Romance Slam Jam Author Interviews Part 3
May 3, 2012
Romance Slam Jam Interviews with Deatri King-Bey, Jae Henderson, Kianna Alexander (Alexander Kane), B.A. Binns, Ann Clay, Yahrah St. John, A’ndrea Wilson, and Earl Sewell.
Romance Slam Jam Author Interviews Part 2
May 1, 2012
Author interviews with Marilyn Tyner, Denise Jeffries, Keith Thomas Walker, Koko Brown, Farrah Rochon, Rhonda McKnight, Sean Russell, Alice Wootson
Romance Slam Jam Author Interviews Part I
April 23, 2012
Beverly Jenkins, Chanta Rand, Deborah Fletcher Mello, Evelyn Palfrey, Iris Bolling, Laura Parker Castoro, Wayne Jordan, Pamela Samuels Young
A Review of Wayne Jordan’s To Love You More
April 19, 2012
To Love You More is a story of second chances. Wayne Jordan’s latest title is set in his native Barbados. A high school romance is sparked when the young George Simpson finds himself attracted to the studious and gifted Rachel Davis. Muscular and ruggedly sexy George is a skilled player both at cricket and romance. So skilled he’s known to provide mind blowing sex without coital contact. Aware of his reputation Rachel has every intention of avoiding the snare of his romantic overtures.
George falls in love and Rachel is unable to resist his persistent pursuit. She is forced to casts aside her best laid plans. Together they plan for a future setting their ambitions on becoming attorneys, marrying and raising a family. Rachel travels to London for college and law school while George pursues his legal studies close to home in the Caribbean. For a while the long distance romance works with the two reuniting during breaks.
As their long held plans to marry are about to materialize George is faced with a career changing opportunity to pursue a graduate fellowship abroad. He then reconsiders marriage while Rachel faces her own dilemma. The relationship ends as most do where there is lack of communication and trust. Rachel releases George from his matrimonial promise allowing him to pursue his dream. She in turn enters into a marriage of convenience to another.
12 years later Rachel a widow returns to Barbados where George is successfully practicing law. An accomplished attorney in her own right she finds herself as opposing counsel in a high profile case. Feelings that long lay fallow are reawakened and old wounds are reopened. The two must somehow come to terms on whether to take a second chance on love.
In To Love You More Wayne Jordan proves to be as skilled at arousal and satisfaction as his character George. It’s a hot and steamy romance. Then again I should have expected no less. Wayne Jordan is the consummate romance writer who s brings to life the hearts and minds of fictional characters romantic entanglements as few can. In his 2011 novel Saved by Her Embrace his character Sandra Walters earned him a Romance Slam Jam’s Heroine of Year Emma Award nomination. To Love You More may very well be a 2012 Emma contender. 5 Stars
A Review of Ebony the Beloved by Hannah Spivey
February 13, 2012
This is a story of the worst kind of childhood. Ebony while growing up in a dysfunctional household suffers physical and verbal abuse by her parents. Reduced to a pathetic creature she suffers similar abuse in school. A school official discovers her plight and rescues Ebony taking her into a caring home. One would think Ebony would be humbled and grateful finally being showered with love and attentive care. But poor Ebony can’t seem to handle her new life. Having been deprived of a healthy family relationship with low self esteem her carnal desires leads her back into trouble. It seems being deprived of the normal joys of growing up the teenager develops a fast feisty and frisky attitude. She’s wears stylish clothes, gets a perm, and discovers lipstick and jewelry. Suddenly inexperienced in life she thinks she grown.
Ebony rejects the warming advice of her care taker and becomes involved with an older man. A wealthy pop star, Desmond is handsome and charming with a South Beach mansion. He sweeps the young girl off her feet and into his inescapable clutches. Desmond proves not to be the man she thought. Oblivious to reasons why an older man would be interested in an under age girl she believes it’s only natural because of her desirable beauty. After a series of clandestine meetings Ebony finds herself snagged in another dysfunctional relationship. Held against her will she’s reduced to a sex slave.
The story has an interesting twist at first you feel sympathy for poor Ebony, but that sympathy is quickly lost as the story advances. Initially Ebony is a victim of her circumstances of which she had no control, but when her physical appearance improves that downtrodden beaten lack of self esteem takes an about face. When Ebony is left to her own devices she becomes a victim of her own making. But there is growth, the beaten down trodden girl finally finds the wherewithal to fight back. Suddenly she reaches the tipping point transformed with a new found strength no longer willing to take the abuse she had long suffered from her parents and others.
Ebony the Beloved is an interesting read which at times forces the reader to suspend belief although stories of sex slaves and abuse are by there very nature despicable and unbelievable. At times preachy it took me awhile to grow into the story I believe because the author failed to adhere to the cardinal rule of fiction i.e. show don’t tell, nevertheless, overall the novel comes to a satisfying conclusion. 4 stars
