couldn’t find the love she wanted and deserved.

Reviewed June 2013

 5 Quick Questions for Fiona Zedde about Broken In Soft Places5qqlogo

Polyamory is such a taboo subject in the black community. And you’ve written Broken In Soft Places, such an invasive book about it. What was your motivation? Is it a taboo subject? I didn’t realize that. I know it’s not overtly accepted in most mainstream spaces but I think many people live it. There are women who know about and accept their wife or husband’s other lover. Couples that regularly have threesomes or identify as swingers. Groups of friends with benefits. My motivation for writing Broken In Soft Places as I did came from needing to talk about one of the elephants in the room; something we all know about but seldom explore in fiction. These polyamorous relationships exist but discussing the truth around what happens with the people involved is what can be considered taboo.

What do you say to readers who are surprised by the three-way relations in your novel? That’s a good question. I’ve already had readers express a certain amount of shock by the plot and characters of the novel. My response is that I wanted to write something different, true and challenging. I don’t exactly think of it as controversial, but it could be thought-provoking. I’ll always write lesbian characters (like Sara) but their sexual relationships may not always be monogamous or even easily defined by the constructs of accepted social behavior. And their stories, just like in real life, may not end as expected.

Sara is a fractured soul and Rille is a free spirit if I’ve ever seen one. What did it take to write both characters who seem polar opposites? I started off writing about Sara and all the pain she was suffering. And it was through her “broken” spirit that Rille’s character was born. I wondered what type of woman would Sara be attracted to and why? When the answer came to me, it wasn’t about how this woman would look and identify, but about her attitude in the world. This attitude is what Sara wants to embrace for herself. She desires freedom. She wishes she didn’t care what the world thinks. She wants to be stronger. Rille is the embodiment of all these yearnings.

Have you ever been in a poly relationship? No, I haven’t. I’ve been approached about being in one; it isn’t for me.

If you could have a threesome with any celebrities, whom would they be? Michelle Rodriguez and Eve, but Michelle would have to be tied up. I’ve heard she gets violent.

Jun 2 2013

Pit Crew: How to Survive a Spiritual Pit Stop by Renair Amin

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pitcrewPublisher/Date:  Glover Lane Press, Dec. 2012
Genre(s):  Lesbian Real Life, How to Guide
Pages:  98
Website:  http://www.renairamin.com

Rating: ★★★★½ 

PIT CREW: HOW TO SURVIVE A SPIRITUAL PIT STOP, is both author Renair Amin’s testimony and a gift to anyone struggling with life and its many bumps along the way.

Her life saw tragedies of rape, a miscarriage, and family loss. She experienced being institutionalized, homeless and on drugs. Enduring what she felt God unjustly thrust upon her, Amin started taking stock and realized everything is a pattern, a track so to speak. And instead of letting life keep taking her around and around in confusion, she knew she needed support to get her life back in stride.

Hence the Pit Crew. Crafted from the Disney/Pixar animated movie Cars, Amin’s book revolves around the concept needing a set of trusted people in your life to fix you, uplift you, and check you when you need it.  Simply put, nobody can do this life alone, and Amin gives you the tools to see who’s important to your journey.

Amin explains the roles your pit crew plays – from the Crew Chief (God), the Car Chief, the Jackman, the Tire Changers/Carriers, the Gas Man and Utility Man – each one has a special role, and all work together to make you better. Her model doesn’t absolve you of personal responsibility, though. You are ultimately in the driver’s seat, and the decisions you make – especially whom you allow in your Pit Crew – is all on you. She emphasizes this with the thoughtful questions for discussion at the end of each Pit Crew description. You have to do the work. Also, learn to be still and learn your life lessons.

Amin, a minister, motivational speaker, and  life coach, writes with honesty and a desire to help women winding around a never-ending track with no finish line in sight. There is a never a time we won’t have issues in our lives, problems in our relationships and troubles on our jobs, but Amin’s book makes the bumps easier. Her own story, as a catalyst to writing this book, is poignant. I admire her courage share this story – her story – with the world.

Thank you, Renair.

Reviewed June 2013

Read the Catching Up With… Interview with Renair Amin

Jun 2 2013

Domestically Cursed: A Story on Partnership Violence by Renair Amin

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domesticallycursedPublisher/Date:  Glover Lane Press, Apr. 2013
Genre(s):  Lesbian Real Life, How to Guide
Pages:  39
Website:  http://www.renairamin.com

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

When your back is against the wall – figuratively and literally – in an abusive relationship, you can either sign your permission slip for the beatings to happen again or you can fight to save your life. Although it took more than one instance for her to decide which way to go, Renair Amin finally figured it out in DOMESTICALLY CURSED: A STORY ON PARTNERSHIP VIOLENCE.

Though the media would have one to believe same-sex abuse doesn’t happen or is not as dire or critical because it’s two women or two men, it is. According to lambda.org, the rates of domestic violence in same-gender relationships is roughly the same as domestic violence against heterosexual women (25%). Amin knows the devastating effects, and Dometically Cursed is her contribution to stop this epidemic…or save a life.

Domestically Cursed is Amin’s time in a relationship she knew from jump would be no good for her. She was 21, dating Chris, a woman twice her age. Amin wasn’t exactly what Chris wanted, but she tried to make it work. Her age and inexperience led her stay in an over-her-head relationship, with many nights of torture from the woman who supposedly loved her.

Hindsight being 20/20, Amin had her instincts about the relationship. Her friends expressed concern. Her mother warned her against it. Even Chris warned her, telling her, “I beat my women.” She brushed these red signs aside. Nothing could deter Amin from being with this woman. Chris’ aggressive nature drew her in, but it soon was used against her to abandon her friends, be talked down to and be beaten on a regular basis. She had signed her permission slip, so to speak, to allow it to happen, but it couldn’t continue.

This is where Amin’s story takes off. Maybe I shouldn’t use the word story because this was her life. She survives the abuse, and fortunately, realized what void Chris filled in her life to allow her stay in such a dysfunctional relationship. Any woman reading Amin’s words can place themselves in her shoes, if they haven’t already been there themselves. She conveys what an abuser really is. She also provides invaluable resources to get help for women stuck in this situation. Because there is a way out.

Amin – minister, motivational speaker, and life coach – can attest to that.

Reviewed June 2013

Read the Catching Up With… Interview with Renair Amin

May 28 2013

Top Ten Tuesday Freebie: Memorable Stud Characters

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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 Memorable Stud Characters (Top Ten Tuesday Freebie)

Studs…that enigma of a woman with masculine sensibilities. They’re handsome, strong, and still vulnerable in their emotions to share with us femmes. Studs are also the topic of today’s Top Ten Tuesday. Since this week was a Freebie topic, I decided focus on Memorable Stud Characters. Join me, will you?

  1. Denise, Cooley, Nic (of the Choices series by Skyy):  The studs in Skyy’s Choices series are women we’ve all dated, desired or dumped. That’s what makes Denise (the sensitive one), Cooley (the playa), and Nic (the supportive one) such great characters. I’ll hate for these studs’ stories to come to an end in Full Circle, out now.
  2. Symone Holmes (of I Am Your Sister series by Ericka K. F. Simpson):  An engaging stud, Symone is intelligent and strong-willed. She can also be hard-headed, as well. But she is, most of all, an honest stud.
  3. Tee (of The Space Our Love Demands by Kionne Nicole): Funny and full of life, Tee is the best friend of main character Hadiyah Matthews, but she steals the scene. She’s both book smart and street smart, and has a great head on her shoulders. She needs to have her own book now.
  4. Cleopatra Giovanni (of She Wants Her by Tasha C. Miller): Cleo’s magnetic personality draws women to her like bees to honey. There’s just something about her personality that engages both gay and straight women, but her vulnerability and power to love in spite of her past are her strongest points.
  5. bull-jean (of the bull-jean stories by Sharon Bridgforth): a rough-talkin’, blue-collar bulldagga in the 1920s, bull-jean is a willing participant in love. bull-jean falls in love faster than greased lightning, and has no problem expressing her feelings to the one she loves. She’s a walking poem.
  6. Teren Ramsey (of Nothing Short of a Rainbow by Kaution): Teren plays hard as a college basketball star. She loves just as hard. The torch she holds for a college sweetheart is endearing. She gets plenty of action in the meantime, though.
  7. London Walters (of London Reign by A. C. Britt): Kicked out of her house for being gay, London does what she gotta do to stay alive on the Boston streets. London is a real stud-thug, but you see she has heart.
  8. Chan Parker (of Dying for a Change by Sean Reynolds): Cool-as-a-fan, Chan Parker is a 33-year-old numbers runner, working her dead-end profession with all the enthusiasm of a broken toaster. When called upon to solve a murder, her boyish good looks and wicked smarts help her get the job done. Amen!
  9. Rémi Bouchard (of Hungry For It by Fiona Zedde): Remi is a smooth — she manages pulls an older woman, her best friend’s mother to be exact. And she’s deep. And sexy. And romantic. And did I mention sexy?
  10. Lieutenant Perri Stone (of the Inside Out series by Juin Charnell): Charming but tough as nails, prison investigator, Perri Stone has issues in work and at home. She rises above though, and never let her inmates, colleagues, or girlfriend see her sweat.

Who is your most memorable or favorite stud character? A stud character you wish existed in the flesh?

May 21 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: 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(s):  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: 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