NUMBER 125
Yes, yes, yes, I am aware that it has been three weeks since my last blog and for those who take the time to really read my blog, tell their friends about it and buy some of the books I promote: “I love yah, earnestly and fully!!! Without you, I would not have a blog… Stop talking VaLinda and get to the blog.
Part Time Job at the Asylum
It’s 14 months and so far, no drama, I mean, no drama. It has been quiet since my last update on my favorite “blogger people.” Gail is still fussing and cussing, not in front of the store as she has in the past, but to friends and her sister who works with me on the weekends. She will eventually find a job as soon as she gives up the hate and moves forward. It would leave her sister without transportation. So either I or someone else would drive her home (a two bedroom apartment in a very run down neighbor). She has been living with her sister and their four kids in tow, receiving food stamps, and Medicare. I can understand that though since this job pays very little for any human being to live on. I don’t mind giving her a ride when I can. She is very pleasant and always happy. I’m not too sure about her selection of men, but I made a few mistakes in my life too, so I cannot judge.
I don’t know if I ever told you about three people who left a few months ago after only a few weeks. Three young, black men who I thought had it together. One just barely graduated from high school and his mother found this job for him. He wasn’t happy working there and wanted more for his life, as he stated to me repeatedly, so he quit. Didn’t call, just never showed up again. The other young man was good looking, intelligent and had a beautiful smile. He was in tech school and working real hard as well as looking for another part time job. What I did not know, until he finally found a full time job in maintenance, was that he dropped out after one semester and he has five, 5 kids by two different women!!! What the hell was he thinking? He left three weeks after he started, but he at least told the manager. The third started working on a Saturday and the following Saturday when I returned, he was gone. Didn’t call or show up to say he was leaving, he just disappeared and he was also living with his mother, his girlfriend and their baby. It’s me isn’t it!! I asked to be surrounded by so many crazies!
Another woman, a 45 or 50 year old black woman, Cynthia, was working pretty well and I gave up my Friday’s in order for her to have the full 40 hour week. I didn’t mind, I have a full time job with great benefits so I know how hard it is and I know how much she could have used it. So what’s the story, she lived near Gail and her sister. Since Gail was the only one with a car, (A car she got from the “jacked up on the road dealer with mob interest rates) and since Cynthia did not have a driver’s license, she just road along with them. Cynthia lived with her boyfriend who did not work, but received social security. Don’t know what and didn’t ask. The fourth week she worked, she did not show up for two days. Everyone tried to reach her by phone as well as her apartment to no avail. Finally, Cynthia called after three days and said she was not able to get a ride. They did ask why didn’t she call the manager three days ago and someone would have helped, but no real answer. Later they found that when she was not able to get a ride, her boyfriend would give her a ride on his bike (not motorcycle), his bike. She would sit on the handle bars and ride the 8 miles on it to work. It’s me isn’t it? I started calling her “bicycle babe.” She didn’t come back and we were told weeks later that she found a job at a nearby hotel in maintenance. If I mentioned these people before, sorry, but I happen to see one of them at the store and nothing had changed, not a damn thing.
You see, it’s me isn’t it? Here are some more books from the SC Book Festival in May that I forgot to mentioned.
YOUNG FOLKS
OLIVE PEART – THE INTRUDERS - $4.31 - - - Six teenagers from the Bronx set out to explore a cave in their neighborhood and end up three centuries into the future. After saving the life of one member of a tribe, the Bronx teens are accepted. Within weeks, however, they find themselves in the middle of a fight for survival. Another tribe living in Manhattan is bent on wiping out the tribe in the Bronx. These teenagers have a unique advantage in this war they know the land. For the six, this becomes a true adventure. However, all too soon their adventure becomes very real. Their dog dies, and now both friends and enemies are getting killed. This was no longer fun this was war!
OLIVE PEART – LINKED - $5.95 - - - After witnessing a violent quarrel between his parents, Greg feels confused, resentful, and angry. His father accused his mother of having an affair fifteen years ago. If it's true, this man may not be Greg's father. Into this mix comes the link. Steve hates his stepfather. He has struggled for years to find out why his mother would choose to remain with a man who physically abuses her. His fear is that his stepfather is actually his real father. Frustrated and angry, Steve goes for his stepfather's gun.
And then there is the link. Neither boy is able to deal with their family problems. And suddenly, help is available, they switched. Greg is now faced with Steve's family problems and Steve has Greg's. But that's not the least of it, Greg is black and Steve is white. Fearful that no one will believe the switch they struggle to survive.
OLIVE PEART – LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL: TRAITS THAT HELP & TRAITS THAT HURT - $2.99 - - - This no-nonsense text offers strategies for dealing with life after high school. The guide explains positive and negative traits that can help or hinder teens in their post high school life and gives readers tips to identify the path to success and avoid the route that often leads to failure.
TIFFANY A. FLOWERS & JAMES EUGENE - THE ROOFTOP CLUB - $4.00 - - - This is the first adventure of a series that will follow The Rooftop Club. The members have to deal with the bullies of their school. What will happen to the members of the rooftop club?
URBAN FICTION
PAT TUCKER – PARTY GIRL: A NOVEL - $9.99 - - - Twenty-nine-year-old Hope Donovan never pulled the trigger, but a simple choice landed her behind bars and on Texas’ Death Row. Hope accepted a ride from two neighborhood thugs. She was stunned when they were pulled over and all were arrested for a deadly convenience store robbery. Her case was quickly catapulted to an international platform and became a symbol in the heated debate over capital punishment. Everyone weighed in, but when mistakes from her past were dug up, the world was suddenly riveted and confused by two conflicting images of the young mother.
THA GENARALL – FROM THE DIRTY SOUTH TO SAINT LOUIE - $8.95 used paperback - - - I never heard of this author and it appears no one else either. There are no reviews, so if you get it, please submit a review. This is what they do show on Amazon, “Is an action packed three part drama with mystery, love and a lesson in morality. “From the Dirty South to Saint Louie” will make you laugh and cry as you are transported through this tale of hard times, good times and the triumph of good over evil, especially the trials of racism. This is a MUST read, once you pick it up you won’t be able to put it down.” We will see, won’t we?
OMEGIA KEEYS – SINGLE, BLACK, AND GOVERNMENT OWNED - $4.99 - - - Single, Black, and Government Owned is the explosive follow up to O. Keeys's critically acclaimed memoir, Rise and Fall of a Track Star - Rise and Fall of a Track Star - $4.99. After walking away from a rising track career Omegia joins the military and leaves her son at home with her family. For nearly thirteen years she balances being a single parent, dating, and her commitment to Uncle Sam. Single, Black, and Government Owned is an up close and personal view into the life of a woman overcoming the challenges of being a victim of sexual assault. This memoir takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride and will leave you feeling liberated.
OMEGIA KEEYS – KEEPING SECRETS - $99 cents - - - From the reviews I read, it’s a military romance story.
OMEGIA KEEYS – CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET - $3.99 - - - Monica has it all, a handsome entrepreneur for a husband, two adorable children, a big house in the suburbs, and a career as the Human Resources Manager at one of the largest insurance firms. Even in a tough economy, Monica lives the American dream. Then, one day, she comes home early from a business trip and finds out her husband is sleeping with another woman. After years of standing in her husband’s shadow, Monica uses his betrayal to jump start the life she always yearned for. In the hunt to find herself, Monica starts dating men on adult dating websites and working as an online cam girl. The excitement and allure of her new-found freedom has her living a double life. She is a career woman by day and vixen in her nightlife. Will Monica be able to keep her secret? Or, will her two worlds collide to bring her secret to life? Sounds like a Lifetime soap opera movie.
SHAMARA RAY – RECIPE FOR LOVE (ZANE PRESENTS) - $9.99 - - - Some times, I’m a fan of anything by ZANE and others, I can go without. Will give this one a try.
All the ingredients for the quintessential guilty pleasure: one part culinary delight, with a dash of romance, and a pinch of suspense, mixed up into a deliciously sexy novel.
Wouldn’t love be easy if it could be followed like a recipe? Jade, a sassy restaurateur has mastered her share of recipes except for one: she can’t figure out the essential ingredients when it comes to love. There is one too many men in the mix. Jade is struggling to come to terms with being dumped by Bryce after four years. She surprises herself by agreeing to a date with Cain, a mere three weeks after their painful break-up. But right as she moves on, Bryce decides that he wants her back. Jade can only hope that his obsessive pursuit of reconciliation doesn’t ruin her own pursuit of happiness.
Jade loves her new relationship with Cain, but her friends aren’t always supportive and she resorts to lies and deception. But just as Jade settles into life with Cain, her lies come back to haunt her and she has no one to blame but herself. She discovers that she must face the error of her own ways before it’s too late to salvage what matters to her most.
ALLISON HOBBS – BIG JUICY LIPS: DOUBLE DIPPIN' 2 (ZANE PRESENTS) - $11.99 - - - Pretty and petite, Misty is always plotting ways to get paid. It’s time to step up her game, and the bossy little diva comes up with an innovative plan to showcase Brick’s attributes to an affluent and freaky clientele. Big, muscular, and thuggish, Brick is so weak for Misty, he’s unable to refuse any of her outlandish get-money schemes. The money’s rolling in like crazy and life couldn’t be better until Misty falls hard for a man who looks exactly like her ex-lover, Shane. It’s bad enough that his name is Dane, but even more remarkable, he has Shane’s pantie-dropping good looks and his deliciously kissable, big juicy lips. So, what’s Misty going to do about her money-maker, Brick? Can she juggle two men? Or will she have to make the ultimate choice between money and love? I don't know, I really don't know about this one, but I will promote my authors.
SUZETTA PERKINS – AT THE END OF THE DAY (ZANE PRESENTS) - $9.99 - - - Beautiful Denise Thomas is going to finally marry the love of her life, the man she should have married in the first place. Harold is the cousin of her ex-husband, Marvin Thomas, and he’s also her baby’s daddy.
Sylvia and Kenny Richmond, Mona and Michael Broussard, Claudette and Tyrone Beasley, Trina and Cecil Coleman, and Rachel and Marvin Thomas—the ex-husband, come to New York to witness the beautiful wedding ceremony of Denise and Harold. They aren’t the only witnesses; Michael Broussard runs into an old friend, Dr. Madeline Brooks, at the reception. Michael and Madeline were classmates in medical school, but it appears that they have been more than book buddies. It doesn’t take Mona, Michael’s wife, long to break up the happy reunion.
The Thomases’ wedding day is one to remember, but what no one knows is that Denise has discovered a lump in her remaining breast and the happy couple’s new life together may be short-lived. At the end of the day, all that matters is the love and support of family and friends.
SUZETTA PERKINS – BETRAYED: A NOVEL (ZANE PRESENTS) - $9.99 - - - Nineteen years after she was raped, Mimi Bailey makes a desperate attempt to protect her secret when she returns to the scene of the crime.
Setrina “Mimi” Bailey is carrying a nineteen-year-old secret that she’d like to remain hidden forever. However, a move to Durham, North Carolina, threatens to expose her secret and forever disrupt the lives of those she’s protected from the truth all those years.
Mimi Bailey was raped by Victor Christianson, her best friend Brenda’s fiance, while they were in college. Now, Mimi’s daughter, Afrika, who is eighteen years old and college bound, wants to further her education at the same college where her mother still bears the scars of the crime. Mimi is unsuccessful in changing Afrika’s mind. And when Victor gets wind that Mimi is back in the area and has a daughter who looks very much like his own, he stops at nothing to chase them out of town and eliminate the reminder of his infidelity. A complex tale of mystery and suspense, Betrayed explores the fine line between passion and power and what we’ll do to protect the ones we love
CHRISTIAN FICTION
WANDA B. CAMPBELL AND OTHER AUTHORS – HOME AGAIN: STORIES OF RESTORED RELATIONSHIPS - $1.99 - - - Home Again is a compelling journey into the relationships that matter most: family, friends and self. Each story is founded on natural love, but will require the Father s love to heal the brokenness. Travel with husbands and wives, brothers, sisters, friends and families as they maneuver through life's hurts and betrayals while leaning on a power greater than themselves.
WANDA B. CAMPBELL - ILLUSIONS - $6.99 paperback - - - After three years of marriage, Denise Hightower discovers that her husband, Pastor Bryce Hightower, has an addiction; one that has plagued him for 17 years. Pastor Hightower’s subsequent denial and casual attitude toward his addiction jeopardizes not only his marriage, but impairs his ability to effectively preach the gospel. Following the biased advice of her mother and yielding to pressure from her husband, Denise agrees to keep his addiction a secret, although her self-esteem plummets. Denise’s life as the perfect First Lady unravels at the seams following the revealing of a family secret and betrayal at the hands of her best friend. Self-centered and determined to uphold his pastoral image, Bryce is oblivious to his wife’s emotional state. Convinced that he can overcome his little problem on his own, he rejects the spiritual help God sends him. When confronted with the addiction by a parishioner, will he be able to come clean with himself, God, and his congregation?
TYORA M. MOODY – WHEN RAIN FALLS - $8.49 - - - First her mother, then her detective husband Frank and now her best friend Pamela Coleman: Murder keeps striking down those who Candace Johnson loves most, and now she faces a terrible crisis of faith. Enter Detective Darnell Jackson. He’s determined to track down Pamela’s killer, but he’s going to need Candace’s help. In Darnell, she sees a chance for justice in Candace, he sees a beautiful, dynamic woman who desperately needs God in her life. As Candace reluctantly opens up about some unsavory aspects of her friend’s life, Darnell starts to see disturbing connections between Pamela’s killing and Frank’s. But the culprit is still out there, and if Candace and Darnell can’t put the pieces together soon, they may be the next victims!
DWAYNE RENAL SIMS - Founder of the Negro League Legends Hall Of Fame. Check out his website Legends@nllhof.org and tell me what history you know about the Negro League.
Got to get one in for Black History Year
RALPH RICHARD BANKS – IS MARRIAGE FOR WHITE PEOPLE: HOW THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MARRIAGE DECLINE AFFECTS EVERYONE - $12.99 - - - I got to repeat this since there's been so much talk lately of why woman can't find a man and that relationships are not lasting as they should. What do you think?
A quote from the author. “I hope through this book to extend and elevate the conversation about the decline in marriage among African Americans. While the book takes the reader inside the lives of college-educated black women, it also brings into view the broader economic and cultural shifts that have transformed the terrain of intimate relationships for everyone.
I highlight one development in particular in which black women not participated: interracial marriage. Even as they have the fewest viable potential partners within their group, black women lead the most segregated intimate lives in the nation. That's the issue at the heart of this book: Why haven't more black women found love across the color line? I explain why black women would benefit themselves and their race if they did so.”
I highlight one development in particular in which black women not participated: interracial marriage. Even as they have the fewest viable potential partners within their group, black women lead the most segregated intimate lives in the nation. That's the issue at the heart of this book: Why haven't more black women found love across the color line? I explain why black women would benefit themselves and their race if they did so.”
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