26 posts from February 2008

Color Me Butterfly by L.Y. Marlow

Amazon Rating: 4

by Tavares S. Carney

A Blessing and A Curse

In this no-holds barred memoir, L.Y. Marlow does an excellent job of drawing readers into the pain of her past.  Color Me Butterfly is filled with vivid scenarios entailing physical and emotional abuse at the hands of the men in her grandmother’s, her mother’s, her own and her daughter’s lives.  While stories such as this are not unheard of, Ms. Marlow does a good job in sharing with readers her family’s particular story. 

The blessing is that the women in this family clearly have a strong bond, sustaining each other and seeing each other through some very tough times.  The curse is that a cycle of physical and emotional abuse was perpetuated down through the years.  The novel clearly shows that Ms. Marlow not only lived her family’s history, but actually took the time to research and talk to her elders.  It shows her legacy is important to her.  I particularly appreciated the fact that Ms. Marlow eventually recognized the downward spiral and sought to change circumstances surrounding her and her daughter, Treasure, in hopes of breaking the cycle of abuse.  Only time will tell if the cycle has been broken. 

Admittedly, I would have liked to have learned what affects the abuse had on her male siblings in their relationships, if any, during their adult lives; however, this was a good, engaging read for me overall.  I recommend Color Me Butterfly to victims of domestic violence, victims of sexual abuse, families that have had to or are dealing with these issues, including the effects the abuse has, such as mental illness and suicidal tendencies, as well as readers that favor or are interested in a well written memoir.

Paperback: 422 pages
Publisher: El Publishing (February 5, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0978732057
ISBN-13: 978-0978732059

Network with the author, L.Y. Marlowe:

Color Me Butterfly

Afroetry Book Cover

Listen to authors and community leaders speak out on ways to improve the African-American community and publishing world. Enter here>>>

Thank you, Ella Curry
President/CEO EDC Creations
Sankofa Literary Society Founder
Black Authors Network Founder
Marketing Director A GOOD BOOK
Literary Director POWER MAGAZINE
Black History Month Website

Thug's Passion by Tracy Gray

Thug_Passion

"A Thug + Romance = Thug's Passion! What a beautiful thing. Every page was worth me turning."
--Essence Best Selling Author, KaShamba Williams

Paperback: 300 pages
Publisher: Precioustymes Entertainment (June 30, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0977650766
ISBN-13: 978-0977650767

Book Description
To those on the outside looking in, Passion Hill seems to have it all. She's stunning, self-assured and spoiled. She looks and acts like she's living a charmed life. But looks can be deceiving. Passion's life has been anything but picture perfect. In her 23 years, she's lost a lot. At the age of nine, she was left to mourn her mother's brutal death at the hands of her father's enemies. Thirteen years later, she found herself standing over yet another gravesite crying bitter tears. This time, it was her boyfriend, Lorenzo who was stretched out in the casket. He too, was the victim of a vicious slaying. After facing the tragedy of losing Lorenzo, Passion makes a promise to herself.

She's through messing with hustlers. No more misery and pain. She wants to close the door on that chapter of her life and move on. She's managed to put her life back together with the help of her father, her step mother and Lorenzo's best friend, Jinx Waters. For the first time in years, she's actually happy. She's determined to keep things moving in a positive direction by maintaining her stance on not messing with hustlersuntil she meets Solomon Kent. Solomon Kent is everything Passion wants to avoid. He's unreliable. He's cocky. And he's a baller. He's the last thing she needs in her life. But he's also handsome, funny, sexy and GENEROUS. He's exactly what she needs in her life but at what cost? What's a female to do when her head and her heart are at odds about what's best for her?

About the Author
Tracy Gray is a native of Chicago, Illinois. Since childhood she s loved reading, which inspired her to try her hand at writing. It quickly became an obsession for her, as she penned her debut novel, Thug's Passion, in 20 days. Tracy considers her style of writing Urban Romance, as opposed to Street Fiction. She is currently putting the finishing touches on her second novel, Good and Plenty.

Struck_Cyd Webster

Book Title: Struck By Lightning and other bolts of reality
 
New Short Story Collection Explores Pitfalls of Relationships

Cyd Webster inspires discussion and evaluation of
romantic relationships in a series of short “legacies of dysfunction”, Struck by
Lightning and Other Bolts of Reality (now available through AuthorHouse).
The characters in the stories illustrate the problems that can occur when
baggage from the past is drawn into current relationships. The various couples
appear normal on the outside, but are engulfed in trauma and turmoil behind
the closed doors of their homes. “The characters are narrowly wedged into
tunnel vision, where options and choices seem limited, and settling in their
circumstances becomes the only answer they can imagine,” says Webster.

Each story addresses different stages of romantic love, from single people
looking for companionship to couples involved in marriage, cohabitation or
infidelity. George and Sheila’s conflicting motives lead to maddening
misunderstandings for them both. Tonya, desperate to have a man, ignores
the fact that Lewis has psychotic tendencies. Marsha becomes a caretaker
and martyr as Craig’s dependent lifestyle threatens to destroy her. Charles
and Joan end up in a long-term relationship that is built on a lie but continues
in a manner of twisted convenience. Ronald and Tricia find themselves in a
rocky, violent relationship based on shallow ideals. Candy recklessly searches
for love, and Black and Shareef take the opportunity to satisfy their desires
at her expense. Pastor Jetson and Alison are torn by a happenstance meeting
and strong attraction.

Webster hopes to inspire dialogue in readers as they relate the characters’
exploits to their own lives. “These stories are based on experiences that
many people can identify with, although most people do not want to talk
about these kinds of issues,” she says. “These are stories about everyday
people who are working out scenarios in their lives with what they bring
to it and what is presented to them.”

Webster was born in East Orange, NJ, and lived in Orange, NJ most of her
life. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University and attended
graduate school at Montclair State University. She has since worked in
the field of information systems technology. Writing has always been her
passion, and she has had several articles published in company newsletters.
Struck by Lightning and Other Bolts of Reality is her first book. More
information is available at Cyd's World.

Available at AuthorHouse – www.authorhouse.com.
This title can be ordered at bookstores or ordered at your preferred on-line retailer.
 
Distributors: AuthorHouse
Paperback: 140 pages
Publisher: AuthorHouse (April 26, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1425968147
ISBN-13: 978-1425968144

View inside the book by clicking here

About the Author
 
Cyd Webster was born in East Orange, NJ in 1958 and raised in Orange where she has spent most of her life. After

graduating from Orange High School in 1976, she left Orange to attend college in Columbus, Ohio at The Ohio State

University where she graduated with a BA degree in 1980. After attending Graduate School at Montclair State

University, she moved on to a career in Information Systems Technology.

 
Writing has always been her passion and she travels with a journal on all of her excursions. But those journals only

add to her cache of writings that go back many years as she has a wealth of life to reflect on and express.  Although

she has had articles published in company distributed newsletters, this is her first endeavor to share her collection of

short stories she wrote during convalescence in 2006.
 
Visit her website at:  www.cydwebster.com
 

 
 SLS Intimate Conversations Showcase

Recently Ella Curry, CEO of EDC Creations (www.edc-creations.com) and founder of the Sankofa Literary Society (www.sankofaliterarysociety.org)  had the opportunity to talk with the author of the  book Struck by
Lightning and Other Bolts of Reality, Cyd Webster.

SLS Intimate Conversations Interview Questions

Tell us something about the story that we can’t read on the cover.
These stories are social commentary that bring out issues that many people live with, but do not discuss. My hope was to get discussion going, and it is doing exactly that! Already I have had one person who read my book set up a 'discussion party' where everyone brought my book and we discussed our favorite stories and issues surrounding the characters. Ignoring these issues won't make them go away. We must confront dysfunction and realize that 'Happiness is a Choice'.

 
What makes this novel different from others in it’s genre?
I think that my style of writing pulls people right into the stories where they can relate even if only by knowing people who are like the characters.

 
Tell us a little something about your publishing journey. Did you have a manuscript that was submitted to several publishers?
I chose AuthorHouse after doing some research on a variety of publishing avenues. I took some direction from Writer's Digest in making my decision.

 
Is any of this story autobiographical? Were any scenes from the book inspired from what you know, or it is through your imagination?
Its a mixture of my reality and my imagination... which is vivid and bizarre :)

 
In what way did these characters reveal themselves to you?
Some I sketched and others were born out of the flow while I was writing these stories.
 

In your opinion, what is the absolute best thing about being a writer?
I love expressing my thoughts and sometimes I m so intrigued about events in my life I just feel I have to write them down.
 
As a new author, what would you say was your most difficult challenge in completing your novel?
Forcing myself to make time to write. It's still difficult to do as I am working on my next book which will be a novel.

 
What are your favorite things about the main three characters?
There are so many characters in my book, but I character in the third story who is an independent woman who has learned to enjoy her life.

 
Were they hard characters to depict?
Not really... I had a lot of experience to draw from.

 
What’s the biggest compliment you’ve been getting on this book?
That the reader was intrigued from the start and couldn't put the book down until they finished it.

 
As a writer, what are some of the most important things you try to get across through your books?
We can do better!
 
 
What kinds of research did you do, particularly in terms of setting, since your book takes place in multiple locations.
I mostly used my own life experience so it wasn't hard to imagine the settings I used.

 
Who are your writing influences? Which books have impacted you and  your approach to writing novels?
Wow... It's very hard to say since I have such an eclectic taste in books.

 
 
What is your definition of success? Serenity.

 
What are some tips for aspiring authors who are interested in breaking into the publishing industry?
Subscribe to Writer's Digest. It is a wealth of information.

In your opinion, what is the absolute best thing about being a writer?
I love expressing my thoughts and sometimes I am so intrigued about events in my life I just feel I have to write them down.