Black Kindle is HAPPY!!!

NUMBER 180

Sorry I did not post yesterday.  I’m trying to post once a week until I get better at posting twice a week.  You already receive enough e-mails, commercials, blogs, etc. to last you a life time.  I don’t wont you to delete my blog because you have so much to read.  So, today, I will try to keep it short and to the point.

Yesterday, I went to work for a few hours and hung out with my BFF - Nadia.  We usually attend lots of function from parties to something someone wants me to support and she comes along with me for the ride and company.  She is just a beautiful woman and any man with a great heart and soul, will worship her forever.  We have not been able to hang out and talk much because I’ve been on road trips, volunteering and drugged up from having lots of dental work done.  Those dentist are expensive as hell, but it has to be done if I’m going to do a video podcast and hopefully get my five minutes on CNN to talk about books.  

We went to the bookstore, ate some great food and saw the movie “Single Moms Club.”   I did not read or hear any good reviews about the movie, but I still wanted to see it to continue my support of movies by African Americans.  We enjoyed it and thought it was cute and not the laugh out loud movies of Tyler Perry’s previous others.  It was very introspective and enjoyable.  Go see it.  Support.  

After the movie, we continue to talk and catch up.  The weather was beautiful and sunny and it was one of the best days I have had in a long time.  Will see her this Saturday, when I run (really I’m walking) in the Book'n It! 5k Fun Run & Walk | ACTIVE to support the Readers 2 Leaders.  You know if it has something to do with getting books into the hands of kids and I will walk any where.  Please pray for me.  I have never been in a race before and today I’m starting my electronic cigarettes to help me stop smoking.  Boy am I going to need some serious praying.

On to BookS:

Ana E Ross - THE MOGUL’S RELUCTANT BRIDE (Billionaire Brides of Granite Falls) (Volume 2) - $3.99 - - - It was not, repeat, not a disappointment.  My but was up until midnight.  Was two hours late for work and cannot, cannot  wait to start on book three.  Ding Dong, Ding Dong!!! I am officially in love with Ms. Ross books.  This was the AWESOME!!!!!  

This is the second book and it starts with a blast.  Kaya is in Granite Falls for the funeral of her sister, whom did she not know about until recently and her sister's husband.  Unfortunately, three kids are left homeless, broke and without parents.  Bryce, a billionaire, arrives to take over raising the kids.  He has known both parents and kids since their birth.  He loves them as if they were his own.  Kaya on the other hand, wants to take them back to her home in Florida to raise.  She also finds out that since there is no insurance money to help her raise the kids, she and Bryce come to a “reluctant” agreement and marry.  For the kids sakes only. 

Eventually the seriousness of their attraction to each other, the intense stares, looks, lust in their eyes is damn more stronger than “HOT,” it is burning up in here.  The hurts and secrets of Kaya’s relationship with her father and sister, the hurts of a death in Bryce’s family as well as the pain and anger of the kids due to their loss, brings them all  together, but it's not going to be easy.  The story plots had me up all night wanting to find out more and more about Bryce and Kaya’s past.  The sexual and romantic erotic flavor is intense. I mean vehemently intense.  Watch out, you are going to get the third and want another and another from this writer.

The Mogul's Reluctant Bride (Billionaire Brides of Granite Falls) (Volume 2)

Ana E Ross - THE PAYBOY’S FUGITIVE BRIDE (Billionaire Brides of Granite Falls) (Volume 3) - $3.99 - - -

I was driving like a bat out hell to hurry home and start reading this book.  My goodness, she did it again.  

Massimo Luciano Andretti.  At this point I should mention that Erik, Bryce and Mass (his nickname) are all very close friends.  Well, Mass has “smooth olive complexion, black, wavy, shoulder-length hair, a wide sensuous mouth and eyes as blue as the Atlantic Ocean,” I like his character “Incredibilmente sensuale calda."  I don't know what it means (I could look it up on Googe), but who cares, it just sounds good coming from Mass.

He hooks up with Nia in an unusual way.  She needs to hide from some shady people and need money.  He has big money and was very available to accommodate her, since he needed a wife to hold on to an inheritance from a family member he has harbor some ill feelings toward.  He also see something in Nia eyes that reminds him of someone who he fell in love with.  "Sure, sure"

Oh, it gets hot between them and right now that's all I'm going to say because if you love romance without the "booty call," "bang, bang shoot them up urban style" and if want an unembellished, honest and a concrete romance story, "come to papa my little ciliegia one, and read this book." This was MIND-BOGGLING!!!!

The Playboy's Fugitive Bride (Billionaire Brides of Granite Falls) (Volume 3)

PAMELA SAMUELS YOUNG - ANYBODY'S DAUGHTER (ANGELA EVANS SERIES NO. 2) - $3.99 - - - I am one of Mrs. Young's biggest fan.  I met her in Houston a few years ago and I knew when I met her that she was one of the best crime/lawyer writer on this plant.  When she took the time to write this book about a young girl kidnapped into the world of sex trafficking, I bet her stomach and head did flip flops. 

Just as mine did when I read this book,  My GOD, it broke my heart over and over again to read about this young girl drama when she meets, what she think is a young boy, on Facebook and he turns out to be a crazy nut job stealing girls.  It is frighteningly heart breaking and this one has a happy ending, but if you know about this horrible business and why it is vital to watch and teach our children, read this book all the way to the end.  You can help save so many girls.  Just freaking gut-wrenching.  The plot is concise, brief and colloquial. 

Anybody's Daughter (Angela Evans Series No. 2)

Got to get one in for Black History Year:

MICHELE ANDREA BOWEN - CHURCH FOLK - $5.69 - - - 

This is a true black classic.  Since I was in the romance mood, and heartbroken with the sex trafficking deal, I went back and re-read this book.  It still reminds me of Peyton Place for Black folks (For those of you who do not know Peyton Place, see the movie with Lana Tuner it is a classic, at least that's what I thought at the time I read it the first time.

Essie Lee Lane marries a good preacher. A man who has to deal with sex, greed, politics and bad behavior of the members of the Greater Hope Gospel United Church (Long name I know!). You know how we are in church and Bowen’s writing puts it out there for all to see and hear.  A pretty funny book too!

Church Folk

Black Kindle - I told you the "Aslyum" was back!!!

I kinda miss those people at my part time job at the Asylum.  That's probably why I have not posted my blog more as I should.  Most people only want to hear about my "Asylum" co-workers. That's fine if you want, but I have been gone from them since October.  It took me a while to get back into having my weekends free.  I still feel 5 months later, a bit empty.  I guess when you keep a 7 day a week schedule for 3 years and just stop, your mind and body starts to wonder what the hell do I do now. Oh, well, I think I have found my new adventure with just as much craziness in people as every before.  For now, let me bring you up to date on my "Asylum" friends:

(A) The bathroom drug taker. That young, maybe gay or not, finally left one day and told everyone by, see you tomorrow and never showed up again.  One of the co-workers called him and found out he had another job.  He just did not want to come back.  The new job started in two weeks and he wanted some time off.  Time off!!! what the hell for.  He was one of the worse employee who prepared food without gloves, back talked customers, especially black women with bad weave and always in the bathroom doing drugs.  Really? A vacation!

(B) The crying woman who lives in a rundown trailer park with a boyfriend who does not work. I think and have heard that he sells drugs, but who knows.  She is still working, crying and still living in the same rundown trailer park with boyfriend who does not work.  She also continues to steal and make bacon sandwiches for him and her father.  

(C) The young shift manager pregnant with baby number 3 by daddy number 3 who is the brother to the prostitute.  She had a beautiful baby girl with daddy number 3.  He is still around, but not as much.  She is bored with him and have moved on to another man. 

(D) The prostitute. Yep, she works there too.  For a while I just thought she was lucky with men.  There were white and black men coming in and out the store, giving her rides home (she has no car), money and flirting.  I just thought she was a regular old slut, not a prostitute.  I have always said, if you are going to be a prostitute, be an expensive one.  Don’t charge 20 or 30 dollars, get some real money.  Contact what’s his name from New York who paid $5,000 for his hooker.  Get some money for your retirement.  You would think with all of the urban books I have read, I would have picked up that she was a cheap hooker.  I finally got it when I overheard some of the employees snickering about her.  She is a nice looking young woman with the worse hair colors I’ve ever seen.  So, I didn't understand what they, men and a few women, saw in her, but to each it's own.  Yep, she is still there and still working the street with crazy hair colors.  I don't know what those white men see in her, but they still do.  Like I have said before, she is a beautiful young lady with a great smile.  I just wish she believed it.

(E) The long time employee who cleans that place like a mother, but will cuss you and a few customers out in a minute.  She has not been fired yet, because many of the customers who come into the store love her.  Written comments from customers have always been how she provides outstanding service and she does, when she is not angry.  She is the second longest employee there since the store open four years ago. She is also the one I had to hold on to and drag her outside of the store to stop her from physically fighting the prostitute.  She was finally fired.  For years staff told management that she was stealing the tips.  One of the owners came in quietly in the back room and caught her on camera.  Fired her on the spot.  She started loudly cussing him out and he flat out told her if she did not leave immediately, he was going to kick her ass himself. He was not afraid of her.  She left in a huff.  Finally justice was served.

(F) The only other employee with more time, from the opening, is a black, retired military man who is plan old lazy and no bigger than a minute.  Nice enough fellow, but boy does he move slower than a turtle. Yep, he is still old, black, retired, lazy and still there. 

(G) The young black kid who worked for two weeks, left to sell drugs, returned a few months later, then left again.  He told me he could not take getting up early. He returned only to get a free sandwich.  Not working just selling drugs.  Although, it was told to me that he has been in an out of jail 4 times since I left.

(H) The young black kid who came from another store, he was close friends with the first manager I worked with, stole $100.  The manager, who was really hurt by this since she went out of her way to hire him, called the police.  He tried to play it off, but the police showed him and all of us the video of him opening the safe and stealing it.  You can’t make this crap up. Still living at home with mommy, his girl friend and their two babies.  He is not working.

(I) Another pregnant young black woman arguing on Face book with another woman who was also pregnant at the same time by her current boyfriend.  She already have one kid by another guy and was pregnant by this guy when she found out.  She got an abortion.  I kid you not. Got pregnant again and another abortion.  Working sporadically here and there and currently living with her kid at her mommy's house. 

(J) Older white woman who came on board after her son convinced the manager to hire her as a shift manager.  Her son was working there at the time.  A good kid.   He left a short time later to go back to school.  She was always boosting how she would be a better manager because of her expertise in running other fast foods chains.  I would just listen and sing in my head some random song.  I do that when I’m not interested in what the hell you are talking about.  It’s better than being rude, but sometimes I did say to her, “I don’t want to hear it.”  She is also living in a two bedroom apartment with her husband, (never saw a ring), their son and their 19 year old daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend with their two kids.  Do you think they need some more room?  She left a short time after the third shift manager was fired to work with him.  He went to manage a pizza store.  

(K) Shift manager who is the sister of the 3 baby mommy woman.  She was there maybe 6 months before she was fired for cussing out the manager.  She claimed it was a set up to get rid of her because she came back one week late from her maternity leave of her 2nd child.  She now has two kids by a married man.  She actually thought that when she became pregnant with the second baby, he would leave wife and live with her.  Noticed I said, “live” with her.  She did not want to get marry; it wasn’t worth it she stated.  A day after she was fired, she came to the store and started stalking everyone, except me. I asked her why she was jeopardizing her ability to get a decent reference.  She just said she was pissed.  I said, “noted and I’m sorry, now move your ass on and find another job and stop fighting the woman who can give you a good reference."  She is still trying to get her kids daddy to leave his wife.  After 4 years, really? She also works sporadically at Wal Mart.

(L) Young white woman living with her black boyfriend and his son.  She called him her husband, but we knew better.  Son started dating the 3 baby mommy.  3 Baby mommy enjoyed the ride for a few months and then got tired of him because he was so clingy.  He also did not like her male friend visitors to the store.  The relationship didn’t last long.  According to her, he would not stop doing drugs. Check this out. She didn’t mind him selling it, but using it was a different story.  Does this sound like a movie? She tried to kill her step son's girlfriend.  Her "hubby" left her after that and she was placed in rehab detention for a few months.  

Nothing as change as you can see.  Oh, did I forget to mention that all of them, except the crazy black women who was fired from the owners, are on government assistance.  I know the minimum wage of $7.25 is not enough, but at some point in your life, you want to get off that poor ass wagon and move up.  I guess it's just me and I know how really, really hard it is to get off that wagon.  I'm not giving up on them.  I will continue to check on them, give them information on education, jobs and of course books.  I will also continue to pray for them as well.  They are like my family and I kinda miss them.

On to Books:

SHERI BOOKER - NINE YEARS UNDER: COMING OF AGE IN AN INNER-CITY FUNERAL HOME - $10.99 - - - After her aunt dies in her home, Sheri, through a young girls eyes, watches the "hospice nurse stacked the shelves with medical equipment, depend adult diapers, morphine patches." "People in and out all the time: nurses, visitors, and ministers back-to-back, while watching her shrive and shrink as the cancer consumed most of her body.

No little girl wants to stand by and witness her hero surrender.  I wouldn't have blamed myself for not doing enough.  I wouldn't have felt ignored by GOD."  Is just the beginning of this engaging story of Sheri's life from the death of her Aunt to, at the beginning of 15, working in a real funeral home in Baltimore, Maryland.  The funeral owner, Albert Wylie, and his son, who she dated for a while.  The women who worked there, especially Angela, who left after many years and I still wanted to know what happen to her.  The drug dealers request on how theirs "Boy's" should buried.  The hurry way they have to embalm a body before the stench settles in. And other tidbits of funeral work.  She does a good job in telling you about Baltimore and it's surrounding crime and inner city poor community.  I enjoyed the book and thought it was an OK read.  As someone who grew up in that environment, it was not new to me.  Other readers would find this book a very interesting take on the funeral business.  Hope you have a strong stomach.

Nine Years Under: Coming of Age in an Inner-City Funeral Home

IMARI JADE - BOOBY TRAPPED AND BABY PROOFED - $5.99 - - - Marine Harrison loses his wife to breast cancer.  He has one more year of duty and decides to leave his very young son, Ethan, with is sister in law Trudy.  After he returns, he moves with his son to Florida.  Well, Lord and behold, he just happens to move across the street from a beautiful African American woman, Angel, who is also a widowed.  She is so sweet, she brings him a casserole dish when she sees him moving in and the romance begins.  What does he say when she brings the dish, in his mind of course, "Be still my heart."  Next thing you know, they are eating the casserole together, with his son Ethan, and getting to know each other. Ethan, Harrison, is one of the best characters in the book.  So adorable.

This is a captivating book from the beginning.  He's white, she' black.  There was no drama, no racist cracks, just two people who met, fall in love, become good friends, she likes his kid, he is still trying to figure out his kid after being away from him for so long.  They get married and live happily every after.  It's just a nice, sophisticated great story.  I just like to know when will a guy knock on my door with a casserole and ask me out.  Is that too much to ask for? 

Booby Trapped and Baby Proofed