~Mailbox Monday~ is hosted by Laura of Library of Clean Reads during the month of February We share what books that we found in our mailboxes last week.
I received this Advance Reader Edition (on sale 4/19/11) from Random House Publishing Group:
From Goodreads: An anonymous gift sends a woman on a journey she never could have anticipated.
One afternoon, Julia Evarts and her five-year-old daughter, Gracie, arrive home to find an unexpected gift on the front porch: a homemade loaf of Amish Friendship Bread and a simple note: I hope you enjoy it. Also included are a bag of starter, instructions on how to make the bread herself, and a request to share it with others.
Still reeling from a personal tragedy that left her estranged from the sister who was once her best friend, Julia remains at a loss as to how to move on with her life. She’d just as soon toss the anonymous gift, but to make Gracie happy, she agrees to bake the bread.
When Julia meets two newcomers to the small town of Avalon, Illinois, she sparks a connection by offering them her extra bread starter. Widow Madeline Davis is laboring to keep her tea salon afloat while Hannah Wang de Brisay, a famed concert cellist, is at a crossroads, her career and marriage having come to an abrupt end. In the warm kitchen of Madeline’s tea salon, the three women forge a friendship that will change their lives forever.
In no time, everyone in Avalon is baking Amish Friendship Bread. But even as the town unites for a benevolent cause and Julia becomes ever closer to her new friends, she realizes the profound necessity of confronting the painful past she shares with her sister.
About life and loss, friendship and community, food and family, Friendship Bread tells the uplifting story of what endures when even the unthinkable happens.
From Goodreads: Twelve-year-old Kat Stephenson may be the despair of her social-climbing Step-Mama, but she was born to be a magical Guardian and protector of Society--if she can ever find true acceptance in the secret Order that expelled her own mother. She’s ready to turn the hidebound Order of the Guardians inside-out, whether the older members like it or not. And in a society where magic is the greatest scandal of all, Kat is determined to use all her powers to help her three older siblings--saintly Elissa, practicing-witch Angeline, and hopelessly foolish Charles--find their own true loves, even if she has to turn highwayman, battle wild magic, and confront real ghosts along the way!
Presley Thurman, a sassy, thirty-something red-head, was looking to reinvent herself. She didn't allow the fact she was recently fired to bother her - she was ready to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a writer. Presley is a lover of shopping and Starbucks, and even though she sometimes had bad taste in men, she always had great taste in clothes. Not looking back on corporate America, Presley decided to follow her dream. With her feisty nature and a spirit to not "sweat the small stuff," she was ready to tackle any challenge (even if she had no idea how she would pay the bills). When her friend Trevor offered her a job with his online magazine to interview public figures, she jumped at the chance. However, the new job turned into something unexpected when the U.S. Senator she was slated to write about was murdered - in her home town! Presley was excited - she hadn't seen so much buzz since the spring sample sale at Saks. She was ready for this adventure, even if it didn't seem to fit neatly into her life. She couldn't pass up the opportunity to be in the middle of the buzz. Presley was determined (not to mention curious) to find the killer and write her story. After all, she couldn't afford her shoe habit without a job and she was certainly not one to shy away from danger. The only thing standing in her way was an old high school fling, Cooper Sands, head of the Senator's security. He was not actually standing in her way, but because of his good looks, he was the biggest distraction and one she was having the hardest time overcoming. Cooper felt it was too dangerous for Presley to look for a killer and tried to distract her with reliving the past; which Presley found more dangerous than any killer. While she attempted to resist Cooper's good looks and charm, Presley was able to discover the Senator's wife, Helen, had been having an affair... with her best friend's boyfriend! Did Helen kill the Senator? Or was it the Senator's love of gambling that got him killed? And what was Cooper's secret tie to the mob boss Garrison Palazzo? Presley was betting her favorite pair of Manolo's she will find the killer... but will time run out!
-------------------------------------------
I became friends with Dijorn Moss on Facebook, and was interested in checking out his book, so I purchased it:
For those who have ever wondered what goes on at a men's retreat, The Retreat is an in-depth look into the lives of four men who have looked for answers in all the wrong places . . . until now.
Quincy is in the final stages of his divorce, but he still wants to know which church member had an affair with his wife. Jamal is on the verge of the promotion of a lifetime, but unresolved issues with his son, Jamir, threaten everything. Chauncey is a man who will go to great lengths for his church, but not for his terminally ill brother. Will is a young hustler who has been given a rare opportunity to make a choice that will change his life forever.
These four men are all at a crossroads in their lives. Will they lay their burdens down at the cross, or will they choose paths that will cause more harm than good? It will all be revealed at the men's retreat, where they learn that they need God and his wisdom more than ever.
Imagine a perfect world that seems like heaven on the outside but on the inside...hell, lies and deceit interweaves the bitter, passionate and lost into a monster of its own design. In the eyes of society, most people live cookie-cutter lives. They try to be better than everybody, boast about what they have and they selfishly show off their houses, lovers and cars to a world sick with confusion, bias and racism. They lie to themselves for the sake of acceptance. Wearing their Sunday Best, they go to church, praise God after shaking their hind parts in the clubs and they give to the needy...expecting something in return. But on the inside they are impure. On the inside they have bad intentions and they are so sexual they don't know if they're coming or going. Enter the no-nonsense flair of Dapharoah69, The King of Erotica. Melissa Jackson takes no shorts when it comes THE GOLDEN MASKS and pure, unadulterated sex. She's a Goulds, Florida native who tells it like it is and she doesn't apologize for it. She participates in a massive orgy in the back of the church. Clever...she just wants to live out her dreams! She's a gorgeous woman used to getting what she wants. She targets prostitutes she meets online. Will her British lover let her have the fantasy? Terrance Jo'Shawn is a straight man during daylight hours but when night falls...the pure freak comes out to play...with another man...who is attached to someone he loves the most in the world. The King of Erotica is an embodiment of everything you never imagined. The stories are brutally honest. The characters are selfish, needy and greedy...like some people you know in your life. The characters made their beds...but will they lay in them? Why does Melissa turn her church upside down? Why is Francine Mann getting cold feet about marrying Samuel Lester? Why is Prado (Samuel's brother) jealous of what he has? Why did she get her knees dirty in her home in a wedding dress with Samuel's brother? Will Prado destroy a marriage in the making? Will Clever live out her dreams? DOWN, SET, HIKE will change how you view...sports and sex. THE GOLDEN MASKS will change how you look at church and the tithe plates. RAYNE IN THE BEDROOM will change how you view theatrics, lesbians and...oral sex. JOINTS, BEER AND THE CHEATING LOVERS gives a new meaning to life, love and Holy Matrimony when two hot-and-horny men suffer the infidelity of their...hot and bothered wives. THE STRAP will show you how one woman remained faithful to a bisexual, selfish man after coming home to rose petals leading to her room. But were they for her? Or another man or woman? All this and more lace the King of Erotica Book 1: the Throne. GET SOMETHING from this book. Because the King of Erotica is a no-holds barred affair that will make or break your thought process while reading his presentation.
---------------------------------------
Finally, I purchased these shirts from Brian W. Smith, one of my favorite authors! Here is the link to purchase these awesome shirts and Brian W. Smith's books: hollygrovepublishing.com
In Jamaica . . . he learned the art of the “jux”: robbing people by studying their everyday movements. By the age of eight, Cat was shoplifting and purse-snatching. By ten, he had his first gun. At fifteen, he committed his first murder.
MAKE THE GANG
In New York City . . . he created The Order: a secret society of thieves who played by Cat’s rules. He taught his crew how to pull off the perfect jux. Made them swear on a bible and a bullet. Robbed dealers, pushers, thugs. And raked in millions. Then Cat was betrayed—by one of his own men.
BREAK THE RULES
In Miami . . . he set up a new operation. Bigger game, bigger stakes. The targets are prime—athletes, politicians, drug lords, celebrities—and the payoff is huge. But the party scene is as dangerous as the ladies are beautiful. Cat has to watch his back and remember the rules: Never trust a thief. Never get caught. And always . . .
RESPECT THE JUX
A novel based on true events, written by a man who experienced it within two degrees of separation.
Prodigious and profound author Frank C. Matthews’ triumphant transformation from inmate to novelist has established him as a leading force in the world of urban literature. Armed with his mastery of the written word, Matthews has achieved feats that are only reserved for the most seasoned of writers, selling an unprecedented amount of books as a first-time author and self-publisher. When it comes to putting the urban voice – the human voice – on the page, Matthews has no peer. His unprecedented journey demonstrates that even when confronted with a web of trials and tribulations, creativity has the ability to flourish. As a New York City native, Matthews grew up with aspirations of one day becoming a household name as an NBA Superstar. His dream took a detour, but his resilience and determination allowed him to persevere.
The lure of the streets and its fast money took Matthews away from hoops and into another game – the drug trade – where he found instant success. But a deal gone bad eventually landed him behind bars. Once incarcerated, Matthews had few options of how to spend his seemingly unending time in what felt like a black hole drawing at all happiness. Taking advantage of the still and silent nights, Matthews spent hours plunged into two of the world’s most renowned, contemporary African-American storytellers, Iceberg Slim and Donald Goines.
The books empowered the now bright-eyed and enthusiastic Matthews and awakened a creative bug to tell the stories locked inside him. “Incarceration transformed me,” said Matthews. “I went from a young, frustrated, and confused boy to a mature, humble, and pensive man.” Much the way Malcolm X used the power of words to transform himself in prison, Matthews used the power of the pen to write his way to freedom, real freedom. While the calamities of his past may have blackened his vision they did not still his pen. He found his purpose. He would write his stories in notebooks, on torn-open envelopes, and anything he could get his hands on and would pass them around through the system. While some traded cigarettes, Matthews traded his highly demanded stories, which inmates clung to like emotional life rafts.
Matthews delved into the business of publishing, an industry he now planned to one day master. He found his style of writing to be unique, labeling it as “true fiction,” an alternate take on real events he had witnessed firsthand. He honed his craft and further developed a distinctive writing style that was uninhibited, dramatic yet cinematic as his readers traveled to adventurous sonic territory. He had a burning desire to share his rare experiences in the underworld of crime with anyone who would listen. Matthews’ drive and passion was reinvigorated. He would be relentless in his pursuit to share with the masses his tales of underworld crime, drama, brotherhood and love.
Upon his rebirth in 2005, Matthews discovered that he could put his past behind him and emerge with a renewed sense of purpose and unwavering determination. The resilient author took his astounding gift of writing “true fiction,” coupled with his compulsion for words and decided to pursue his passion. Even after numerous failed attempts at landing a publishing deal, Matthews did what he learned to do best – create opportunities for himself. He knew that there was an untapped niche audience eager to hear his voice, and he was steadfast in his desire to supplant the current favorites in the urban lit arena.
Matthews self-published one of his first novels, Respect the Jux, and it caught fire, selling over 20,000 thousand copies. The book catapulted Matthews into the sphere typically reserved for seasoned literary greats while capturing the attention of everyone from rappers Jay-Z, Ghostface Killer, and 50 Cent (who rapped on Lloyd Banks’s single, “Hands up, if you want to party with crooks you have to learn to Respect the Jux!”) to literary powerhouses like bestselling author and publisher Karen Hunter.
The gripping tale borrows from Matthews’ recollection of urban legends through the saga of Cat, who journeyed from Jamaica to the United States as a teenager. After a stint in the military, Cat returned with newfound skills and a desire for his own version of the American Dream—by any means necessary.
Using his extensive military background in weapons and intelligence, Cat formed “The Order,” a band of thieves that specialized in pulling off juxes, which Matthews defines as emulating and acquiring another’s style, intellect, or swagger for personal advancement.
Captivating, intriguing, mesmerizing – all words that describe Frank Matthews’ uncanny ability to bring readers into the worlds that he creates. His first auspicious debut Respect the Jux, a dynamic tale of brotherhood, greed, and power, hits the shelves nationwide in September, the style made famous by Slim and Goines will be revived…with a 21st century twist!
I have been reviewing books for the Pump Up Your Book Tour and this book is listed on the tour. I have been reading a lot of books by black authors/urban lit, so I jumped at the chance to read this book as soon as I saw it on the Pump Up Your Book Tour!
I also was asked by Richarh Tyson a/k/a Daddy Rich to interview Frank C. Matthews for the March issue of Urban Image Magazine, so that really made me want to read the book even more and find out more about the author.
2.) Reasons you liked or disliked this book:
Reasons I liked this book:
Cat was really determined. He may have gone about getting things the wrong way, but he got what he wanted. He was tired of how boring his life was and tired of seeing things other people had that he didn't have. He saw someone with a big wad of money, and he wanted that too. He wanted the easy life. He knew how to pull off a jux, so he just needed to recruit some people to his secret society of thieves.
Cat really came up with some good recruits and he was smart. After he recruited the people, he kind of stepped down and focused on finding the jobs so they could carry the jobs out.
Cat really knew how to pull off the job. When someone thought that they had everything that they could possibly get from the victim, Cat knew other places to look to make sure there wasn't more.
If you have read my blog at all, you know I am all about the sex scenes. This book had some really hot sex scenes in it.
I got really immersed in this book and was really rooting for Cat and his recruits, even though what they were doing was so totally wrong. I just got so caught up in the book!
This book was a page turner!
I didn't dislike anything about this book!
3.) Reasons you are recommending this book
I definitely recommend this book because it really was fast moving and a page turner!
Need I remind you about the sex scenes :) - HOT
Frank C. Matthews is a talented writer and you should read his work!
5/5 Diamonds
Highly recommend!
Book Details: Title: Respect the Jux Author: Frank C. Matthews Publisher:Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group Pages: Paperback; 288 pages Source: Frank C. Matthews/Pump Up Your Book Virtual Tour
Disclaimer: I received this book from Frank C. Mattews/Pump Up Your Book Virtual Tour. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist. They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel.
Dr. Jack Forester, director of the New Canterbury University Hospital emergency department, is about to win an ongoing battle to modernize the ED when he's stymied by the power-hungry dean, Bryson Witner. Then someone tries to murder Jack's mentor and the former dean, setting it up to look like suicide. Bit by bit, Jack uncovers facts that suggest several other recent tragic accidents may not have been in the least accidental. The deeper he digs, the closer danger creeps, and the phrase "life or death" begins to take on a new and very personal meaning.
Frank J. Edwards was born in Rochester New York. In 1968 he entered the US Army and served a tour in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot. He received a BA with honors in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill then attended medical school at the University of Rochester, graduating with an MD in 1979. In 1989 he received an MFA in writing from Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, NC. After practicing for a decade in North Carolina, he returned to the Rochester, area in 1990 where he remains in active practice.
He has published a number of poems and short stories in literary magazines including Carolina Quarterly and The Virginia Quarterly Review, along with numerous medical articles. In 1988, Henry Holt published his first non-fiction book, Medical Malpractice: Solving the Crisis. His second non-fiction book, The M & M Files: Morbidity and Mortality Rounds in Emergency Medicine was published by Hanley & Belfus in 2002 and has become a standard text in emergency medicine.
For the past thirteen years he has taught creative writing seminars to medical students at the U of R. In 2004, the University of Rochester Press published his collection of poems and short stories, It’ll Ease the Pain.
Final Mercy is his first novel. He is married to a former emergency nurse from Canada and lives with his family on Lake Ontario near Rochester.
He walked faster. Having skipped the media circus at the hospital, he’d caught up on his sleep, and his legs felt strong. Past the main quad and nearing the foot- bridge, he was alone yet had the odd sen- sation someone was trying to get his attention. He stopped and looked around. Nothing.
He continued. Nearer the footbridge, he felt it again. He didn’t stop this time but strode more quickly. He continued through the grove of trees along the iron fence bordering Mt. Seneca Cemetery. Then he was on the footbridge, cars siz- zling by on the wet pavement twenty-five feet below.
He was a third of the way across when he heard someone behind him.
The footsteps approached at a jogger’s pace, and the back of Gavin’s neck tin- gled. He stopped and turned. The man coming toward him wore a black sweat- shirt with the hood drawn tightly around his face.
A potent chill crept up Gavin’s back. He turned and hurried toward the hospital end of the narrow bridge, but it was still fifty feet away and the footfalls were closing.
My Review:
I love thrillers, so I was excited that I got picked to read and review this book! I wasn't sure how this book would be because I saw that the author went to medical school, so I was kind of worried that there would be too much medical jargon that I wouldn't understand. I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case.
I do admit that the book started a little slow for me. When I originally signed up to read this book, I was supposed to review it last month. I started it then found out it was being moved, so I put my reading on hold. I got going on it again and when I got up to about 48 or so pages, it started to pick up for me and I really became interested in this book Once this book got going, it really went quick and I couldn't put it down!
I would recommend this book for people that like to read a good thriller. There was plenty of action and it is a page turner!
. 4/5 Diamonds
Book Details:
Title: Final Mercy
Author: Frank J. Edwards
Publisher: Zumaya Publications LLC
Pages: Paperback; 300 pages
Source: Pump Up Your Book Virtual Tour
Disclaimer: I received this book from the Pump Up Your Book Virtual Tour. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist. They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel.
Then you grab a book. Turn to page 28. Take the first sentence. And then you post it in your site with a link back to WW28.
Come back to the hosting site Cherry Mischievous - WW28 and give them the url of your post (in a comment at a WW28 post) so that other WW28 readers can find your WW28 offering.
My WW28 offering is Eye for An Eye by Dwayne S. Joseph
P.28, 1st sentence:
All of the clients we dealt with knew to keep the information they passed along to a bare minimum. Or so I thought, until one client who'd received far too much information threatened not only my livelihood, but my life as well.
“Jack, something very disturbing is happening at this medical center.” Gavin’s voice lowered to a near-whisper. “The letter Les wrote me the day before he died contained some things about which I can sayno more until I’ve done some research. In the meantime, I want you to promise me you won’t quit. Not yet. This is your home, too.” P. 8
Cat was no intellectual, but he was a visionary.He knew that to pull off a major jux, he’d need some help.Instead of looking for ways to live a legitimate life, he decided to form a secret society of thieves that would simply be called The Order.p.28
~Mailbox Monday~ is hosted by Laura of Library of Clean Reads during the month of February We share what books that we found in our mailboxes last week.
“An entertaining novel about three men on a journey to find the right woman,” says Ebony Magazine.
“Provocative, passionate, invigorating and liberating,” are how others describe Baggage Check—the “must read” novel with the power to transform written by the “must read” author, Curtis Bunn.
Take three thirty-something, financially secure, handsome guys who have been lifelong friends and are used to having relationships on their terms—in other words “it's their way or the highway” a.k.a. “take it or leave it.”
As close friends, Julian Morgan, Greg Gibson, and Larry Thompson demonstrate honesty, trust, and unconditional support for each other. But strangely enough, they don't bring these same qualities to the table when dealing with women. The question becomes “why?” And the answer is because they need a “Baggage Check.”
Julian Morgan wants relationships that are “convenient.” Greg Gibson loves his business and money first and foremost. And Larry Thompson is Mr. Hit and Run. After a series of relationship mishaps, they do a Baggage Check on themselves—unfortunately later rather than sooner. They realize that they cannot be with Ms. Right if they continue to be Mr. Wrong and so the pursuit begins.
In the end, the fellas wind up on “maturation highway” and “redemption road” but that's only after a long and very bumpy journey. Bunn is your personal escort who takes you through their tragedy and triumph. His “flip the script” literary style reveals the serious side of “funny” and the funny side of “serious.”
In his debut novel, Curtis Bunn, who is an award-winning sports journalist for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, has penned the first relationship novel that deals specifically with a factor that impacts on many relationships—Baggage.
After being led to a cave by a vision, two brothers find out the vision is a nightmare. When a demon asked, "How far will you go to save your brother," Zachariah McCannon answers, "As far as I have to."
Cover Inspection:
This book looks kind of creepy. I can't figure out what the person/thing is on the front going into the cave. It looks part human and part monster, but it looks like whatever it is has a mini skirt on!
First Thoughts:
Alanya must be the character that is pictured on the front cover.
My Review:
I get e-mails from Pump Up Your Book Tour with books that they have upcoming for review. I saw this book and thought I would enjoy reading it since I do enjoy paranormal type books.
Zack and Matt Cannon were abandoned by their parents when they were young, so Zack started caring for his little brother Matt. They did live with their grandmother but she was sick. After they graduated from high school, Zack decided they should leave so Matt wouldn't be taken away from him by social services.
Matt has some special powers and has visions and dreams that come true. They became hunters of evil forces, and and they always seemed to have things following them around. Matt can also move things with his mind when he gets mad.
Matt has a dream about a cave, and they hunt it out. When they get to the cave, Matt found out that it was a trap. The force behind his dream is Alanya, which means The Destroyer. Alanya is out to destroy the brothers.
This book was a pretty quick read for me. I was scared for Matt and his brother Zack. I didn't know what this demon was going to do to them and I was suprised at the twist toward the end.
I would have liked to get to know Matt and Zack a little bit more. I didn't really feel like I connected with the characters like I could have.
2/19/11
I just found out from the author that this is a series. I do plan on reading the next book in the series to see how she helps to get us to know the characters better.
3/5 diamonds
A good one to check out from the library!
Book Details: Title: The Betrayal Author: Sheila Hendrix Publisher: lulu.com Pages: Paperback; 220 pages Source: Pump Up Your Book Virtual Tour
Disclaimer: I received this book from the Pump Up Your Book Virtual Tour. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist. They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel.
