ConTest: Double Life Review

ConTest: Double Life by Raheim Brooks

As submitted by me to Writer's Vibe Magazine.

Justice Lorenzo, an extraordinary character, a masterful felon with many tricks up his sleeve that could scare the average identity theft victim has real charisma. He undoubtedly knows his way around the criminal sector of life and has manipulated this way of life to cater to his needs and wants. As his arrogance, snappy responses and knowledge of the law make him a believably cocky character he is also smart, crafty and resourceful. Mr. Brooks did a good job getting us to believe that this man is unscrupulous.

William Fortune, another hot character who has the charm and money to swoon most women of destitute manner, but he has an award winning wife who is by no other standards a Ride-Or-Die chick. Her high profile job and beauty would cripple the ego of an insecure man, but not William Fortune. He’s a Best Selling criminal writer who happens to have a really close connection to Justice Lorenzo, whose life he is bringing to the pages of every manuscript in his writing career. No wonder the story is so good, it’s fiction based on reality.

This book is truly a gem of a plot filled with deception and mystery but the writing style of the author is quite complex. Numerous chapters ended at points that left the reader wondering what just happened, especially since it never picked up until the later chapters where Mr. Brooks pulled the loose ends together. A plus side is that each chapter was short (no more than 4 pages) which gave the reader great breakpoints and a feel that they were progressing through the book.

Another reference point to this book that I need to mention is how at times the author had so much to say about a scene that when it hit the paper, it didn’t flow as smoothly as the reader would want it to.

On page 193, “William continued to drive away from Silverstein’s in an emergency situation. Dire. In that post-9/11 society everyone had a practiced method to handle all emergencies. He responded to his alarm going off as quickly as inmates in a California pen hitting the ground when a tower guard yelled, “Yard Down!”  If that was true, why was William dragged out of his car at gun point by a masked man. A man that he didn’t not know……”

This excerpt let me asking these questions: Why do we have a post 9/11 reference? What alarm, I thought the man was driving? Why are we talking about jail calls when you just told me about 9/11? If he is driving how did he get pulled out his car? If the man was masked, how would he know who it is?

All in all, I liked the plot and what Mr. Brooks seemingly has to offer the literary community but editing and scene fluidity needs to improve.

Ace of Spade Review

Ace of Hearts by Jean Holloway

This first book in what the author affectionately calls the Deck of Cards series has really captivated my interest because it was a very easy read. It moved along at a reasonable pace which allowed me to understand and feel for the minor characters. The author did a great job incorporating likeable characters among the deadliest phenoms she brought to life. I would have liked to have seen the main characters more developed historically so that I actually know why they interacted the way that they did. 

For a few readers, the book may appear full of murder and sex. But I assure you, there is enough suspense to envelope the entire book as the sinister deeds of maraud happen in the first 10 pages.

As the first African American female officer to lead her department, Detective Shevaughn Robinson experienced the most tempestuous day of her career. Basically, she meets the most alluring reporter that she has ever met who wants to get to know her in all senses of knowing.  Despite the fact that during her interview with this attractive Caucasian, she is then presented with a case that just might make-or-break her career.  A serial killer is on the prowl and he’s looking to meet a dream name Shevaughn.

A mastermind of sorts that absolutely has no mind left is the other main character of the story. Well actually, he is the story. Eric Becker a wealthy executive for an advertising firm, who is more secure with his corner office than he is with his sexual prowess. That is, until he got a taste of what really drives him wild. With Eric’s undeniable power and financial resources he gets more and more determined to quench his thirst for total domination over his intended targets. His appetite of desire takes a strong constitution to handle but an even stronger constitution to read, as he takes S&M to a whole other level. 

The reader can’t help but exhibit mixed emotions when reading each fetish scene.

Based on the ending of this book, and despite the fact that at times the storyline can be predicted, I would strongly recommend reading this book and the next installment to see how Jean Holloway continues the drama. 

Valentine Review by D.V. Hent

Valentine was hot, sexy and fast paced and yet seemed like a primetime movie on Sunday nights when Sunday's use to be great TV drama night.  The heroin named Charlie who was the most annoying character I had ever read. But as the reader I wanted her to have her just deserved vengeance on those that wronged her. However I didn't care for her overly zealous moral fiber that clearly made her a closet bi-curious woman. The author did a superb job of creating a female character with mixed emotions and who evoked mixed emotions.

My favorite character is the villainous vixen, known as Valentine, who was actually a hero that exuded a “bad girl” disposition. And I use that term very loosely. This woman was the pistol packing, knob slobbing, sexual deviant law breaker of the century. But with all her assets, crafts and technology it was hard to believe that she was unbreakable.

Between car chases, shoot outs, explosions and a death sentence, the author had Valentine virtually walking away unscathed. Although if you sit back and reflect on the events of the book it may seem unbelievable but is easily ignored due to the intensity of each scene.

As an assassin, predicting habit is expected but Valentine predicted habit and the future. This was truly a story for television, maybe even a cable series. A page turner to read, I really didn’t want to see this story end. There were a few editing mishaps but nothing that required a second look. The sarcastic banter was appropriately placed throughout the book and the sexual passages were not overly done to be misconstrued as lust or smut.

This was a well rolled out storyline with a twist at the end. I truly enjoyed the book and its characters (no matter how annoyed I got. But I could not help but thinking "Wow, this should be on TV."

You can take it as a good thing or a bad thing but I recommend you get a copy of Valentine to experience what power, money, sex, drama and sacrifice has to offer.

Single and a Mom

After much criticism and debate with other people in my position, here I am again trying to defend something that doesn’t make much sense to me.  Single Mommyhood.  It’s a shame because that isn’t even a word.  I typed it and my spell check went crazy.

But all in all here I am defending my position against those that ridicule and mind fornicate me into believing that this was a conscious choice I made, to be where I am and how I am.  In some respect they are right, because I CHOSE not to abort….but that is another topic. 

With statistics that say my child has a higher rate of imprisonment, early copulation, multiple sexual partners, anger management issues, gang affiliations, social disconnections, minimal moral character, lower test scores and all around being an educational failure. Why would any woman WANT to be a single mom?

Although it seems the odds are stacked against us, we top off our persecution with a question and answer session about the fathom man and his whereabouts.  As I silently contemplated my response, I wanted to say “That ghetto euphemism

crapped out, and lost the testicles he held on to so dearly, when trying to get me to believe that he was a real man.”

But instead I said “Baby your dad is a busy man who’s gotta work out some things within himself”. That was some nice defecation for a youngster to absorb, but instead of that being that, God gave me a child with a brain that has working synapses who continued to make me regret my sexual choices.  I don’t know how they do it but man o man they do it with such eloquence.

Like a locomotive, he began to roll full steam ahead with one question after another, as I shook my head and reached for my glass of brown poison. “Well mom what is he busy doing? Little Johnny’s dad always come to our recitals, did you invite my dad? When can he come visit or can we go see him?” and the worse one of them all, “Mom, are you the only family I got?”

CRACK!!!! My heart just broke.

For a single mom the fate of our child/ren is the most important decision making catalyst we have. Many would have you believe that single moms are the reason that our society is in shambles but I don’t agree.  Now, there will be some men who read this and not understand or like what I’m saying.  And that is okay because the truth is often the hardest thing to accept and equally hard to hear. Truth has no beauty in it and it has no outspoken recognizable friends.   It is however one vessel of empowerment and is guilt free.

But in order to combat an epidemic that according to most is the plight of African American cultures, it is necessary to tell the truth, and to accept your role in the demise of the race. A lot of single moms are that way because of divorce, their spouse died, or they just don’t want to expose their child/ren to random men. All of these things are understandable and noble reasons, however when the generalization is made, these noble moms get clumped with the bad specimens that use their uterus as a high paying job with vacation benefits.

There are good moms and not-so-good moms and respect is owed to those that are putting in the work instead of running away from their responsibilities and exalting in the ecstasy which bore fruit from those 30 minutes of sexual labor. Some of us chose to hold our head up high to nurture and cultivate the future we created and for that, you as the onlooker should be building our esteem, not tearing it down.

Society loves to focus on the negative, giving them all the attention that is undeserving of them and yet those that would appreciate an ounce of consideration are still waiting on our just due.

I write this article not to beat a dead horse or to dispel the validity of any statistics but I’m writing this article to say that despite popular belief most women don’t aim to be a single parent and most don’t even like it.  However it is a necessary evil and those of us that are doing our best and making the sacrifices for our children would appreciate if you back up off our coattails with the negative statistics, connotations and stereotypes.  In your backlash of single mommyhood it would probably be more beneficial if you aimed your rhetoric to a specific model, maybe even check those in your own family.

So in closing put that in your statistical pipe and smoke it!  Because I’m one of many single moms and proud of it and we will prove your negative analysis of us to be, not valid; without force or foundation and indefensible. Real Single Moms Holding it Down, UNITE!!!  If we don’t do it, who will?