RubiconReader

'Kill Shot' by Vince Flynn

2012-02-07T06:15:00.000-08:00

Want to have a fun conversation? Walk up to someone reading this book and askthem if this is the 12^thor 2^nd book in the series. Whatever answer they choose, you give the opposite. Prepare to duck and run. I have been a fan of Vince Flynn ever since his books stumbledinto my life about three years ago. Evenif he was to write a book about growing horse toenails in Fishhook, Alaska, Iwould still read it. Thank the lordJesus, however, this book is nothing like that!

Vince brings back the young Mitch Rapp in a book that oughtto come with a prescription for Niacin. Why? You’ll need something tocounter the adrenaline. If you’ve hadthe pleasure of reading about Mitch, you know that he is a “man’s man” and hasabsolutely NO tolerance for BS and bad guys. And that is when he was… “Mature”. Can you imagine this killing machine in his younger years? Can you imagine a weapon with the body ofGreek sculpture, a mind as sharp as Tesla, and the natural killing instinct ofa Megalodon? You can if you know MitchRapp.

Mitch has completed his training and has been let loose onthe unsuspecting world. He is a tsunamiof pure destruction. Precisedestruction. The only thing he leaves inhis wake is the bodies of dead terrorists. A-MEN! Unfortunately, with thistype of success, from a rookie no doubt, there starts to fester some resentmentand jealously. And not only with ourenemies. Hurley and Victor have theirpersonal reasons for not liking Mitch, but will it interfere with the #1 objective…to keep America safe?

This mission finds Mitch in Paris and he has graciously explodedthe head of some well deserving terrorist filth when the tables areturned. Our boy has been set up… and setup good. The ensuing firefight leavesmore blood on the floor than an exploding vampire. Unfortunately Mitch gets wounded. And a wounded Mitch Rapp is a pissed Mitch Rapp. And a pissed Mitch Rapp is a deadlyMitch Rapp (see above Megalodon reference). Thus ensues a cat and mouse maze that Flynn’s fan has come to expect asone of the BEST in the game.

Scientist dream about going back in time and witnessing the“big bang”. Witnessing the unimaginableexplosion that started it all. That’sthe perfect analogy to explain what it’s like reading about the youngMitch. Powerful. Destructive. Unrelenting. Violent. Violent. Violent. Just the way it ought tobe.

OH BTW Vince, the “crossing the Rubicon” reference... nice.

9781416595205

'The Stalker Chronicles' by Electa Rome Parks

2012-02-06T11:42:00.000-08:00

"When God was making Pilar he must have hiccuped, because NO ONE is this crazy!"

Electa Rome Parks

9781601623348

'Praetorian' by Simon Scarrow

2012-01-28T11:26:00.000-08:00

As a bookloverfirst and a book seller second, one of the things that grates me more thananything is the person who comes up to me in the bookstore with a new hardcoverand asks, “does this come in paper”? Ifthere ever was a case for modern day flogging, that would be it. If you want a book, then you’ll GET thebook! I only say that to say this: It took some juggling and a lot patience toget this book. And while it wasn’t superexpensive it wouldn’t have mattered anyway, because there was nothingthat was going to stop me from getting this book. Nothing. Now that I’ve completely bored you with information that you could trulygive a flying fig about, let me get to the book…

Only in Rome could politics be as dangerous and bloody asthe battlefield. Macro & Cato return tocontinue their forced servitude, care of the infamous snake, Narcissus. These two have survived using their wits,their courage, their gall, their brutality, and their luck. This time they’ll need all of that to work inconcert in order to make it through the next Narcissu’s “Mission Impossible:Rome” adventure. Basically there is a plotto murder the Emperor, Claudius, and our two soldiers are asked (yeah, right)to help uncover the conspiracy. Ofcourse the mission is never as straight forward as that, so while trying tofigure out THAT simple mission they must also find out who is hoarding all thegrain and starving Rome. Yep. How’s thatfor a to-do list?

They must stop being soldiers for a while and become spies. This involves interesting things happening totheir rank and names. Simon himself saysthat this isn’t the usual battlefield blood and gore that we’ve come to lovebut the adventure is still there. I didmiss reading about the legions cutting through bone and gristle to slaughterthe enemy, but this book is in NO WAY a dud or boring. I found myself feeling that paradox of lovingthis book and hating myself for flying through it because I’ll only have topatiently wait like Job for the next one.

There are also a number of funny passages in this book whenlistening to Emperor Claudius and you will crack up at some of the things thatMacro says to Narcissu’s face… and back. Both of these legionaries have grown throughout this series and aftereleven books, they are as family. I don’trereada lot of books, and I can name the ones that I have reread on one hand. If I’m blessed to live a nice long life thiswill be a series that I will look forward to rereading in my golden years. If I don’t live a long time, at least I’veread them now. Melodramatic? Yeah… well who asked you? Well done Mr. Scarrow… well done.

9780755353774

Arizona Governor vs. President Obama

2012-01-26T20:18:00.000-08:00

My quick two cents on Point-A-FingerGate…

(First a short story) A few weeks ago I got in trouble atwork because I hung up on a customer. This lady was white and was being extremely rude and talking down tome. Sorry, but I don’t play thatcustomer is always right bullshit! Ifyou can be rude to me then I damn sure can be rude to you… and you WILL NOTtalk down to me. You are NOT better thanme and just because you “have money” does not give you the right to be adick. So I hung up on that bitch. I’m a Black man that grew up in the south andI have a VERY hard time letting anyonetalk down to me, much less someone who is white. Now this lady probably didn’t know I was aBlack man (actually she did because I’ve dealt with her elitist ass before andcouldn’t stand her then either) but when someone talks down to me I feel like I’ma tiger being backed into a corner. Although Obama is President I’d imagine he felt like this when thatidiot put her finger in his face.

He didn’t act on it because he is better at holding hisfeelings and reactions in better than I am. That is good and bad. Goodbecause a leader needs to be above reproach (although not one politician is,including our current Commander-in-Chief). And bad, because if you hold in your feelings in too long something isgoing to blow the fuck up.

I think what the Arizona governor did was utterly disrespectful. You don’t point at anyone who isn’t your childand you damn sure don’t point your finger at the freaking PRESIDENT OF THEUNITED STATES!

What I have an issues with is how people are so quick torush in to protect the president because something like this has never beendone before.

Ummm… no. Sorry.

And just so that we’re on the same page and to appease theidiots who will only read part of this… No, I am not defending the Arizonagovernor! I’m just appalled thatwith all of the rude and disgraceful things that have been done to ourPresidents over the years, this is the one that people go sackcloths and asheson. And it’s only because of onereason. Because it’s a DemocraticPresident, and because that President is Obama.

No? OK, remember whenthat sand monkey threw his shoes at President Bush a few years back? I do. I honestly don’t remember people being so outraged! Oh, the conservatives were no doubt! But the rest of the idiot world was like “Yeah,that’s what that stupid cowboy gets”. From what I read, throwing your shoes or showing the bottom of yourshoes to someone in that part of the country is a HUGE insult and only reservedfor your enemies. Interesting. How come America wasn’t pissed aboutthat? Because it was a Republican, A dumb, drunk Texan by many wrong accounts. If you’re so concerned about the Presidentbeing insulted then why not be pissed when ANY President is insulted.

I know, I know, I know… double standards rule this world andnowhere is that more evident than in politics. We turn a blind eye to the in-your-face theft by someone on our side theisle, but jump on any rumorof theft from anyone on the other side of the isle. I get that. But please spare me your fake “How could anyone do this to our President”rage when, quite honestly, this isn’t (by a long shot) the first time this hashappened.

I was in the minority when I said that the sand monkeyshould have been double tapped in the head for throwing his cheap assPennyloaders. Seriously… you have timeto reach down, take off your shoe, get up, throw it, reach down AGAIN, andthrown your OTHER shoe and the Secret Service doesn’t do anything!?! What tha fuck!?!?!? I know we have brave men and women serving inthe Secret Service and the fact that they didn’t react meant that they wereprobably saddles with the BULLSHIT weight of political correctness. Their job is to protect the president and ifthe President is visiting a hostile country and you see someone bend down… dude…even I could make that call!

That nutcase Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is always coming out hismouth wrong against our county and President. But you have to turn into a foreign news channel just to hear aboutit! Hell, I had to surf for about… ummm….Forty five seconds before I found something on a U.S. site. It only took me about… ummm… fifteen secondson the BBC website. My point is simple,if you are outraged (and would be right to be) by the disrespect of the Arizonagovernor to our President, then you need to be outraged by EVERY time someoneof “note” disrespects our President.

Also… I know it’s been said in jest, but things wouldn’thave been different if Michelle Obama would have been there. She’s too classy to stoop to that level. At least in public. J I’m sure she went OFF to her husband inprivate and I wouldn’t put it past her to pick up the phone and call GovernorFinger. But I truly don’t expectanything to be done. Now… had that beenone of us… you would have been reading about my obituary… yesterday.

In closing…

My friends and people who have known me for a while knowthat I admire Obama the MAN, but despise Obama the politician. A friend of mine in D.C. sends me eMail’s fromtime to time with the most gorgeous picture of the First Family. I’m not even sure how he gets them but theyare the Hi-Res pictures that I see from time to time in Time or other throwaway magazines like that. I adore howhis wife looks at him, I adore the smiles on his daughters’ faces when they areshown with him, I love how he has more than a few photos of him in book stores,and love how a man that looks like ME is in the highest office on the fuckingplanet. His politics I can do without.

So when I saw that picture of Governor Finger pointing inhis face I was like “aw heeeeelllll no”! But when I started to read some of the comments I was like “Awheeeeelllll no”! If anyone disses thePresident they dis us all. Last I checkedthe terrorists and the like weren’t marking their bombs with “African-American”only plates or “White American” only plates. They want to see us ALL fucking die. So be outraged that the OFFICE of the President was dissed, not only theman temporally serving in it.

That is all. Goodnight.

'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins

2012-01-20T09:36:00.000-08:00

The end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012 found me readingthe Steve Jobs bio by Walter Isaacson. Whydoes this matter? Because, I normally don’tdo non-fiction… just like I normallydon’t do young adult. However, after my favorite author, one of my favorite publishers, and numerousother people told me that I needed to read it, I figured why not? So I once again stepped out of my comfortzone and waded into waters not seen since Jr. High. And I’m glad I did.

I cracked open this book (OK fine… I swiped open my iPad)and did not stop until the end. Thisbook quickly grabs you and doesn’t let go until about the last fourth. I’ll get to that later. The first three fourths of this book I flewthrough it like Katniss at a buffet. This being a YA book I didn’t expect the amount of violence to be whatit was. It wasn’t gratuitous or anythingbut it was definitely was there. If youdon’t know the premise of this book that could only mean one thing; you wereborn yesterday. Think ‘Lord of theFlies’ meets ‘The Running Man’ meets any high school in America.

It’s a murderous game of cat and mouse and you only have tosurvive. That’s it. Oh yeah, you must compete againsttwenty-three other kids, on TV, with the odds stacked against you, on little tono water and food. Piece of cake,right? The first ¾ of this book is afast paced, fun, bloody adventure. Theunfortunate thing for this book is that when the numbers of kids start to dwindle,so does the action. It turns into anintrospective of Katniss and it doesn’t have the same magic as thebeginning. Now, I did finish it becauseit WAS good but I hated that it went that direction. I think that reader of YA books will still(obviously with the numbers this series is putting up) enjoy this series, butfrom a reader who needs a book finish as strong as it starts, I wasn’tcompletely taken.

Iwas debating on whether or not I would read this series straight through so Ileft it to chance. If I liked the waythis book ended I would continue. If I didn’t,I would still read it, but notstraight through. Seeing as I’ve alreadystarted ‘Legion’ by Simon Scarrow, I have my answer. Again, I didn’t dislike this book but I washoping for something… else.

9780439023498

Monster Cable Earth Wind and Fire Gratitude Headphones

2012-01-19T11:35:00.000-08:00

When I orderedthese headphones from the ‘Vine’ program I was reading the Steve Jobs bio. Among his many talents (or headachesdepending on who you ask) was his ridiculous attention to detail… even the smallest detail of his products. He wanted people to emotionally connect tothe products when they open the box. Ionly bring this up because I had that same feeling when I opened thisproduct. I won’t spend a lot of time onthat because it has nothing to do with the sound, but I did get a good “feeling”when I saw the brown felt box that had the delicious smell of “new”. Sounds corny? Yeah probably.

The headphonesare a brown color and much thicker than your average set. Thicker meaning the wires have a slight feelof heft to them that makes them very hard to tangle and won’t easily get caughtup in your clothes or anything else. Thepart that plugs into your device has an “L” shape which isn’t bad, but it wouldbe nice if it was straight.

I used these headphoneson my HP laptop, iPhone 4s, and iPad2. Ilistened to everything from movies on Netflix, to music, to ‘Cartalk’, andmusic from every genre. These headphonesare EXTREMELY impressive! And I meanEXTREMELY! You can also use theseheadphones to talk on the phone. Matterof fact as I was in-line skating yesterday I was told that the sound on my endwas very clear. He only asked because hewas wondering where I was. The soundproduced by these headphones is extremely crisp and clear.

There is onething you need to be aware of though. Theysay that these are noise canceling headphones and they are NOT kidding. These things are so good you could use themas ear plugs. Seriously. I would not use these to talk on your phoneas you’re driving. They work too well forthat and it could be a bit dangerous. While driving you need to be aware of the other sounds and cars aroundyou. These headphones will create asound bubble that makes it near impossible to hear anything else. GREAT for when you’re walking around town tuningout barking dogs, leaf blowers, and horns. BAD if you’re driving. But don’tlet that stop you from getting these headphones.

These headphonesare packaged in a beautiful box with a small magnetic end to keep itclosed. They also come with twodifferent cased to carry them and one even has a closed belt slip. They also provide eleven, yes ELEVEN sets ofear buds to custom fit your ears. I hadto go through about four of them before I found my perfect match but I have andI couldn’t be happier. Of course I’mhappiest when listening to Toni Braxton sing to me through these headphones…but that’s just me.

Big Tit Glory Hole & DVD Combo

2012-01-19T11:32:00.000-08:00

BigTit Glory Hole & DVD Combo

This is mysecond masturbationsleeve from 'EdenFantasys', and I got this one because I wanted to compare it to the firstone. Well that and I wanted to havea little fun. Unfortunately this one didnot impress me and it wouldn’t have impressed me even if this were my first sex toy. First I’ll tell you about thegood things:

This male sex toy is made of awonderful material that feels magnificent. You know those toy worms back in the 80’s that tried to slip out of yourhand when you tried to hold it? That’swhat this one felt like and I was extremely eager to feel it around me.Unfortunately that’s where the good stops. I tried baby oil and that didn’t work because it made it too slippery togrip and it wasn’t good to use as a lubricant. So I grabbed the lotion and that worked MUCH better. This sleevehas two holes to simulate a pussy and an ass. This sleeve is open ended as well. The different sized holes are good for the initial penetration but onceyou’re through into the sleeve it’s the same size.

This is where Iwas very unimpressed. I need a sleeveto be tight and this one wasn’t at all. You can squeeze it to make it tighter but that didn’t feel good tome. I tried both ends to see if thatwould help, but it didn’t. It has bumpsand ridges on the inside but not enough to make any difference. I was expecting to feel something obvious butthe only time I really felt it was when I cleaned it and had to put my fingersin it to clean it. This adult toy has so much potential but they need to work on it a bit. It is reusable but the only time I think I’lluse it again is if I want to feel something different.

The free DVD isdecent. It’s nice to have so you don’thave to search the internet for something. I’ve listed them below to give you an idea what’s in each scene.

Video #1: Regular sex

Video #2: Prettygood Sloppy BJ

Video#3: Regular sex with a woman with theperfect ass for reverse cowgirl.

Video #4: RegularBJ

Video #5: Stunning blonde with a HUGE perkypair of tits. Regular sex with an emphasis on anal. She has the perfect ass for it to.

Video #6: Regularsex

Video #7: Regular sex

Video #8: Regularsex

Video #9: Regular sex including anal

Video #10: Handjob from a woman who moans way too much.

This sex toy was given to me by 'EdenFantasys' to give a true and honest review and I was not paid by them to write it.

Jason's 'Top 15 Books' of 2011

2011-12-29T23:20:00.000-08:00

I’ve come to the realization that I’m pretty anal about my reading, and according to one of my author friends, “persnickety” about what I read. I would have to agree with that assessment. I read for entertainment, I read for pleasure, I read for fun. I LIVE in reality and, therefore, have absolutely no desire to read about it. I want my book to take me away… FAR, FAR away. My favorite books this year have done that. From the sands of the gladiator arena to the scandals in the church. From the hidden and extremely bloody underground of Rome to the sweet ecstasy of cupcake seduction. From the harsh life and (much) death of an African-American crime family to the voyeuristic escapades of a man and his wheel-chair bound girlfriend/one-night stand.

I have enjoyed my authors and their work but there is never enough time to read every book I would like. I’m thinking that I need to win the lottery or find myself a suger-mama so that I can quit work and spend time… ALL of my time buried in a book. You’ll also find no classics on this list. Ask me if I give a shit. I’m 100% unapologetic about what I read. I will never be that snotty book lover who reads books that makes my anus cry.

I used to put my top books of the year in order from best to “least” best but I didn’t do that this year. Why? I just found it too hard and *almost* pointless. The books below are the Top 15 books (overall) that I read this past year because they cemented time after time after time after time after time after time why I enjoy reading and why I spend so much time between modern day papyrus. Please feel free to share with me the books that made you swoon, cry, laugh, get horny, curse, spit, and spend your rent money on.

**Quick Note – the links: the links on the titles will take you to the review I did of the book. The link to the authors will take you to their respective webpages. Usually.** J

‘Legion’ by Simon Scarrow

’33 A.D.’ by David McAfee

‘The Vault’ by Boyd Morrison

‘Claudius’ by Douglas Jackson

‘One Rough Man’ by Brad Taylor

‘The President’s Vampire’ by Christopher Farnsworth

‘The Cartel’ by Ashley & JaQuavis

‘Act of Treason’ by Vince Flynn

‘Choir Director’ by Carl Weber

‘Getting Close’ by Atilio Gambedotti

‘The Litigators’ by John Grisham

‘Heart & Soul’ by Kadir nelson

‘The Altar of Bones’ by Phillip Carter

‘Scandalicious’ by Allison Hobbs

‘Roma Victrix’ by Russell Whitfield

Books of Note

‘Sinners & Saints’ by Victoria Christopher Murray & ReShonda Tate Billingsley (release date January 10, 2011)

You WILL NOT and I repeat WILL NOT. Find two people nicer than Victoria & ReShonda. They both have a love for the written word and truly appreciate their readers. Both are very active on their respective social networking sites and just scrolling through their posts you’ll see what I’m talking about. I have a special place in my heart for Victoria because she has been a HUGE supporter of me and the start of my ‘Rubicon Tee’s’ business. She has me on her ‘A Chapter A Month’ website and has purchased shirts for herself and others. That kind of sincerity and friendship is hard, hard to find! Those who know her love her and those who don’t, soon will.

‘Go The F*ck To Sleep’ by Adam Mansbach

This has been the quiet storm book of 2011. If you haven’t heard of it you’ve either done it deliberately or you don’t read. This book IS NOT for children! So please save that weak ass shit for someone else. This is a book for parents with a f*cking sense of humor. If this isn’t you then move the f*ck on!

‘187 Victim’s Revenge’ by Wade J. Halverson

Wade has five books published so far. I have yet to buy one. Wade makes sure that I have his books and I am extremely grateful for that. This one is probably one of Wade’s most brutal books, which of course made me love it more. This book is full of everything your violent nightmares are made of. Be warned… there are some extremely graphic scenes of torture in this book. Now… go buy it.

‘Anna J. Presents: Erotic Snapshots Vol 2’

I read ‘My Woman His Wife’ by Anna J a few years back and I’ve been a fan ever since. Every few months or so she puts out an ‘Erotic Snapshots’ collection, and every few months I fork out money because these are some of the hottest and shortest erotic stories out there.

‘Mocha Chocolate: Passion’ by Shani Green-Dowdell

This is the best erotic collection I’ve read this year. Yummy, delicious, decadent, sultry, and sensual. If you’re looking for a collection that will cause every nerve on your body to go into overdrive…. here it is.

‘Meg: Origins’ by Steve Alten

Steve is just the f*ucking man! We’ve gone back and forth a few times over politics (I’m right and he’s wrong of course) but to hell with all that… this man can write his ass off! This short story is available (for the moment) only as an eBook. The ‘Meg’ series is a phenomenal story about the baddest predatory bitch to grace this planet, Carcharodon Megalodon. This was just a teaser to the true storytelling power of Mr. Alten. Read the series, you can thank me later by getting me a Jeep. Yeah… you know what kind.

‘Surrealistic Erotic Dreams’ by Frank C. Hauser

Futurestic sexuality is on full display in this beautiful oversized art book by Mr. Hauser. The artwork is very detailed and very erotic.

Websites of Note

A Chapter A Month

Yoland Gore – A book lover and another wonderful soul who LOVES books and authors.

Booker T. Mattison

Apple – just for you fake Apple haters! Well, that and I want a MacBook Pro one day.

Words With Friends – I’m hopelessly addicted. If you ever want to play my screen name is ‘RubiconReader’

Jeep – No explanation needed.

Rachel Kramer Bussel – Talented, sexy, cute author/editor who graciously sends me her books... and has one hell of a voluptuous ass!

Zane – The BASSEST author/editor/business owner/entrepenuer/social media promoter/PUBLISHER on the planet.

Ben Kane

Hans Zimmer

Zoe Saldana – Definitely no explanation needed!

Taschen

Wahida Clark – Another publisher who sends me her books to review. Street novels yes but she has some of the hottest writers on her team. Definitely check them out!

'The Catalyst' by Boyd Morrison

2011-12-13T11:54:00.000-08:00

Man. Boyd has that skill to turn the “this silly scientific hypothesis is absurd” into “wow; this silly scientific hypothesis actually might work”. I felt that way when I read ‘The Vault’ and I felt that way when I read this book. An artificial way to make diamonds? Flawless diamonds? And then make products out of diamonds? Sssssuuurrree Boyd, hey by the way, where is that bridge you were going to sell me? One of the best things I like about Boyd is the fact that he writes books that I want to read! (A little personal story if you will); Last week, for the first time in my adult life, I missed work for two days straight. Why? Hell, I don’t know. All I know is that I spent more time in front of the toilet than I did my kids. My stomach and chest still hurt from all the heaving I was doing… Anyway… all I did was sleep, (try) to eat, and read. I literally did not move from this couch unless it was… (See above).

Even though I felt like death that had just watched an entire season of ‘The Kardashian’s back to back, I still felt the need to read. And this is the book that I chose.

Boyd is smart. Frightengly smart. And his books reflect that intelligence. But if you think that intelligence + books = boring, you couldn’t be more wrong! In his latest techno-thriller Boyd introduces us to Kevin. A smart college student who unwittingly helps invent a chemical process that will change the world. Stop shaking your head! I know you’ve heard that “this will change the world” schpeel before but this one really will. Unfortunately his “partner” was less than honest and has caught Kevin up in a very deadly cat and mouse game. Kevin, of course, does his part and gets other caught in the game as well. Including a very attractive co-ed by the name of Erica.

These two must use their wits, humor, luck, and some slick scientific magic to get out of some pretty impossible situations. As with all of Boyd’s novels, we meet some pretty nasty bad guys. Bad guys who kill as easily as I eat a cheeseburger. Thankfully these guys aren’t as bad as, say ‘The Vault’. Still, their methods of capture and kill are pretty harsh. Harsh. Sorry I couldn’t come up with a better word but I hope you get the picture. I appreciate Boyd as an author because he writes books that simply beg to be read.

There are a few times in here where I had to laugh because I had the same reaction as Erica when Kevin was trying to explain the diamond making process. “Huh”? It played very well within the story but I did find myself reading those passages over and over again to see if I could understand even a tenth of what the hell Kevin was talking about. “Molecular fragmentation of C60 through a microwave discharge resulting in chemical vapor deposition of carbon”. Yeah… ummm Imma have to play blonde on that one McFly. In spite of my ignorance of C60 and super conductivity, I had (another) blast reading Boyd’s latest work.

9781439189573

Lifeproof iPhone 4s case vs. Otterbox Defender series

2011-12-08T13:05:00.000-08:00

Update #2 - January 19, 2012 - 11:58 AM

If you do decide to get an 'Otterbox' I would suggest you get the $50 one and not the $40 one. The cheaper 'Otterbox' has a cheaper case that tends to move and shift. This can get extremely annoying when taking it in and out of your pocket or purse. The cheaper case doesn't have the tight fitting properties of the more expensive one and almost feel cheap. It protects your iPhone of course, but there is something psychological about holding your iPhone in a case that feel secure and firm. The cheaper case doesn't satisfy that.

Other than that, the only other thing I have to report is that in the upper right corner of the case there is a little bit of room. IE: the fit to the iPhone isn't as tight as the rest of the phone. I'm almost positive that this is a manufacturing issue that changes from iPhone to iPhone. Kind of surprising because it should be 100% form fitting. I also remember that with the very first 'Otterbox' I owned, the rubber that covered the 32 pin connector, wasn't flush either.

In the every day use category I'm still pretty impressed with this case. Haven't had one drop (knock on wood) from which to report but this is a VERY, VERY good thing! The case still has a solid feel to it and the touch screen is still responsive.

In the "I wish" department, I wish they would make it easier to get to the earphone jack instead of having to move that rubber flat every time and... (don't kill me) have the next generation cases a tad bit thinner.

Update – December 8, 2011 – 11:07 PM

After going all day out and about using my iPhone 4s with the Lifeproof case I have come to the conclusion that… I don’t like it. Rather, I don’t like the plastic covering. As I was using it I just kept getting irked by that annoying air bubble and how the screen wasn’t as responsive as I would like it. So true to my word (almost), I sold it. BUT not on Craigslist like I said, I went to Ebay. And no lie, as soon as I put it up for sale some guy in Louisiana bought it (LITERALLY) in less than three minutes! So somebody out there wants it and there are a LOT of people that LOVE this case. Just not me. So I went out and got myself the Otterbox (again). For what I do, I need the touch screen to be 100% responsive and the Lifeproof case just flat out does not have it.

I know a case can’t have everything but this seems like something that is a no brainer. The touch screen on the iPhone is the freaking HEART to the entire device. If that doesn’t work, nothing works. I went to the Lifeproof FaceBook page to see if anyone else has a problem with the bubble. They did. One guy even went as far to post a .32 second video of how to get ride of the air. Actually all he did was tell us and not show us. What you (according to him) is put your mouth over the small hole near where you would put your ear and suck. Ummmmmm… sure. I wasn’t sure if this was a joke or not. I’m still not convinced after reading the responses swearing that this works. Between you and me it doesn’t. And I tried hard.

So while the case of the Lifeproof is the best I’ve seen, the touch screen makes it bad. The Otterbox might not provide the magnitude of protection that the Lifeproof does, but it has a much, MUCH better touch screen. And the Otterbox does provide very good protection… I just can’t take the phone into the shower with me. But unless I’m dating a supermodel why bother? Anyway, make your own choice on which case is better. Or maybe not “better” but better suited for you.

I’ve had the iPhone 3, iPhone 3Gs, and now the iPhone 4s. I have never had a case on my iPhones until now. I love how sleek and smooth the iPhone is and I didn’t want anything interfering with that. Of course I ran the great risk of cracking it with just the everyday thrills and spills of life, but that was my risk to take. Yes, I’ve dropped it over the years but I’ve been VERY lucky and nothing bad has happened. Until recently. I was in-line skating to get my son from school I hit a very small branch that twisted my wheels. I fell correctly, on my hands, but the only problem was I was holding my iPhone in my hand at the time because I was listening to music. CCRRRUUUNNCCCHHH!!

Luckily the fall didn’t destroy the iPhone as I could still use it, but the screen was cracked and when you used the device, you could feel where the glass was splintered. I was able to use it but having a cracked iPhone screen just… FEELS BAD!! This happened in August and the new iPhone 4s was due to be released in October, so I didn’t have that long to wait. First world problems yes, but I can not stand to have a cracked screen! So I promised myself that going forward I would either get the insurance (NOT) or get a decent case. Thus began my search.

Cnet.com wrote a very good blog on their Top 20 iPhone 4s cases. I used that as a starting point and began my research from there. After boiling everything down I narrowed my choice with two cases; the Otterbox Defender series and the Lifeproof case. My goal was to find a case that could protect my entire phone, including the glass front. I found it, but these two cases are different in a lot of ways and that is the purpose of this blog. I’ll start with probably the most important thing people want to know about:

Price: Otterbox Defender - $19 - $59. The discrepancy comes from where you choose to buy it. The assholes at Amazon undercut everyone (including the manufacturer) and you can get it there for next to nothing. The higher price is if you get it on their website. This case was my 2^nd choice but became the 1^st choice because of the price.

Lifeproof iPhone 4s case: $79.99. Not the most expensive case out there, but still pricey. My justification was that I can pay $80 now and not have to pay the $7 monthly insurance charge for the next two years. $168 vs. $80… easy choice for me.

Bulk & Feel: A bulky looking iPhone is just ugly. Sorry but it is. When folks come to the counter in my bookstore and their iPhone is covered in an elephant like case I look at them and want to slap the stupid off them. Why would you take a gorgeously shaped device and cover it in a hideous case? That’s like Zoe Saldana wearing a trench coat and a bomber cap!

Otterbox Defender: It’s not as bulky as I thought and I was very happy at the way it fit in my pocket and how it felt in my hand. Very solid with a good grip and it lays flat. It is bulkier than the Lifeproof case though. The buttons on the iPhone are very easy to get too and use.

Lifeproof iPhone 4s case: A very slim case that doesn’t add much in way of bulk to the phone. The grip is nice but not as nice as Otterbox. Very solid feel and very nice looking as well. The buttons on this case are completely covered and you’ll have to use a little more effort to get them to work.

Glass protector: since this is the “gateway” to using the entire iPhone it deserves its own paragraph. Otterbox: I LOVED the glass protector on the Otterbox! Very responsive and I didn’t feel any air between the iPhone and the protector.

Lifeproof: Not as responsive as Otterbox. There is definitely some air between the protector and the iPhone. Now this might be a protective mechanism but I think they need to rethink this. I’ve read some of the post and they are worried about the “oily” look when you have a piece of plastic laying flush on the iPhone. But I didn’t get that when I used the Otterbox and there are other tricks you can use to stop that. As I write this I’m also thinking that Lifeproof engineers did this because they tout this as a waterproof case as well. Maybe that extra small air is an extra layer of safety. Either way I don’t like it. Again, it’s not that bad, but this might be a deal breaker for some people especially if they don’t need the waterproof protection.

Overall protection: I’m not one of those people who will go out and drop their iPhone on purpose just to test it out. Sorry, but that aint gonna happen. J If I drop my iPhone I’ll update this blog with that info. You don’t know my luck y’all. I drop my iPhone and how much you wanna bet that I’ll be the one that got the “1 in a million” defective case!? Just keep in mind that the Lifeproof case claims to be waterproof, dirt proof, snow proof, and shock proof. There are numerous videos (here’s #1 and here’s #2) on YouTube that prove this and I have no reason to doubt that claim.

The Otterbox claims to protect against dust, scratches, and it’s somewhat water resistant, NOT water proof. I have no reason to doubt their claims either. I just know that both cases felt solid and secure and I wasn’t nearly as careful with my phone when I had the cases on.

Sound: Otterbox: sound good as there is nothing blocking the speakers. Lifeproof: since this case is designed to be waterproof the speakers have to be covered (duh). But even with the speakers covered, the sound is still good. Yes you can tell a difference between a naked iPhone and a Lifeproofed iPhone but that’s because… ummm… the speakers are covered. Didn’t I already go over that?

Customer service: Otterbox: I bought my Otterbox case at an AT&T store and I will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER do that again. Let me also say that this was NOT an Otterbox problem but an AT&T store problem. I bought my Otterbox case on a Friday night and took it back Sunday afternoon. Why? The bottom of the Otterbox, where it’s supposed to cover the 32 pin thing, would not stay flush and closed uneven. Not acceptable for a $50 case. When I took the case back I was charged (or they tried) a $10 restocking fee! WTF!?!!? The case was $50! So now I have to pay $10 to return an item that I’m not going to use. Awwww hell no!!! I was nice (I manage a bookstore and I hate when customers yell at me) but I let her know that that was unacceptable. 1. I had this case for less than 36 hours 2. It was defective. Not sure who the idiot was that thought this up, but aint no way in hell I’m going to give you $10 for a case that I’m going to use. She called her manager up and they gave me the $57 back… after about 4 days. If companies are charging a restocking fee for products, even defective products we need to start that at the bookstore. That’s an entire income stream that we are letting pass us by.

Lifeproof: ordering was pretty easy and simple. When I went to go check my account the next day there was a double charge on my account from this company. Huh? I logged out and checked again. Yep, same thing. One was for $91.17 and one was for $91.14. This happened on Black Friday and because of that extra charge it cause an overdraft in my account. I’m pretty anal about my money and HATE paying the Wells Fargo $35 overdraft charge and, like most people, Black Friday was pretty big. So to have this happen was frustrating. I tried e-mailing the company, nothing. I tried calling the company, nothing. I tried e-mailing the company again, nothing. I sent them a message on FaceBook, response. Seriously? FaceBook is a social medium, it shouldn’t be your main way of communication. They response to me was that it would be expedited. A couple days later I got an e-mail saying that they only see one charge on my account. By that time I had already called my bank and got it straight. But that kinda soured me on them. I’m out $35 but I don’t want to be exchanging e-mails for the next month trying to clear this up, so I just ate it.

It took a week plus a day (San Diego, CA to Bakersfield, CA) to get my case because the USPS misrouted my package! Freaking great! Anyway, I hope this case lasts a good long time because I’m not sure if I want to deal with their customer service again. I will say this though: they seem to be VERY busy and someone actually summed it up perfectly: “they are a victim of their own success”. They seem to respond to FaceBook posts faster than e-mail so if you have an issue, make sure you FB them first. To their credit they acknowledged my problem and Dusty looks like she’s pulling some serious overtime! I think once they get that under their belt, things will run much smoother. One small thing they can change is the shipping. This case is small enough that they can mail it in a padded Priority mail envelope and get it to customers faster. Since we’re paying for shipping anyway, save yourself the problems of slow shipping and do it this way. I ship a lot of books from my bookstore and this is the only way we ship. Just one man’s opinion.

Odds & Ends: Using the camera with the Lifeproof isn’t as smooth because you have to press harder on the screen and that may distort the shot. The more I use the Lifeproof the more frustrated I become with the plastic case covering the phone. They really need to have it flush and get rid of that small air bubble. I wish I had the Lifeproof case with the Otterbox plastic covering. The Lifeproof is a gorgeous case but that covering is a slight buzz kill.

Regular (non Apple) headphones will work with the Otterbox. Regular (non Apple) headphones will not work with the Lifeproof unless you use the headphone adapter. This is done to keep the case water proof.

All in all I’m fairly satisfied with my Lifeproof BUT unless I can find a solution to this air bubble problem I just *might* go back to the Otterbox. I did follow the instructions on the Lifeproof video to get rid of the excess air but it’s not helping. It’s nice having a case that protects pretty much everything, but not at the expense of having a less than stellar touch screen. Yeah, I’ll lose money (again) on it but my piece of mind is better. Oh, Lifeproof also charges a restocking fee of 15%. So what I’ll do if I do end up being continually frustrated with this case is sell it on Craigslist avoiding having to get a return label, sending it back, having to wait 3-5 for the money to get back into my account. No thanks. Well, I think I’ve hit most of the big things. If I think of anything to mail, I will. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to ask me.

'The Diary of Molly Fredrickson: Peanut Butter - Vol. 5' by Cornnell Clarke

2011-11-23T22:57:00.000-08:00

Cornnell Clarke is my favorite sexual graphic artist BAR NONE! So when I heard a new book was in the works I started drooling. One small problem though; I work in a bookstore but I could not nail down a release date for this book. Was it October, was it December? I kept bugging poor Cornnell until he just said, “dude, and join my e-mail updates”. So that is what I did. And because I did I was able to get a signed copy of this book! Happy early Birthday present to me!! This book is a diary of sorts that our sexy friend, Molly, is reading from. If you haven’t read anything from Mr. Clarke, prepare your libido, because your mind won’t be able to process all the eroticism his books offer. That being said, PB #5 wasn’t a chock full of sex as some of the others. Oh it It was there, no doubt, but I came away wanting… more. I didn’t feel that way with the other four.

I know most people don’t READ these graphic novels; they skim and leer at the pictures. I’m honestly no different but I do read it through once so I can get a gist of the story and there IS a story with all of Cornnell’s books. The font however was very, very tiny which made it extremely hard to read and part of the story was in cursive which made it even harder. Again, for 99% of the people “reading” this, they won’t care. But for my 1%; it’s a bit frustrating. Setting that aside, the main reason I read and love the Peanut Butter graphic novels is the simply amazing artwork. This man has a talent and it shows on every colorful and in-your-face-page.

Molly is reading a diary and taking us through a number of her lusty sexual escapades while running (willingly) into a few new ones. Her best friend’s boyfriend makes a cameo and so does his… junk. She reminisces about the tryst with her nerdy roommate, and makes us relive the memory of her and the basketball team. Oh yeah… THAT one was a GOOD! Cornnell even gives us a hand by footnoting the previous issues of Peanut Butter in which these scenes took place. Back to this issue though… as is normal with Cornnell there are a number of shocking sex scenes in his books.

The first takes place (no spoilers) after a very traumatic incident and also provides us with the best piece of artwork in this book. This certain body part of a woman was drawn with pure precision and desire. The second shocking part takes place near the end and I had to go back to see if I really read what I really read. And yeah… I did! This is easily the best part of the book because it is the perfect mix of sex, taboo, lust, taboo (yes, I know I put it twice), and just plain old “what they’re doing is just so wrong but I wish I could do it too”. If you don’t read anything else in this book make sure you read this scene. Trust me OK?

The last page of the book also provides us with the second best piece of artwork in the book. If I didn’t have any sense I’d lick the pages, but I do so I didn’t. Despite not being as sexually charged as say, #4, I think you will enjoy this next installment of the Peanut Butter series.

9781561636174

'Women in Lust' Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel

2011-11-21T08:34:00.000-08:00

I think I’m going to write a short story collection and make Rachel my vixen in every single story. Hell, I might end up making her into a twin or triplets! Everything about Rachel exudes sexuality and I always, always, always, enjoy reading her collections. ‘Women in Lust’ is another stunning erotic collection. And when I say stunning I mean STUNNING! I usually re-read the erotic collections I buy about two to three times over the history of the book, but this one was the first time I re-read a collection back to back. I do NOT recommend this because the state of arousal this will put you will make horny it’s very own state. Even the stories that had the S&M that I’m not into had me going.

I love how descriptive these stories are and mouth-watering sexual delicious they are. As per her style, Rachel picks stories that appeal to everyone and gives us sex in paper form. Rachel adds her story, ‘Hot For Teacher’, and if I DID go back to school, it would be for a student like the one in her story. ‘Smoke’ was also another sinfully sexual short story. ‘Ride A Cowboy’ is the first story in this collection that I read back-to-back. Have mercy on that restaurant booth! I won’t name every story because like I said earlier, this was the first erotic book that I read back-to-back! But I’ll tease you with one more; ‘The Hard Way’. Cop and lawyer. Enough said.

Rachel and her authors serve up another erotic collection that must be read, practiced, and read again.

9781573447249

'The Litigators' by John Grisham

2011-10-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

I’m not sure how he does it… but he does. John Grisham follows last year’s release of ‘The Confession’ (easily in the top 3 best Grisham books ever) with ‘The Litigators’. Immediately you get the feeling that this is going to be one of Grisham’s witty ones. This man has a wonderful sense of humor and added to his natural ability to tell a story, I see why some call him “America’s favorite storyteller”. Finley & Figg are two lawyers who work, but not extremely hard, to make their living as practitioners of the law. They bumble their way around chasing ambulances and divorces all while having more in house fighting than any season of ‘The Real World’.

Enter, due to a rather CRAZY exit, David Zinc. David is Harvard Law School graduate who makes a nice six figure salary, who is married to a smoking hot woman, but must work long hours in order to pull down said nice six figure salary. One day he snaps, and snaps in spectacular fashion. Grisham writes this scene and you seriously can’t help but laugh as you see David becoming best friends with the elevator. I swear, while I was reading this scene I could hear the laugh of the Joker in the background (Jack Nicholson’s Joker BTW). David continues his phenomenal downward spiral at a bar and he contemplates the universe and his life… all while drinking enough to alcohol to make Hunter S. sweat.

Obviously the universe shares in John’s sense of humor because of all the places our friend David could end up, he makes his “new person” debut at the offices of Finley & Figg. Let the legal dysfunction begin! The main storyline is the law offices of Finley & Figg happen upon news of a drug called Krayoxx. Rumor has it that this drug is bad and that brings out the mass tort snakes, I mean lawyers, and the dreams of big fast money begin. On a good day Finley & Figg dance along the ethics line, with the promise of a multi-million dollar settlement they not only dance, they take ethics to dinner and then to the prom!

David gets caught up in this “boutique” of a law firm but manages to keep himself relatively clean. This book gets better and better and by the time I reached the end I was staying up till 1 AM because I couldn’t decide where to stop. The climax (in my humble opinion) is the courtroom scene with the Kryoxx lawyers vs. David. I will NEVER give away the story, but I will use a two word phase to describe it. Actually Amazon would probably censor it so let me do it like this: the first word begins with the letter “b” and the second word is “slapped”.

As with every Grisham novel there is back story and other stories going on. I would love to meet DeeAnna… heaven help me. I think I would enjoy a Sunday dinner at Rochelle’s house, but I would run for the hills if I ever got on her bad side. Finley & Figg… the antics of these two must be read. Describing them is utterly impossible and I would fail if I tried. It takes talent to go from serious to (almost) absurd, but Grisham does it with talent and skill that is fun to read.

9780385535137

'Surrealistic Erotic Dreams' by Frank C. Hauser

2011-10-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

This is a gorgeous book with very erotic, very graphic paintings that are… explicitly beautiful. Every painting in this book has the same feel as the one on the cover. Sexual, soft, and surreal. While the woman are the focal point in these painting, if that’s all you see then you’re going to miss out. This book opens with an introduction by Gerrit Luidinga giving us a little history and background on Frank C. Hauser. We then get into the art. This book alternates between close-ups of the art, full pages of the art, and even black & white.

If you’re looking at this book I’m assuming that you have no problem with art that is EXTREMELY sexual. But not sexual in a porn way; sexual in pure arousing and pleasing way. The intimate parts of a woman are on full display to be devoured with your eyes and caressed with your imagination. As I was looking at these painting I saw a number of different themes. Futuristic, mythology, horror, sexuality, nature, and a hint of Giger will all willing participants in this collectable coffee table book for artistic intellects who love artistic sexuality. I can’t say much more other than this book is mouthwatering.

One thing that surprised me was the ending. We are given an index of the illustrations. Up to this point I was of the assumption that all these paintings were done for this book exclusively. Nope. This book contains paintings that span from 1997 to 2010 with a total of forty-three pieces of work. There are more in the book however because, like I alluded to earlier, there are close-ups and some black and whites in here as well. On my book blog I have started a list of ‘Christmas books you need to have for 2011’. This one will definitely be on it.

9789490668037

MUST HAVE books for Christmas!

2011-10-12T23:57:00.000-07:00

One of the many thrills of working in a bookstore is getting to see some REALLY cool books. Already I have seen a number of books that I want to get myself or someone else for Christmas. So why not share them? Unlike my other book reviews or posts, these will be book (for the most part) that I have not read. These are books that got me so excited when I saw them that I just had to share!

These are in no order, they're just there. However... if you're one of those people who must know; the books are in order of when my eyes first saw them. (There, happy!?)

'The Louvre - All The Paintings'

by: Erich Lessing & Vincent Pomarede

9781579128869

'Dawn of the Bunny Suicides'

by: Andy Riley

9781452104980

'Heart & Soul: The Story of America and African Americans'

by: Kadir Nelson

9780061730740

'SpongeBob's Kitchen Mission' Cookbook

By: (duh) SpongeBob!

9780470639443

'Sinners and Saints'

by Victoria Christopher Murray & Reshonda Tate Billingsley

9781451608151

'Steve Jobs'
by Walter Isaacson
9781451648539

'Surrealistic Erotic Dreams'

by: Frank C. Hauser
9789490668037

'Forgotten Bookmarks'

by Michael Popek

9780399537011

'Goodnight iPad'

by: Ann Droyd

9780399158568

'11/22/63'

by: Stephen King

9781451627282

'The Best of the Rejection Collection: 293 Cartoons That Were Too Dumb, Too Dark, or Too Naughty for the New Yorker

By: Matthew Diffee

9780761165781

'Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis'

by: David Wills

9780062036193

'Timelines of History'

by: DK Publishing

9780756686819

'Gladiator: The Roman Fighter's (Unofficial) Manual'

by: Philip Matyszak

9780500051672

'Culo'

by: Raphael Mazzucco

9781451641967

'The World According to FaceBook'

by: Wylie Overstreet

9780062076182

'Salvage the Bones'

by: Jesmyn Ward

9781608195220

'Heart and Soul - The Story of America & African Americans' by Kadir Nelson

2011-10-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

With all the “apps” out there, I wish someone would invent a “standing in awe” app. That way I could just tap and let some computer algorithm explain how I feel. Books like this one need that because there is no way to convey, in words, how truly magnificent it is. You know how when you see a perfect sunset and you just watch it because words would cheapen the moment? That’s the way I feel about this book.

The cover sets the tone for this future classic and… wow. This story is told through the voice of a woman (Kadir’s grandmother) who has lived through the visit of the first slaves to the election of President Obama. The narrator transcends time, as does our history. In the telling of this story, our narrator is very honest. And not from the “chip on the shoulder” angle either. Just honest. One of the first stories that made me go “what?” was hearing why Pap wouldn’t let his family eat black-eyed peas on New Years.

Another point was the picture of the whipping tree. I’m from South Carolina and we used to visit Charleston all the time. I hated it then but I miss it now. Anyway, there was a street in Charleston that was two way. In the middle of the street there was a large tree. I remember my mom telling me that slaves used to hang from that tree. The tree in this book isn’t the same tree, but I got that same weird feeling that I got when I saw this painting. One of awe, horror, fascination, and sadness.

Grandmother continues her story and every once in a while, throws in a dash of humor. Suffice it to say that she wasn’t the only woman who found Dr. King attractive. :-) Hearing about our history from Grandmother is a treat, but what REALLY makes this book stand out are Kadir’s paintings. And not just one or two. No, we are treated to a painting on every. single. page. And since Kadir doesn’t do shoddy work ever, having this much talent in a book is real treat. It’s almost impossible to pick my favorite painting but if I HAD to, then I would choose the very last. After reading this book the last picture is the cherry. What’s scary is; that picture would have the exact same impact even if you haven’t read the book. Such is the power of Kadir’s paintings.

I’ve already started my “coffee table books for Christmas list” and this one is #3. Take off the jacket and put this one out as soon as you get it. As I was going through this book my five year old wanted to know what I was reading. I showed him, then I showed him a picture of Kadir, then we went through the paintings in the book. After we were done he looks at me and says, “Dad I want to be a painter”. Freaking awesome.

As a parent, a bookseller, and a man of color I constantly hear that there aren’t books for “us”. Well shut up because here you go. I will also venture to say that this isn’t just a book for “us”. This country wouldn’t be where it is today without the forced and volunteer help of African-Americans. While our path may be unique, our history shouldn’t be. Magnificent work Kadir.

9780061730740

'Scandalicious' by Allison Hobbs

2011-10-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

Waiting on an Allison Hobbs book to drop is like waiting on the next iPhone. You can't wait to get your hands on it so you can play with it. All day. And all night. If you just said "you can't play with a book" you have just told me that you have never read Allison Hobbs. I read Allison because she is one of my favorites. I also read her because I wonder... what the hell will she come with next? 'Scandalicious' is it. Solay is the sexy-cute owner of a cupcake boutique called (duh) 'Scandalicious'. This shop is heavy on the sugar and even heavier on the innuendo. My kinda place! She's a single business woman who spends too much time in the kitchen and not enough time in the bedroom. Not that she would have any fun in there, because her sex life is as empty and barren as class in Black History at David Duke University.

So she borrows a chapter out of the 'Manual for Horny Guys' and pays for it! As luck would have it, she gets one hell of a dick down plus something else. Deon, her phallus-for-hire-, is FaceBook perfect. (You'll have to be friends with Allison to know what I'm talking about). Out of everyone in this story these two have the hottest and nastiest sex this side of Cornnell Clarke. Oh y'all know Allison can write some sex scenes so be prepared to lick your fingers after a few of these here. Lincoln is the married guy; a married guy who is having incredibly bad sex with his wife. She's boring and wouldn't know her way around a blow job if given a map and GPS. In his anger he does something really stupid that cause repercussions far beyond what he plans.

Melanee was just... strange. This quiet, demure, chaste little thing is living a double life that is just... strange. Her sexual escapades, nevertheless, were very erotic. And strange. The scene after Colden tells her she has pleased Madam... wow. Easily my favorite sexual escapade in this book. Vidal was the flamboyant fool who was supposed to be the comedy relief. But he was short on the comedy and only succeeded on getting on my damn nerves! Solay let him get away with too much especially since that was HER store! He needs to exit stage left and quit messing up my damn groove.

I always finish Allison’s books in about two days and this one was no different. One slight “issue” though… (no spoilers), what was up with the ending? It caught me by surprise because it was so “un-Allison”. You tell me. Anyway, Allison continues her string of hits with this one and I’m sure you (freaks) will enjoy this just like I did. Now… what I want to know is where can I get some of those cupcakes? Especially the red velvet ones! I got some ideas on what I can do with those. And Vanilla Bean with Hot Pink Butter Cream? Come on Allison… you’re holding out on us!!

9781593093686

Cherie Johnson's 'GET'S IT'!

2011-10-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

Living in Bakersfield, CA I don’t have access to a lot of book conventions, workshops, or festivals. So when there is one I make it a priority to be there. In August 2011 I went to the Los Angeles Black Book Expo to meet other book lovers, authors, and publishers. One of the authors I met there was Cherie Johnson. She was the actress that played on ‘Punky Brewster’ and ‘Family Matters’. She has written a book titled ‘Around The World Twice’ and came to our bookstore to promote it. We started talking and it turns out that she wanted to come to the bookstore to do a signing in the past. In a Twilight Zone type episode, she told me that she called the bookstore a while back and was discouraged her from signing there. *Sigh*. So after I apologized my ASS off, I told her that I would do everything in my power to make it happen.

And we did.

One of the things that impressed me about Cherie from the start (aside from the fact that she was smokin’ hot) was her interaction with her fans. She spoke to everyone, smiled at everyone, shook hands with everyone, and took pictures with everyone. Having been in the book business for a while I can tell you that this is not the norm. I have seen authors come into our store and just sit on their ass and don’t move. I always say that meeting an author is more personal than meeting an actor because an actor is acting out somebody else’s words. When you meet an author you are meeting the actual person that wrote the words. That matters. Even when I was at the Black Book Expo there were authors that were very standoff-ish. Cherie was not. We had a great talk, I gave her one of my t-shirts, and we promised to stay in touch.

And we did.

And roughly two months later Cherie and her friend, Joy Thomas, walked through the doors of Russo’s Books. I was in the back getting a few things ready and making sure that Cherie’s ‘Capri Sun’ was nice and cold (sorta inside joke) before I went back out. Even before I said hello Cherie was already speaking, talking, and joking with the people in my bookstore. SHE GETS IT! This isn’t some spoiled celebrity who has bodyguards and an entourage; this is a woman who is genuinely happy to meet people. I am so tired of dealing with prima donna authors who think they are above it all and that we, the peasant public, must bow down and kiss their feet just because they give themselves some fake title. I’m SO tired of dealing with authors who take no pride in meeting and schmoozing with their fan base. The way the publishing world is restructuring itself, there are fewer author signing because they are fewer book sold. In a strange paradox, the #1 revenue for bookstores is… author signings! So when an author does get a chance to meet their fans, it’s a good thing for everyone involved. Provided the customers show up to support the author AND the store.

Cherie COMPLETELY sold out of the books that we had in stock and had to dip into her bag of books she brought with her. The entire time Cherie was here she was talking, laughing, smiling, (looking cute), signing, walking, and making connections. That same day we had the ladies of ‘A Woman’s Perspective’ calendar signing as well. The match couldn’t have been more perfect. The ladies played off each other like The London Symphony. Once the customers got their calendar signed they would gravitate toward Cheri and she would charm them even more. Near the end of the signing she even gave out her info to a woman who wanted to get know more about the writing game. Now… could an author sitting on their butt do that? Nope. Would an author who could care less do that? Not a chance.

And yes, I know there are those who will have a problem with me calling her an “author” even though she has a book published. Get over it. While she IS an author, the point of this blog is to let you know about a writer who GET’S IT. Because there are sooooooo many who don’t. Having Cherie here was a pleasure and I sincerely hope we have privilege of hosting her again. One of the connections Cherie made while she was here was meeting LaMeka Ross. Ms. Ross will be heading up the next Bakersfield Women Business Conference and I hope Cheri will be able to make it back because she’s positive, she’s successful, she’s fun, and she (you guessed it) GET’S IT!

Thank you Cherie for a wonderful book signing.

'Dawn Of The Bunny Suicides' by Andy Riley

2011-10-05T15:11:00.000-07:00

Suicide really shouldn’t be this funny… yet it is. Thinking of clever ways to die shouldn’t be entertaining … yet it is. Andy Riley delivers another morbidly funny book in the dark humor ‘bunny suicides’ series. One of the best things about these books, and especially this book, are the clever way our furry little friends find to off themselves. No facial expressions, no blood, no exploding guts; just the classic drawn white bunnies before, during, and after death.

There’s even a James Bond ‘Goldfinger’ reference in here! How could you not this book? Creative, amusing, chuckle inducing, and cerebral on a grisly imaginative level. Gun shy about meeting that new cute, Goth looking chick in your office? Put this book on your desk and you guys will be burning candles and buying his and hers black leather iPhone cases by Christmas. Want to get strange looks in your bookstore? Read this book while walking around asking people for help. (It’s especially funny when you go up to them in the ‘Religion’ section).

:-) INTERMISSION (-:

Simply put, this book is classic Andy and a must for every bathroom, coffee table, night table, break room table, and surgical table in the literate world. Actually the illiterate world would enjoy this book as well since there are no words. Of course they’ll miss out on the really clever ones… but that’s their fault for not being educated right? OK, I’ll go now.

9781452104980

Which E-Reader App Is The Best?

2011-09-29T20:46:00.000-07:00

So… you finally got an iPad? And you love to read. With all ofthe reading apps out there you might be wondering which one is the best? With everyone throwing their hat in thepublishing arena, there is an unlimited universe out there for readingapps. Well I’m not going to waste timewith the scrubs. Instead I’m going tosell out and stick with the five big boys. AmazonKindle App, Barnes &Noble Nook App, Kobo App, iBooks, and Google Books App.

Reading in itself is pretty simple. You choose a book, open it, and turnthe page. Can’t really mess that up. So you would think that when making an appfor the iPad, the software nerds would have a pretty easy go of it. Nope. It seems that in this world of trying to “one up” the next guy, theyhave made the simple act of turning a page into an applied science. With robots that can mimic humans, simulatinga turned page shouldn’t be thatdifficult. Right?

I’ve had my iPad for about six months now andhave used it for pretty much everything. Although what I use it the most for is reading. Well that and ‘Words With Friends’ (sn:rubiconreader). I have purchased a book for each of these apps tosee which one I like best. The resultsbelow wouldn’t fly in any boardroom but they are real world results and thatwill trump any graph or chart created in a lab.

‘Kindle’ Reading App – My favorite.

With much reluctance I must pick this one asthe best. Setting aside their mafiatactics with publishers, their mafia tactics with their devices, and theirmafia tactics with the US government, Amazon has created a pretty flawlessreading app. When you purchase your bookfrom Amazon and sync it to your iPad, the process is fast and painless. Bookmarking your page is easy and visible. If there is a webpage in the book it openswithin the app and exiting is easy as clicking “done” in the upper rightcorner. Flipping through the pages isfast and extremely responsive, and you stay on the same page whether you are in‘landscape’ or ‘profile’ mode.

With a tap you can bring up the options andanother tap will get rid of them. You easilychange the font size, move to a completely different chapter, check out yournotes and bookmarks, switch between white, black, or sepia colors, and easilysee how far you are in a book. I willadmit that seeing that I was “x-percentage” done with a book took some gettingused to and trying to figure out the “location” algorithm made me teethhurt. But that is extremely smallpotatoes when compared to how perfect this app is. You can search pretty much anything whenreading a book and when you highlight a word it will give the definition andlinks to ‘Google’ and ‘ Wikipedia’.

You can share your highlight on ‘FaceBook’ or ‘Twitter’ so others can get just as excitedas you about your book. One other slight issue is that when showingyour library, the books aren’t all a uniform size and that makes for a weirdlook. But again, small pickles whencompared with everything else. BESTreading app on the (free) market bar none!

‘Google Books’ App

I’m glad Google has an app for reading becausetheir ‘iriver StoryHD’ e-reader is about as ugly as the elephant man and as useless as hookerwith no mouth. One of the things that Ilike about the Google reading App is that it will let you choose between 8different fonts from which to read. Verynice. I can’t stand reading ‘Arial’ allthe time and it is easily the most boring font on the planet.

The Google reading app isn’t as fast as theKindle either. When you click on a bookin your library it bring up the title, sits for about half a second then moveson to the book. Why? I don’t know and I don’t care for it. This is definitely one of those “let’s inventsomething stupid to be different” moves. It also has this annoying “loading” circle that pops up that I don’t seeon my Kindle app. I could not look up aword or search for that word within the app, nor could I access any of thelinks within the app. There are nobookmarks either. That is strangebecause I thought that would be a standard item with everyone. So wherever you stop, that’s where youbegin. The good part is, that even afteryour turn your iPad off or even hard restart it, you don’t lose yourplace. The progress bar at the bottom ispretty straight forward with numbers and no percentages.

So what this turns out to be is a pure readingapp. No bells, no whistles, no dancinglady to celebrate you finishing a book. If you want a barebones reading app that is that and that ONLYthen this one is for you. Buying booksfrom Google is simple and they easily sync to your iPad. You can also support your local bookstore when your purchase Google e-books through theirsite.

iBooks

This is the only reading app that you can useto buy books directly from your iPad. Thanks to the controlling anal retentive boys in Cupertino forthat. This app is very eye pleasing, andthe bookshelf is beautiful. You clickthe title and the book actually opens so you can start reading. The pages turn like a book, but it’s stillnot as fast as the Kindle. You are ableto highlight a word, search using Google and Wikipedia, look up the definition,write notes, and even see how many times a word shows up in the story.

When you bookmark a page it saves it so that,as long as you don’t un-bookmark it, it will give you a list of all the placesyou chose to bookmark. The bookmarkitself is small and red. The other appshave larger ones that stand out a little better. But I guess with a digital book you don’treally need a large bookmarker since you can just search, click, and gostraight to your spot.

You have a choice of 6 different fonts fromwhich to read and the choice of black, white, or Sepia backgrounds. The progress bar at the bottom is stoicallynumerical so you know exactly how far you have to go. No percentages here. Purchasing a book is as easy as thosecommercials with the annoying music make it. What I really like about this app is the ability to read PDF files. And how easy it makes it to read PDF files. Yes, I am very aware that you can read PDF’son the Kindle but it’s not easy (especially on the Kindle app). Here I can just drag and drop within iTunes. I’m like Charlie Sheen; I want it easy andfast. Having to convert a file doesn’tappeal to me, especially when I don’t have to. I do a lot of reading and a lot of authors send me books to review. 99% of them send PDF files and being able todrag and drop saves me a ton of time. Overalla very good multi-use reading app.

Kobo App

I got a bad feeling about this app as soon as Iinstalled it. Good lord!! I haven’t seen this many pop-ups since usingInternet Explorer with America Online 4.0! That got annoying REAL FAST!! I don’t want to join your reading community,I don’t want to connect with my FaceBook friends, and I don’t want to know howto do some stupid mundane thing. It wasREALLY bad y’all! OK, case in point: Ijust opened one of the free books (‘Dracula’ by Bram Stoker) and at the bottomit asked me “you just started a new book, do you want to share it with yourFaceBook friends”? HELLLLLLLNO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Leave me alone geez!!!! OK, Ijust turned a page and on the lower left it tells me that I have a new “Facesand Places” feature. OK, seriously? I want to read the damn book not yourpop-ups.

That was the main reason this pushed thisreading app down on my list. I don’twant to be harassed when I read. Andyeah, that’s what I sincerely felt like. Like I was being harassed. You CAN turn that junk off but it shouldn’t be thedefault setting. Thisapp is like the FaceBook of reading apps. The progress bar at the bottom is strange. There are actually two, one superimposed onthe other. The darker one is the entirebook. The highlighted pink/Fuchsia ishow far you’ve gone in the current chapter. Interesting. Swiping the pages isfaster than Google, but slower than the Kindle. You are able to choose between three fonts from which to read as well asthe size of text.

Highlighting, notes, dictionary, and sharingare all there as well as a very cool “set status” feature. If you’re reading a passage and you like it,you can post it to FaceBook. Now… thisreading app has one of the coolest features I have seen on ANY app! Why the others don’t have something like itis beyond me. Under the “Reading Life”tab they have something called ‘reading stats’. THIS is cool! Here is what ittracks: hours read, pages turned, totalhours reading, hours spent per book, pages per hour, and pages persession. There are others but those arethe “big” ones. This is really neatbecause I’ve always wondered how long it takes me to finish a book. I haven’t been a one-sitting book reader in along time and I read my books over days. It’s really interesting to see how those numbers stack up. That makes this app worth having but not asone of my favorites because of all the exceedingly annoying pop-ups, reminders,and “check this out”.

Barnes & Noble Nook App

Despite what Vanessa Williams sings in that song,this time I save the WORST for last. What pissed me off about this app is when yougo from ‘portrait’ to ‘landscape’ it puts you back on the previous page! What the hell!?! Talk about super-ginornmour-spectacularlyannoying!! Who was the geek that missedthis? Just to make sure I’m not makingstuff up I tried it again just now. Yep,it puts you back on the previous page when you switch orientations. The only time this app would be useful is if youwere reading a book while you were dead and stuck in rigor mortis. This is a serious flaw in this app.

The Nook app has the usual search, dictionary,and bookmark features. But that mattersfor naught because I won’t be reading any books on this app. I tried to click on the links inside thee-book and they didn’t work with this app. Since I’m not going to be using this app I won’t waste too much time onit. Just take my advice and avoid it.

So that is my .02 cents on the best readingapp. I will mention that I also use ‘GoodReader’from time to time when I want to immediately read a PDF I receive in ane-mail. It’s actually very good but Iwouldn’t use it as my main reading app. Besides, ‘GoodReader’ is a full functioning app that EVERY iPad usershould have.

I hope this blog was of some help to you. If you have anything to add, pleaseshare. If you’re reading a good book or know of a good author, PLEASE share that aswell. I’m always looking for somethingelse to read.

'The Cartel 2' by Ashley & JaQuavis

2011-09-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

*SPOILERS* I thought about trying to sum up my feelingsabout this book without spoiling it, but I can’t. So if you read beyond here and you haven’tread this book yet, it’s your fault.

Unless you’ve beenunder a rock (or living in Adell, WI) you know how much of a fan of ‘TheCartel, Pt.1 I was). With this one, notso much. Not sure how to explain itbecause all of the dirt, grime, murder, and sexual assault was in this one, butit had a different… feel. I couldn’tfigure out until I reached the end. ThenI was like WHAT. THA. F*CK.! There aretimes where endings like this work, but it most certainly didn’t thistime. I think the best way to sum up myfeelings about this ending was… hmmmmmm… cheated, robbed, misled.

But let me back upfor a minute: ‘The Cartel 2’ picks upexactly where ‘The Cartel’ left off. Miamor is being held captive my Mecca and THIS brotha’ is living out hisTaliban torture fantasy. Unfortunately,Miamor is the unwilling participant in this murderous nightmare. One of the things I do like about Ashley andJaQuavis is their need to NOT shy away from the brutality of the story theytell. Be warned that you will cringe…and it will not be the only time. Trustme.

‘The Cartel’ is afar cry from what it once was and Young Carter is trying his best to keep thefamily and the business together. Westart to see how the ‘Murder Mama’ came to be and all of the intertwiningstories that keep you wondering who will be killed, who will do the killing,and who will be the next rape. I toldyou this story is brutal. I had tocringe through the part with the stepfather. Oh my goodness! Whoever wrotethat part had to have nightmares for days! Why? Because of how they wroteit. It’s hurts to read it. It’s painful to imagine it.

Ma’tee, the insaneHaitian plays his part in the decimation of the family, and of Breeze. And once again Ashley & Jaquavis provethat no one is invulnerable in their books. What really pissed me off was the ending. I’ve been reading books since the womb (notreally) and I haven’t felt this gyped in a LONG, LONG time. The first thing that popped into my head wasthat series ‘Lost’. They did somethinglike this and pissed off an entire nation! Why, why, why, why, would you do the stupid dream sequence? I truly felt like I wasted my time readingthis story seeing as it never happened! Icould have just skipped straight to book 3. There are times where the dream sequence works but it must be done in away that doesn’t make the reader feel bitter once it has been revealed.

Will I read part3? Yeah. But the fire that I had has been diminished a bit because of how thisone ended.

9781601622563

'The Cartel' by Ashley & JaQuavis

2011-09-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

I’ve heard about Ashley &JaQuavis for a while now but, as most book lovers will tell you, in the never ending universe of books thereare stories and authors that just get lost in book space. You hear about it, you hear good things aboutit, you put it on your list… and then you keep adding to the list… thensomething happens that gets your attention. That something was hearing JaQuavison “On The AirWith Trice and Brian”. (Ashleyunfortunately was sick).

Hearing him talk about the craft, meeting Ashley, his love for other authors(I’ll get to that in a minute), the new book coming out, and the real way inwhich he spoke… THAT’S what pushed them from my “authors to be read” pile, tomy “next book to read immediately” pile. And that is exactly what I did.

In my professional opinion ‘The Cartel’ wascompletely and totally BAD ASS! That’sit. I enjoyed everything about thisbook. This book started off withviolence, fed us with violence, and (somehow) “ended” with us wanting moreviolence. Ashley & JaQuavis havethat talent to build up a story then completely explode the foundation, and yetkeep the story flowing like a busted hydrant in Harlem. The Cartel is run by a very strong figure inCarter Diamond. Unfortunately he meetshis demise in the violence that I was telling you about earlier. He has two sons who are will take over…maybe.

When Carter’s other son makes himself known,the family isn’t sure what to think. Butthey better make up their minds fast because the Haitians want the drugbusiness and they will stop at nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing to takeover. What I loved about this book wasno one was safe. I’m reading one chapterwhere the main character (or so I thought) was doing their thing, and in thenext chapter… BAM!! They chillin’ at thecrossroads. Florida hasn’t seen thismuch blood since Andrew Jackson stopped by to say hello.

While this book if rife with blood,violence, murder, and sexuality, it’s the story that will keep you turning thepages. I usually don’t read books inorder and the rare times I do read a series I take a break in betweenbooks. That’s just how I am. But guess what I’m reading now? Yep, ‘The Cartel 2’. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE has told methat this series only gets better. I’vestarted book 2 and… wow. I can’t waituntil I finish this review so I can get back to that book. Seriously y’all, I’m not exaggerating in theleast.

Back to the top for a minute… one of thethings that impressed me with JaQuavis was at the end of the interview whenBrian asked him about their new book,‘Murder Mamas’. He steered theconversation around to another author, K’wan. Classy and real. I was already impressed but this justcemented it. Now… there’s a book waitingon me so I’m out like Ellen. Peace!!

9781601621429

'Aphrodisiacs: Erotic Short Stories' by Karen Williams

2011-09-15T08:54:00.000-07:00

This is a short erotic story collection that isa little different. What’s different isthat… these here aint sweet. It’serotica with a mean twist. The sex ishot, hot, hot, hot, hot but the endings are mean, mean, mean, mean, mean. Karen starts us off with “Best Served Cold”, an erotic story of revenge on a cheatinghusband. For some reason that old school‘Doublemint’ commercial kept playing in my head. Next up is ‘Jail Bait’. Forbidden sex,oral sex, butt sex, rough sex, forced sex… just another day in the life of aCO. One of the first stories that causedme to go… “what in the sam-hill…”!?

‘MyDaddy’s Friend’ was a fantasy story about a man’sbest friend and his young daughter. Hisyoung, sexy daughter. His young, sexy,virgin daughter. Introducing a girl toher first taste of sex is a fruit so deliciously sweet… just make sure youdon’t do anything stupid afterwards. Thefool in this story didn’t get that memo. ‘Thug Loving’ was good butnot as good as the others. ‘Bitch! What Goes Around Comes BackAround…” was another story of revenge with a different twist. All I could think of was “lucky, lucky,lucky”. ‘London Bridge’ was a hot story about our hidden sexual past. And umm… “London Bridge” has nothing to withEngland or the Black Eyed Peas.

‘Mrs. Parker’ isanother story about a young girl’s sexual tryst with an older man. Something about the sexuality in this story wasjust…. wonton. Tia just wants to pleaseand pleases she does. And as par for thecourse, Karen throws in a curve that leaves you with an aftertaste of confusion, until you get to that “ah ha” moment. Kinda gives a new spin on “who’s your daddy”. While the endings in these short stories arenot what you would expect, I hope Karen keeps it up because it is kinda nice notto have stories end as a fairy tale.

2011-09-09T20:16:00.000-07:00

As far as informative sex videos go, this one is very good! Calling it a blow job documentary wouldn’t be a stretch at all. Jessica Drake is the producer and she interviews her fellow porn stars for their perspective. She made me laugh a few times because one of her recurring lines in this video was, “I interviewed hundreds of guys and this is what they said”. Then she goes back to the same six actors. Nothing major, but just a bit of comedy relief in the middle of a blow job how-to.

Jessica interviews sex actors (men and women) about what they love about giving/receiving oral sex. What their favorite techniques are, how it makes them feel, how they like to make their partner feel, and everything in between. One guy on this video is a jerk but the others are pretty cool and the women are awesome. Why? Because they have absolutely no inhibitions whatsoever! Well… except for not liking men who are not clean “down there”. Other than that they give you great insight on how they go about giving a BJ. Now these women are porn stars so they will NOT be like your average women when it comes to oral sex. They are a bit more cavalier about sucking a dick but the rest is 100% real.

What I liked about this video was getting to hear other people’s perspective about oral sex. True, it is their job but still hearing about what they love about BJ’s was a lot of fun. This video is for anyone who wants to know how to give a better blow job. Since you have six different people you have (at minimum) six different ways to make your man come. You have the men who tell you what they like and you have the women who tell you what they like. If you don’t pick up a few pointers from this video then you aren’t paying attention.

At the end of the documentary section the actors put their words to action. Jessica gives us play by play (or rather, blow by blow) on what to do with your man’s dick. Kissing, French kissing, licking, blowing, sucking, and hand movements. All shown in full color glory and action. She even tells you the best position for deep-throating. She even goes as far as to get into the science of deep-throating with Bobbi Starr.

The three videos:

After you listen to the interview part of this DVD you’ll move on to the movies. Now, when I first got this DVD I skipped the interview session and went straight to this section. (what?) The movies are SUPER hot because the women actually worship the cock. This isn’t some thirty second internet sex video, oh no. This is a full on “this is what you do, this is what you do next, and this is how you finish” instructional video. You can have it with Jessica commentating or without. I did it without because I don’t need a freaking play by play when watching sex. After I watched this video a few times I did check out the commentary. It was OK but unnecessary.

Video #1: this is the basic blow job. Although… there was nothing basic about it. The man and woman are professional but they don’t go all “professional” and give us a good demonstration of a good beginning BJ. It’s almost like porn for women because it’s very sensual, very slow, lots of deep kissing, lot of touching and caressing before getting to the main course. It takes place in a bathtub with candles and that great porn music. It’s slow, methodical, and highly erotic.

Video#2: this is a more advanced blow job. Again it starts off with a lot of kissing, both actors are fully clothed to start, and again a lot of touching and working toward the BJ. In this one you have the actors in different positions, using different techniques.

Video #3: is the anatomy of a hand job. To me it was sexy but not as stimulating as the two BJ videos. I know there are couples who swear by this and I’m sure it will be useful to that college prude who has a horny boyfriend but doesn’t want him to penetrate her pussy or ass. But for me it was just OK.

In case you still aren’t sure, I’m a fan of this video. This DVD needs to be a requirement for every woman getting married. Yeah, I know, I know, I know… but there would be a lot less fighting and a lot more happier men if women knew even the basics shown in this video. Guys, don’t buy this video for your woman (or women) but do leave it lying around in a very non conspicuous place. All jokes aside, this is a GREAT “how to give a BJ” video and one I hope you check out.

Miscellaneous notes:

Bobbi Starr is my new favorite “flavor of the month”. She has the classic “innocent girl from next door” look but it EXXX-TREMELY cute! And the fact that she is an expert at sucking dick only adds to the fantasy. Out of all the interviewers I enjoyed listening to her the best because you could tell that there is a brewing sea of sexuality just waiting to erupt.

'Secret Obsession' by Kimberla Lawson Roby

2011-09-07T09:09:00.000-07:00

As I was reading this book one question kept popping into my head; “how can such a beautiful woman like Kimberla compose such a devious character like Paige”? Talent. Has to be, cause I don’t want to think that Kimberla is this crazed on her own. Paige is a young lady who is as crazy as a Amish preacher listening to Black Sabbath played backwards while jogging on one foot through Harlem wearing a Confederate Flag jumpsuit . She wants her sister’s life, her sister’s house, her sister’s money, and her sister’s husband. And she will (literally) stop and plan at nothing to get it. Unhinged is the best word to describe her because she is convinced that “no” means “yes”, and she can twist even the most blatant obvious negative into a Paige-Positive.

Example/Negative: Paige steals your car and you call the police. Paige Positive: She thinks you’re calling the police because you want to borrow their handcuffs to spice up your night of lovemaking. Yeah, you think I’m kidding… read the book. Paige did have a less than stellar childhood but I was waiting for something to drop that would help explain what the hell was wrong with her. And it drops… oh does it drop! That part is very emotional and Kimberla writes it like she lived it.

This is a very fast read about an extremely delusional woman who is obsessed with her sister’s life, and especially her man. She executes a couple of very devious plans to help facilitate this, and if you aren’t convinced that Paige is insane by page three… reading about plan #1 will be your Rosetta Stone. While this is one of Kimberla’s shorter books, it doesn’t read like it. Kimberla is a gem and so are her books. Do yourself a favor and bask in the glow.

9780446572422

'AFTER, Taras and Theron: Beyond Jerusalem' by David McAfee

2011-09-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

This is a short story “collection” that fits in between ’33 A.D.’ and ’61 A.D.’ I have not read this series in order (I still have to read ‘Saying Goodbye To The Sun’) but I didn’t read this story until after ’61 A.D’. The first short story deals with the struggle of a newly turned vampire named Taras. Taras was one of the elite Roman assassins who must now deal with the fact that he must kill and drink blood to survive. Since he’s a newbie he still struggles with his human morals. He doesn’t WANT to kill but he MUST kill or he will cease to survive.

Having never been through the process myself, I will assume that being turned into a vampire is somewhat traumatic. But in ’33 A.D.’ Jesus (yes, THAT Jesus) tells Taras that he has a choice: live as a vampire or die in peace. Taras makes his choice, but if you ask me he sounds like a little bee-otch after he makes it. Oh I know like must suck for him now as a new member of the undead. No more sunrises or sunsets, an insatiable hunger for human blood, growing fangs and claws at the first hint of danger, blah blah blah!

Taras struggles back and forth with what he needs to do vs. what he doesn’t want to do. His decision is (almost) made for him and the scene in which it shows up is pretty brutal and animalistic. I loved it!

Short story number 2 deals with the vampire that I wish would get a 6AM wake-up call: Theron. He’s the thousand year old vampire that screwed up and now must pay the price. He was tasked with killing Jesus and failed. So now, the Council of Thirteen would like to give him a very special employee evaluation. Theron is wicked and suffers his own maligned adventures in his story. He’s very powerful with a history that is as intriguing as it is evil. I expect him to reek much hell in the future. I did not read story #3.

I usually don’t read series in order because that’s just how I am. In this case however, I do suggest you read the books in order so that you’ll understand everything. Especially the background. Now, having said that I shall now go and read the ‘Saying Goodbye To The Sun’.

'61 A.D.' by David McAfee

2011-08-31T10:31:00.000-07:00

So, there I was a few days ago strolling through FaceBook doing… well… FaceBook stuff. I see a post from David saying something like “and another review for my book goes up on Amazon”. Whhhhat? The title was (obviously) ’61 A.D.’ and my brain was still trying to catch up to the fact that there was a sequel to ’33 A.D.’ ’33 A.D.’ was a come-out-of-left-field-book that I ran across and was immediately taken with it. Matter of fact I’m STILL talking about it. After I saw the post it took me (and I am SO not joking) less than 4 minutes to find it, buy it, and download it. I would call this an impulse buy but an impulse is too long a time to describe what I did.

This book brought two of my favorite genres and merged them in one. 1. Rome and 2. Blood, gore, and pain. This story picks up about thirty years after Taras is turned by the renegade Theron. There is a lot going on with this installment but the main parallel story is Boudica. Yep, her. In ’33 A.D.’ we hear about the vampires who put a hit out on Jesus, in ’61 A.D.’ these delusional vampires run into Boudica. I’m not quite sure who to feel sorry for. We all know what happens to Boudica and her daughters at the hands and knees of the Roman soldiers. What you have not read is this author’s take on it.

On the flip side there is dissent within the ‘Council of 13’ and it seems as if everyone is hunting and killing everyone else. One big bloody, lusty, murderous, rapacious romp! I enjoy reading David because he writes vampires the way they ought to be written. He also writes stories the way they ought to be written. Now… on to the next one…

'Erotic Snapshot' Vol. 3 - Anna J.

2011-08-26T16:05:00.000-07:00

Anna J. continues here scorching “Erotic Snapshots” series with installment #3. The authors contributing this time are; Kimber Lee, N’Tyse, Tawana Patrice, and La Jill Hunt. Four erotic short stories total.

Let’s start with my favorite of the bunch, ‘Motel Lover’s’ by N’Tyse. I started this story and as I was reading it I thought, “did I miss something”? As I kept reading certain things started to show and I was like “you gotta be kidding me”! What kind of freaky, nasty, crazy, demented, sexual perversion is this?! Of course I couldn’t stop myself from reading it. Michelle is a nymphomaniac who has no problem getting her needs met. What threw me was HOW she went about doing it… and in who’s company.

‘The Package’ by Tawana Patrice is just plain freaking hot! It seems Anna J. has a knack for picking authors who love to throw in a little misdirection. That or I’m just being a man. It wasn’t until about page 3 that I realized (no spoilers) that the UPS driver was not who I thought. When I found out… :-) One of the things that I enjoyed most about this short story was the vision of the lady in a towel. The UPS driver and the towel lady from heaven proceed to have a sexual tryst that would make Aphrodite blush. Twice. I also enjoyed the fantasy that this story invoked; unfortunately it will only be a fantasy because the only thing my UPS driver brings ME is other people’s packages.

‘Playing Time’ by La Jill Hunt is more of a story with a sexual episode. Entertaining yes, but not as saturated with lust as the others. This one did make me laugh, however, because of Jodie. You know how people say “I’m going to give that person a piece of my mind”? Well Jodie does give the coach a piece… but it aint her mind.

‘Coffee with Cream’ by Kimber Lee what I liked about this story was how the anticipation of sex can get rid of all inhibitions. I also loved how the author wrote in that Summer, the main character, undid a pin and let her hair down. Such a small “throw-away” action that is almost as erotic as slowly stripping off a silk nightgown… shoulder strap by shoulder strap. One slight problem though at the end; I don’t know if I downloaded a bad copy (doubtful) but the second to the last paragraph left me hanging for real. It almost seemed like there is a small passage missing. I understand the last paragraph in this story but the one before it felt a little out of place.

I did enjoy this next installment of the “Erotic Snapshots” series despite the slight hiccups.

'Hero of Rome' by Douglas Jackson

2011-08-22T22:02:00.000-07:00

This is my third Douglas Jackson book. Doesn’t sound like a big deal… until I tell you that I’ve read his books almost back-to-back-to-back. And would have read the next one except it has yet to be released. (On a side note, I just checked Amazon tonight and the Kindle e-book version IS available now, HA!). You need not have read ‘Caligula’ or ‘Claudius’ in order to enjoy ‘Hero of Rome’, but it was a nice surprise to see mentions of the previous two sprinkled in this one. It was like finding a golden nugget in an already full pot of gold.

I was enjoying this book from jump street but I REALLY got into it at the end. Oh yeah… if you love Roman battles then you’ll love the one in here. How they get to that point is fascinating but the ending is ‘bloody’ awesome. As others have stated, we get to read about Rome’s favorite Celtic bitch, Boudicca. The stunning red head with the temper and means to shove a good one straight up Rome’s arse.

Gaius Valerius Verrens is the main character in this one, however, I must say that my favorite was Crespo. Now once you read it you’ll wonder what kind of medication I’m on because Crespo is just bad news. No wait… he’s the bad news that bad news reads while waiting on bad news. He does things in this story that would make Satan blush, but I liked him because of that very reason.

This is a great Rome book through and through. From the legionaries, to the prissy Tribunes, to the gore/blood/bone, to the endless paradox of her politics and allies; ‘Hero of Rome’ is what you look for in a historical-fiction story. To say I’m looking forward to reading ‘Defender of Rome’ would be the dumbest understatement of the year, so I won’t say it. Sed pro Romanis.

9780593065129

'Can't Help The Way That I Feel' - Lori Bryant-Woolridge (Editor)

2011-08-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

There are fifteen short erotic short stories in this collection and I liked about three of them. Now I’m not the authority on erotic short stories but I know what I like and this collection didn’t do it for me. Usually when I read erotic collections I trade places with the characters in the stories. I didn’t do that this time because I didn’t want to be any of the characters. These stories were fun but what I really like about sexual anthologies is the fact that I’ll go back and re-read the stories. Aside from the three or so stories that I liked, I don’t think I’ll do that with this one.

So which stories did I like?

‘Lead Me Into Temptation: Shaved By The Belle’ – It’s one of the shorter ones but they should have started this book with this one instead of ending it. The beginning will have you howling laughing, the middle will plant the seeds of arousal, and the ending will leave you horny. This was my favorite, favorite, favorite!! Not only because of the sexuality but rather because of how funny It started. Laughter in this case is a VERY power aphrodisiac.

‘Tandem’ - is a fantasy that will make you reach for a phone book and search for “massage”.

‘

Tilt-A-Thrill’ – A sexy grandma getting her thrills on an amusement park ride. The way Noori wrote this was EXTREMELY erotic. How happy was I to find out that the end of the ride

wasn’t the end of the story…

The three of these stories made up for what I felt was missing with the others. Again, the other stories weren’t bad but within the context of the entire collection, I was left wanting.

'Raunchy' by T. Styles

2011-08-11T22:33:00.000-07:00

This book has been on my book wishlist since its debut. So why haven’t I read it until now? None of your damn business! Now, on to the review…

DO NOT read this book if you can’t handle real grime, real dirty-dirty, and situations so bad they would make Precious jealous. I heard through the book grapevine that this story was pretty grimy and filthy, but even after hearing that I still wasn’t ready for some of the stuff I read. Seriously, if you have any qualms about the seven deadly sins then skip this book. Not only does Harmony spit in the face of the seven deadly sins, she creates about four more.

Harmony has had a rough childhood. No, I don’t mean some “I got beat up afterschool” rough. I mean a “seen two murders and getting raped on a daily basis by family” rough. See? And you thought I was joking when I said this ish was grimy. To go what she went through shouldn’t be called abuse, that’s too nice of a word to describe it. And the only other word I can think of is used by only one other person. Satan. The worst part about her situation is that this cycle doesn’t stop and, in Harmony’s case, it actually gets worse.

Nothing is off limits to Harmony. She’ll do anything, anyone, anywhere, at anytime. There isn’t one good person in this woman’s life and like that STD she carries around, it slowly eats at away at her very core. Even the relationships she has (drug dealers of course) are sad, depressing, and full of depravity. There is plenty of hard core drama in this story to keep your nose buried. But remember, you’ll be reading a car wreck. A car wreck strewn with bodies, hurt, and suffering.

The first part of this book is told within a good time frame, but the second half jumps years in between a number of chapters. Also, there were a few issues I had with this one. There were more than a few situations that left you saying “aint no way in hell”. Not just to the point of suspending belief but rather to the point of ‘that’s impossible’. I don’t think it took away from the story but it was really strange to do a double take on paragraph. There is one BIG, GINORMOUS twist that will leave your jaw hanging but you’ll quickly recover after a moment because you’ll be like “oh yeah right”. It almost seemed like that last third of the book was rushed.

Despite those things, I still really enjoyed this book. But I need a break before I read #2 because this one was… damn… just damn.

9780982391372

'Anna J Presents: Erotic Snapshots Vol. 2'

2011-08-11T15:26:00.000-07:00

I told myself that: 1. I was going to get this e-book to read before I went to bed and, 2. I wouldn’t read it in one sitting. Yeah, good luck with that Jason. I think I would have better luck trying to get Fantasia a PHD in education. (just kidding Fantasia, you know I love you). Anna J and crew follow up #1 with as equally as erotic #2. Dwayne starts us off with a lusty masquerade (“paper faces on parade”) that has nothing to do with the Phantom… save the sexual high notes that this vixen is forced to hit.

T. Real follows with a story about a blind date that I’m sure that we ALL wish we had. While I enjoyed this story, the part that really pushed me over the edge was when Myeisha begged Marcus to grab something. I’m not going to spoil it and say what it was, but T. Real could have written those two sentences alone and called it a story and I would have been happy.

Treasure closes this collection out with my favorite, ‘Boy Candy’. I couldn’t STAND Jasmine! Talk about ghetto-ungrateful! This one had some pretty crazy drama and a disturbing sex scene near the end that might make some cringe. I did, but it went well with the story and I almost felt bad… almost.

Again, credit to Anna J. and credit to the authors putting it down.

'Claudius' by Douglas Jackson

2011-08-05T23:42:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah. THIS is the story I was waiting on! While I did enjoy book #1 (Caligula) I REALLY liked this one. Why? I think this one has more action and less “the elephant whispers”. Not that I don’t like Bersheba but I want the death, blood, torture, and gore! To be fair, both books have that but this one has more of it. ‘Claudius’ picks up three/four years after ‘Caligula’ and Rome is going back after Britain. Rufus has had the (mis)fortune of being too good at what he does and has been rewarded with an honorary Praetorian commission… with all the hardships and extra hardships that come with it.

‘Claudius’ is a true Roman novel in every way. From the battles with more blood than an exploding vampire, to the graphic descriptions of dismemberment, to the maze of Roman politics, Douglas continues one hell of a tale. Narcissus is the puppet master, Claudius is the lead actor, and Rufus is the bit player. Not because he’s isn’t important, but rather because he and his elephant are at the Emperor’s bidding. And since being the Emperor of Rome means you have to have some sort of serious mental disorder, Claudius wants “his” elephant to fight against the Britain’s.

Unfortunately the Britain’s will not go quietly; Julius Caesar was witness to that. So Rome and her ego, I mean Emperor, plan another slaughter. I enjoy reading about the plights of the other side and Caratacus and his people provide the perfect fodder.

Rome wasn’t the only nation that had honor and they weren’t the only nation to bathe in blood. Both sides prepare… and the gods wait.

9780552156950

'Full Black' by Brad Thor

2011-07-26T06:09:00.000-07:00

Def: “Black Operation” or “Black Ops” is a covert operation typically involving activities that are highly clandestine and often outside of standard military protocol or even against the law.

Def: “Full Black” – a black operation on a six-pack of Red Bull.

Harvath is back and he’s in the rare position of having worked a couple of operations that have gone horribly wrong. Because of this, the sand cowards will unleash an attack on America that shocked even me. The maniacal nutcase in this book is named James Standing; a billionaire that hates capitalism (figure THAT out). He has the power, the money, the connections, the strategy, and the brain damage to plan for the destruction and forced socialism of America.

The amount of destruction reeked in this book is pretty staggering even for Thor. As with all of Thor’s books, your reading will struggle to keep up with the pace as danger and honor come from all sides and every corner of the globe. ‘Full Black’ is Thor doing what Thor does best; stomping the hell out of the radical Islamic terrorist cowards by our favorite human superhero, Scot Harvath. Thor’s books are always current, political, steeped in action, and more than a little controversial. This one is going to tick off a LOT of people. On the menu this time, socialism.

Now, I will be honest and say that this book was the first time that I’ve ever felt that Brad was preaching at me. I know that a lot of people (usually the ones who don’t agree with him) have felt that way about his work in the past. It’s no secret as to where Brad stand politically but I never felt like it took away from the story until now. There is a small section near the middle of the book where he just goes off! And I don’t mean like your backyard 4^th of July going off, I’m talking the six barge San Diego 4^th of July bang-slam-a-jamma going off!! Usually Brad does his “preaching” within the context of the story amongst the bullets and blood, but this time I felt it was different.

The paradox here is that I agree with Brad but as a reader it caught me by surprise. That’s the only hiccup but I felt it was worth mentioning. He does some more preaching in this book but it was within the context of the story. The conversation between James Standing and Julia is just pure brilliance! I think he needs to cut and paste that into an email and send it to the yahoo’s in Washington. The difference was that it was within the context of the story and that’s what made it powerful. Some of you may think that I’m off my rocker but I’d love to hear what you think when you read it.

The Carlton Group comes across information about a series of attacks that will not only collapse America financially but collapse us… period. The plans of the terrorists are bold in scope and they have the full backing of socio-psychopath (is that a word)? It’s hard to believe that Washington could get any friendlier to the terrorists… but they have. Harvath has had enough and devises a plan so dark and so off the books he must go “Full Black”. (No spoilers) Unfortunately, despite his best planning and his dance with lady luck, things happen that will make you wonder how things can ever be the same again in America.

Despite that little hiccup in the middle, I highly recommend this next installment of the “don’t ‘F’ with America cause Scot Harvath is back” series.

9781416586616

'Caligula' by Douglas Jackson

2011-07-22T19:18:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of fun reading this book. I bought this book at face value based only on the title and cover. Well… not really. A friend of mine suggested I read Mr. Jackson because I was looking for another who wrote fictional books on Rome. The initial gut feeling I got when I saw the cover was a good one and you should always go with your gut. Once I read the prologue I knew I had my next book. The main character is a slave named Rufus, and Rufus has a special gift of working with animals. Because of this his life is put on a collision course with the infamous Roman emperor Caligula.

Now despite this book being named ‘Caligula’ it really deals more with Rufus than that depraved cretin. Like I said Rufus has a special gift and he is bought (more like stolen) from his current master to serve the emperor. Caligula has an elephant and has hired Rufus to care for her. Of course this being Rome and Rome being the beautiful ancient enigma she is, nothing is what it seems. Even olives carry the hint of conspiracies. Before Rufus started his corporate job as the Emperors elephant keeper he was a slave and semi-reluctant friend of his master named Fronto.

Fronto recognizes Rufu’s gifts and teaches him probably more than a master should teach a slave. Because of this they develop a bond and this bond leads Rufus to meet Cupido. Cupido is a gladiator and one of the best of his time. He’s a killer through and through but to call him a reluctant killer wouldn’t place you far from the mark. Two slaves with a unique friendship, haunted by their demons, and ruled by a man that is crazier than Slingblade wearing a nut-coat hanging out on the Green Mile.

Both men have to deal with everyday life in Rome as well as the brutal mood swings of Caligula. We all know how insane Caligula was but it’s still a shock to read about, in graphic detail mind you, some of the things he does for sport. Despite the many duties an Emperor must perform to keep Rome running, it’s one that he can’t mention that is the most important. Assassination. The way nutty Caligula thought, to mention it was to make it so. So how Rufus and Cupido get caught up in such a conspiracy is pretty much the center of this story. “All roads lead to Rome”, right? Douglas Jackson thrills us with numerous storylines that will make you laugh, cringe, cry, and shiver all before converging and leading us toward an “ending”.

There really is so much here within these pages that you’ll forgive me for not touching on them all. (NO SPOILERS)… a few things you should be on the lookout for though… who Caligula chooses for Rufu’s wife, what Caligula chooses as his game of choice after dinner, his…ummmm… interrogation techniques, what was blocking the Cloaca Palatina, and his unique and brutally horrific punishment of someone who he deemed a traitor. With all of the brutality that I read and crave, even this one made me whisper a quiet “damn”. I really enjoy the way certain authors end their books, and Douglas’s last sentence cemented me as a fan.

9780552156943

My Open Letter to the African-American Media

2011-07-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

To: All African-American Media Outlets

“If you want to hide something from a Black person put it in a book”.

It seems that statement has been around as long as time itself. Unfortunately, as old as that statement is, it is still sadly very relevant today. Reading is the fundamental backbone of everything we do in society. While our (African-American) authors are working harder than ever, writing more than ever, and self-promoting more than ever, they are fighting an uphill battle. The battle is making our authors more visible in the eyes of our people.

While our African-American entertainment shows are popular now more than ever, you have reached that pinnacle by blatantly ignoring one of the most important contributors to our society. Authors. We celebrate our actors, our musicians, and our athletes, but not composers of the written word. Our authors, on a consistent basis, populate the New York Times Bestseller Lists but do not populate your guest lists. This is an omission that must not continue. Our authors are some of the most intelligent, insightful, and humorous scholars the literary fraternity has to offer. They need to be treated with the respect they have more than earned.

Please don’t misunderstand me. These authors don’t want a handout, nor are they sitting around waiting for one. They are grinding hard and being extremely creative in promoting their craft. And with book industry struggling to find a new identity in the world of e-books and closing bookstores and libraries, the need for exposing our literature is great. We do not have the luxury to wait for someone else to do it.

YOU must take responsibility now for your lack of action. When was the last time you had an author on your program? When was the last time you even asked? The fastest demographic for new readers is our young adults. You know the young people that we are grooming to run this world? What message are you sending them when you fawn over everything but books? I’m not asking for anything huge. I don’t even think I’m asking for anything unreasonable. You have no problem inviting actors when they are starring in a film. Why not make the first step and inviting the person that wrote the book that film is based on?

Our authors are superstars. Our authors are literary wizards. Our authors influence beyond the pen. Our authors produce masterpieces. Remember how you felt when you read ‘The Color Purple’, or ‘Roots’, or ‘Makes Me Wanna Holler’, or ‘I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings’, or ‘Kindred’? What about ‘Devil In A Blue Dress’? That same inspiring literary art is still going on today carried on by authors that are as much fans of the craft as they are creators. To continue to ignore them is to continue to insult them.

Who am I? I’m a book lover. I manage one of the few remaining Independent bookstores in California and it hurts to see my book industry in such turmoil. It hurts to see the authors I love and support, struggle to get people to read. It hurts when I know that this could have been fixed, yesterday. All I’m asking is that you save a couple jokes and trivial news about the current hot celebrity and put on someone who is already creating an influence.

To be clear, our media is not to blame for our apathetic view on books and reading, but you have not done anything to help either. In this situation, complacency is just as bad as illiteracy. Thank you for your time and ear.

Jason Frost – RubiconReader
rubiconreader@gmail.com

'The $64,000 Question'

2011-07-19T01:49:00.000-07:00

Today I participated in an internet conversation about how African American (AA) books and authors are not getting their due. This was based on a conversation started on the FaceBook page of author Victoria Christopher Murray about why she isn’t a fan of ‘The Help’. The onus was “why is it when an AA writer pens a book about US it doesn’t generate buzz. But when a white person writes a book about us it garners praises, literary prizes, and movie rights”. ‘The Help’ was written by Kathryn Stockett and the two AA books that were being used as “control” were ‘Wench’ by Dolen Perkins-Valdez and ‘Glorious’ by Bernice L. McFadden.

It was a good discussion that made you feel bad and good at the same time. Good because you had a page full of people talking, sharing, laughing, sympathizing, debating, all for the love of books. Bad, because we all see a problem and are not quite sure on how to fix it. Our authors are writing VERY good books, the readers are chatting it up and reviewing the books, and the bookstores are closing. Oops. The purpose of this blog is to answer one of the questions posed by Bernice L. McFadden; “what do we need to do”? I commented that it was the $64,000 question and others were stumped as well. So tonight as I was making my bologna and egg sandwiches I jotted a few ideas, thought about them for a few seconds, and decided to write this blog.

So… “What do we need to do”? Taking everything into consideration I think we (the AA book community) need EXPOSURE! Discussions on authors FaceBook pages, book talk radio, and blogs are all good but the problem is we are preaching to the choir. If someone tunes into a book talk radio it’s because they want to be there. It isn’t like some show on NBC that you keep on only because you are too lazy to look for the remote. You have to actively GO to a website to listen. Same with an author’s website or FB page. Yes, you might have joined as a fan in the beginning, but if you participate in discussions it is because you WANT to. You initiate the contact. What we need to do is get to the people who ARE NOT reading. How? EXPOSURE.

I know advertising takes money but that is only one venue. We need to call out OUR media to take some responsibility for their lack of participation. When was the last time you saw an author on ‘106 & Park’? I’m calling them out because that show is extremely popular what a ton of influence. We have numerous authors who would LOVE to have the opportunity, to talk about their book for a few minutes. I work in a bookstore and I can tell you this for a fact: the fastest growing demographic for readers now is young adult women. But not young Black women. The young adult market has blown up as of late due in part to a number of extremely popular series. So much so that authors that have usually written only for adults are now writing for teens. Can you imagine how inspiring it would be to have a beautiful, articulate Black woman taking the books she has written? Imagine a ReShonda Tate Billingsly or a Victoria Christopher Murray speaking to a group of young black women? Pipe dream? I don’t think so.

I watch '106 & Park' and they have plenty of time to showcase authors, especially with some of the dumb stuff they put on there to fill in time. Black men have always brought up the rear in the demographic that reads the least. Want to change that? Put Eric Jerome Dickey and let them hear… let them HEAR how intelligent and traveled this brother is. Let them bask in his sense of humor as I have, let them read about Driver… about Gideon. And since I’m not the type of person (like some) to put down “street lit”, while you’re at it, put K’wan in front of the camera and watch him grind. Something like this is NEEDED to help with the exposure. And it can happen… tomorrow. And I don’t want to hear about the weak excuses as to why it can't be done. If ‘106 & Park’ can take time to talk to some B-rated rapper then can easily take the time to welcome a New York Times Best Selling author. They have an obligation to promote the written word, one on which they have fallen embarrassingly short.

The NAACP Image Awards. While having a category for literature, does not show the awards live. This needs to change as of yesterday. I’m not saying you need to do every category but is two too much to ask? And with the celebrities in attendance you mean to tell me that you can’t let Alice Walker, Maya Angelou, Walter Mosley, or Nikki Giovanni say a few words about the craft that they helped shape? Again, I’m talking about EXPOSURE. We all know that anything sells better if you put it in the face of the masses. I have no doubt that this would be the same with books. Don’t believe me? OK then, explain the feeding frenzy that comes when a movie is release based on a book. Even if the book has been out for YEARS! Before ‘Twilight’ how many commercials did you see promoting Stephanie Meyer? Before ‘Precious’ how many magazine adds did you see for ‘Push’? Hell, even with Harry Potter I didn’t see J.K. Rowling books on the big screen in New York before the movies came out!

If you build it, they will come.

If we would take advantage of what we already have to help with what authors are already doing, I think we can turn this apathy for reading around. One of the few authors that actually advertise on TV is James Patterson. Now before you say “but he’s rich”! 1. Yeah… he is. 2. His commercials aren’t all that. His latest commercial has him standing holding his book looking at the camera 60% of the time. We can’t do that? Why can’t we do better than that? We might not be able to advertise on primetime TV but we can make a commercial. Can’t we? Please don’t think I’m making this to be simple, I’m not. I just think that we need to FIND a way to get the EXPOSURE. If there is a movie based on a book, why not show a short trailer of the book before the movie? Give the author a few minutes to speak about their work, make it fun, and then start the 46 minutes of trailers. The more I think about it, the more sense that makes. Movie theatres have every toy, t-shirt, and stupid widget known to man and Klingon in their lobbies promoting the movie, why not the book?

Even if a movie isn’t based on the book why could you still not promote a book in the same genre? Have Kimberla Lawson Roby introduce a T.D. Jakes movie. Zane could introduce the next ‘Basic Instinct’ movie. (hehehehehehe). Stephen Carter, the next John Grisham. I work in the book industry so I know money is tight everywhere, but I think in order to save our industry we must re-invest in our industry. Borders Books announced today that they will close every single one of their stores. Books-A-Million said they might buy 50 of the stores. Good for them. Re-invest in the industry. Most of the authors I know bust their butt on tour and even drive themselves around using their own money. Re-invest in the industry. One author has started her own chapter-a-month website. Re-invest in the industry. How about an ad or three in ‘Ebony’ magazine?

Can you tell me what day and time gets the lowest viewer ratings? Sunday morning from 5am-9am. Why not use this time, in the beginning, to have a 30-minute segment about books on BET? I would venture to guess that a small segment on the hottest AA books out is a tad more important than an infomercial on the newest way to boil your veggies. I’d be happy with that because it’s a step in the right direction. I don’t expect a book segment on The Source Awards, but BET and the NAACP Images Awards should be a no brainer. We always hear that “we should stick together”. We lovingly, and at times not so lovingly, call each other brotha' and sista'. So let’s start acting like it. Brothers and sisters are family. Family helps family.

There needs to be more pride in our written word and those who write it. Just because society as a whole has fallen off into the non-reading sink hole does not mean that we should follow suit. Matter of fact, we need to grab a cement truck full of books and plug said hole. We should set the pace for once instead of following. It all starts with one. Who will be first? To her credit Monique has had a few authors on but she can do better. Steve Harvey can do a lot better. Wendy Williams, if she could read, would probably have authors on. As a bookstore manager I am always in the position of having to think of ways to get people to read books. I’m always thinking of a book contest or something quirky to post or write. We are in the position that we must think outside the box. Did I not see somewhere where Mary B. Morrison had a Lexus dealership to sponsor one of her book functions? THAT was a very unique move. EXPOSURE. That will be the difference between ‘The Help’ being made into a blockbuster movie and ‘Glorious’ being made into a Lifetime movie.

Most people think that the #1 revenue for bookstores is bestsellers. Most people would be wrong, its book signings. Wanna take a swat at what #2 is? Its recommendations by staff. Let me say that again, with all the useless coupons being forced down our throat and all the gaudy in-store signs, the #2 revenue for bookstores are staff recommendations. IE: word of mouth. Believe it. I’ve seen it, I do it, and I swear by it. I remember last year (I think) when Victoria Christopher Murray said how phenomenal ‘Perfect Peace’ by Daniel Black was. She started a wildfire! So fierce was her word, that for a while Ingram's stock on that book was on back order. I ordered two for my store and kept reordering to keep it in stock. A few months later two young ladies came in and were checking out my AA section. They were shocked and excited that we had the books and bought BOTH copies because they couldn’t find it anywhere … and … AND one of them had taken his class. Small world huh?

Nothing makes me feel better than reading a thread and seeing authors that I know and love respond to the thread. REAL authors support other authors and know that the world of the written word is not a place for competition. Because I’m a book reviewer I have a special place in my heart for my kin. We do a special job because we love what we do. This is how we contribute. This is how we do our part. This is our shouting from the mountaintop. But even with the work that we do, the authors, and the publisher, it’s still tough out there. We are a multi-facetted society. OUR media needs to be the same. OUR media needs to get just as excited about the new Carleen Brice book as they do about the new Tyler Perry film. OUR people need to see more authors, writers, publisher, in their everyday life. OUR media needs to be taught to respect and honor the craft. OUR society needs to see that reading isn’t just some passing fad; it’s the first step in keeping the populace educated.

It’s all about EXPOSURE. Give a man a fish you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Give a man a book and he’ll read for a day, teach him what to read and he’ll read for a lifetime.

'G-Spot 2 Pride: The 1st Deadly Sin' by Noire

2011-07-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

‘G-Spot’, to this day is my absolute favorite Noire book. Hands down, no contest, end of story. That book was so brutal, so raw, so real, and so sexual that there are still passages that I read to this day. When I heard ‘G-Spot 2’ was coming out I (of course) got really happy. When I heard it was going to be a serial novel, my excitement waned a bit. Pulling off a serial novel is HARD. You have to keep the reader drawn in with much fewer pages over a longer period of time, and that has proven to be the Achilles’ heel for a number of authors. It’s been said that writing a short story is infinitely harder than writing a full length novel, and there is definite truth in that.

Noire tries to follow up ‘G-Spot’ a FULL fledged in-your-face novel with a snippet… and it just didn’t work. I understand why authors are doing the .99 e-book thing now, but I wish they wouldn’t and just put out a full book instead of cutting it up. Unless your work STARTED as a serial novel, it shouldn’t progress toward a serial novel. Now, I did enjoy this story but not with the same zeal that I did the first one. Something was missing. And that something was… the rest of the damn story. Oh I know I’m going to catch hell over saying that, especially since I went in knowing that it was a short story to begin with! But understand where I’m coming from… ‘G-Spot’ is easily in my Top 10 erotic novels and then to read a midget version of part 2. Ummmm no.

What I’m going to do is wait until Noire publishes ALL the serial novels in this series because then I’ll have everything and not snippets. Yes, I still plan to buy and read each installment because I still think Noire can write. It was just tough to go from slow dancing with Toni Braxton to slow dancing with my high school P.E. teacher.

'Mocha Chocolate: Escapades of Passion' edited by Shani Greene-Dowdell

2011-07-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

Not sure what prompted me to buy this e-book but here it is. What I also didn’t know was that this is the second book in the ‘Mocha Chocolate’ series. Shani Greene-Dowdell is the editor once again, and once again she brings the erotic fire. One of the reasons I enjoy reading erotica is because I love trading places with the characters in the books. A real life daydream that has NO limitations. Shani opens up this collection with a three-part tale (Baby Girl Strikes Back) of Sasha and ummmm… Babygirl. I say “ummmm” because you have to read and see who Babygirl is. :-) King Zulu was just… aint no way! Great opening to this collection.

‘Roommates’ is self explanatory. At some point in our lives we have all wanted to act on our impulse and go a few rounds with someone we were living with. Most of us never did and this story will make us wish we did.

‘Point and Click Lover’ had me going for one reason and one reason only… the biting of the pillows. There is NOTHING more sexual or erotic than having your woman bite and scream into a pillow. That kind of stuff can’t be faked and I found myself re-reading those passages over and over again because of the pure and debaucherious sexuality. Carla knew what she was doing when she wrote this one!

‘Lemonade Freak’ was funny! Rex was the man with the ladies and had the ego to prove it. What happens when ‘the man’ gets turned down? Well… a lot of sex apparently!

‘Marco Polo’ is the shortest story in this collection but it still manages to hold its own weight. I had to smile at this one because of the woman in this story named Kimora. The way she was described made me nod my head and say “I know who the hell this is”! I wonder if the real one is as hot and juicy as the one in this story.

‘Engine Trouble’ and ‘Dick Delivery’ made me wish I was Lynn’s mechanic. The backseat scene and the bathroom scene… damn!!

‘Beijing Beauty’ was my absolute favorite! I don’t know if it was because of the forbidden Asian freak or the forbidden Asian freak. Maybe it was because Darnell was so DAMN STUPID!! Aaaauurrrrghhhhhh!!! This is the longest of the stories because there was so much crazy drama and the paradox of his life. He has a wife who he loves but is a pure bore in the bedroom. And I don’t mean regular boring; this woman won’t even get totally naked when making love! Not that it would matter because she has to have all the lights off! HUH? So when Darnell takes a business trip to China he meets a true freak that apparently sucked his brain out as she was sucking other things.

Shani chose well when putting together this short story collection and the authors wrote well too. If you are looking for a collection of pure sexuality then I highly recommend this one. I see a lot of junk coming through e-mail, FaceBook messages, and word of mouth. Take my word on this one y’all, this isn’t one of them.

9780981584348

'Puzzlebook: 100 Puzzle Quizzes' by The Grabarchuk Family

2011-07-09T14:34:00.000-07:00

This was gifted to me by the Grabarchuk family. I’m always amazed that the requests I get because I don’t have one puzzle book on my list because puzzles interest me as much as Amish container planting. But I gave this one a chance because I DIDN’T have a puzzle book on my list. I’m glad I did because this one was actually fun. I will be truthful and say that it took me longer to get through this book because I kept quitting because I kept being made to feel like a fool. Not really, but you know what I mean.

I played this book in probably the worst way you could, I play because of a bruised ego. :-) Once I figured out to stop thinking so “literal” I had a good time with it. Mind you, I still have a few to get through because there are a lot here, but I have played enough to feel OK about writing a review. To be honest, it would take even a genius a couple weeks to get through every single puzzle in this book. This is also a very good book to have on your e-reader because you can play a few puzzles while waiting for… well whatever. I read this on my ipad so a few of the buttons aren’t exactly where they would be on the Kindle but it’s easy enough to figure out… it’s a puzzle book remember?

All in all I think puzzle people will enjoy this book and maybe another person, like me, will enjoy it as well.

'He's On Top' edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel

2011-07-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

Cleis Press is a publishing paradox. Whenever I read one of their books I never what to expect, yet I know exactly what to expect. I know that once I crack open one of their erotic anthologies I can expect a trip in the lands of perpetual sex and the seas of orgasms. While I’m not a fan of hardcore S&M (this book has all kinds) I can skirt pass that and appreciate the insane amount of sexuality and eroticism in ‘He’s On Top’. What really drives me over the edge is reading about the dominance these men have over willing women. A good erotic book personifies a great dream and I would venture to guess that most of us (men) would love to be in a position to do anything… ANY-THING to an open and willing woman. While our pleasure is paramount, I think that a fair amount of pleasure comes from making her cum in ways that she never thought. Especially the prudes.

Tied up, bent over, and spread eagle for your willing partner may not seem like a fun idea of sex… but have you tried it? The people in this book have. Hell, the more I write and skim through the book as I write I might want to try it. Having absolute sexual dominance is a drug that most of us wouldn’t turn down. You’ll find yourself living through the people in these short stories and wondering who you can find to play with you. Cleis Press and the authors printed here do ANOTHER fine job of personifying sexuality into paper and ink. I usually list my favorite stories in a story collection, but why bother? They’re truly all good, all sexual, all erotic, all horny, all juicy, and all chok full of sexual carnage.

A special thank you goes out to Eden Fantasy's for sending me this book and for feeding my sexual habit.

9781573442701

'The Vault' by Boyd Morrison

2011-07-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

The book I read before this one was about a group of vampires putting out a hit on Jesus. This book was about the search for King Midas’s gold. I had to laugh for a minute because I had to think how to answer the question “So… what are you reading”? and do it with a straight face? Well… not sure how I’ll do it but I will. I have read all of Boy’s books and have enjoyed every single one. ‘The Vault’ continues Boy’s track record of writing the cliff-hanging “hidden secrets thrillers”.

Tyler Locke, our man from ‘The Ark returns and he’s the pawn in a terrorist’s game to find the tomb of King Midas. Yes, THAT King Midas. You know; the guy with the golden touch, Mr. Greedy fingers, “I can’t eat anything but at least I know what a golden buffalo wing looks like.” That guy. A guy named Orr has proof that the myth is real and he would like Tyler to volunteer for the job. Of course that doesn’t happen so he does the next best thing. He blackmails him. And for good measure he also blackmails another person, a woman, to help Locke. The expertise of Stacy and Tyler are needed to decipher a puzzle written by Archimedes, the Greek mathematical/engineering genius. Good luck with that.

Just like with ‘The Ark’, Boyd takes a very common story and puts a twist on it that will give you pause. With ‘The Vault’ he takes what we believe in the myth of King Midas and laughs. I love a storyteller that can do that, and do it well. You’ll fly through this latest adventure with the speed of a Lamborghini. Why a Lamborghini? Because of a scene in this book. I’m usually not a car chase guy or a sports car guy but the one in this book was awesome! Especially when you read about the Porche… send me an e-mail if you don’t chuckle.

Boyd takes everything you know about this popular myth, twists it, throws in some modern science, ancient science, bad guys that will rupture your ulcer, and enough suspense to cause insomnia. I saw somewhere that this book was placed under a “Summer Reading” sign. Um, no. The only time a book like this would be a “summer read” is if you read it while jumping out of a place in the middle of July. While it’s in orbit. If you do that then maybe, just maybe, your adrenaline rush will match that of this book.

9781439181829

'The Devil Colony' by James Rollins

2011-07-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

I have read numerous books by Mr. Rollins but never one in the Sigma Force series. With all the talk about this being his best novel and how his crazed fans have waited two years for a follow up, I figure now was as good time as any. And it was. I’m a sucker for this genre and Rollins writes it like I’ve never read it. I’ve said before that I don’t like reading history unless it’s wrapped in fiction, and this book is a big fat breakfast bacon burrito! The founding of this country has ALWAYS been awash in conspiracy theories, myth, and secret societies. ‘The Devil Colony’ plows through on the premise that this country was founded with the help of the very culture we almost wiped out, the Native Americans.

The scope of this novel is vast! Take Lewis & Clark, Egyptians, Hebrew text, the Founding Fathers, nano-technology, Yellowstone, a super-secret society, black OPS, and mix them up you’ll get this book. Like I said earlier, I have read Rollin’s other work so I expected the same breathless pace. It was definitely here but in a different spirit. I’m one of those guys that don’t go all “ADHD” if I don’t read a series in order because if a story is good, then it’s just that… GOOD! I can catch up with their history once I catch my breath from their present.

So, ‘The Devil Colony’ is a story about a hidden artifact/secret that has roots that date back to BEFORE the thirteen (+1) colonies. Yes, if found this secret will devastate mankind. Yes, if found the world will end. What is fun about this book is HOW it will happen. How a secret so ancient could be based on a technology not even fully understood yet is brilliant. How the wisdom of the ancient Native Americans baffles the greatest minds of today makes you wonder if their frightening myths are not just myths after all.

Unfortunately, despite their ingenious cryptic clues, a secret society is close to gaining access to that clue; and they will stop at nothing to get to it. Innocent lives don’t exist in their vocabulary. So it becomes a race. A race to find the hidden spot, a race to decipher the language, a race to stay ahead of the assassins, and a race to stop the world from blowing the hell up. Faithful fans that have followed Sigma from jump will spend two days (or less) in heaven with their friends. “New” fans like me will go back and add a few past Sigma novels to their wish list. So… bye.

9780061784781

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