MinnieEstelle

• Rated 4 stars

“A blind man's view of loving a woman. Beautiful.”

MinnieEstelle wrote this review Sunday, December 7 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“The opening chapter of “The Liar's Tale” signals what is to come and then author Andre Coleman "soft peddles" (my emphasis) the character for a while. Then Scott Hampton is catapults into a surreal nightmare with several well-executed twists as a result of his lies.

Scott lies so many times that he cannot remember them all, that is until they all come back to haunt him, one horrifying event after another. Scott says in the novel, “So many lies, they were too hard to keep track of. Every time one of them came true, it shocked me.” That’s the core of this paranormal story.

Who is the person who allows these lies to come true, knowing they will kill his soul and affect his mind? I was left wheeling from sequence to sequence; never knowing what was to come next. The author knows his facts in the prison sequence and in the courtroom. Tough love is definitely a part of these scenes, not preaching, just telling truths.

You could say Scott’s lies put him on the bridge to nowhere. (Patron the pun.) I vowed after reading ‘A Liar's Tale” that I'd never lie again, not even a little white one. This novel shook me! Andre Coleman is an excellent writer—his product is right up there with the best paranormal fiction on today’s market. I give it 5 stars. Visit Andre Coleman at http://www.razor7.com/books/

Estelle4700



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MinnieEstelle wrote this review Monday, October 6 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Michael Bagley and Chachi Spencer are back from “What if it Feels Good?” Again, I’m struck by this amazing story of desire and love between two men—Michael is now eighteen, Chachi is forty-something. “Metamorphosis” is about more and written with more heart than I’ve read in a very long time. D.J. McLaurin understands acceptance and, more importantly, infinite love. The novel is also about Michael’s extreme transformation. The author asks that you open your mind and heart in reading this wonderful story. It’s fiction, but the ordeals experienced by the characters happen in real life, albeit not your average life.

Michael and Chachi truly love each other—even when angry and confused. Conversely, they are not always true to their relationship. Michael experiences homelessness at fourteen, at eighteen, drug addiction trying to fight off his demons and near uncommon physical death. Chachi is a toff gadabout with celebrity status, deep pockets and don’t care who knows it. But he loves Michael.

The devil dogs Michael and Chachi in the person of Renee—Chachi’s ex-lover and mother of son Jasper. Chachi attempts to grant her maternal acknowledgment and visitation rights in an attempt to balance the child’s life, but Renee wants more and creates unspeakable horrors.

The families of Michael and Chachi support them throughout their life altering ordeals and rejections. Yet, there is still humor in the households.

D.J. McLaurin reached deep into research for information she weaves throughout this well crafted story. Each character, down to the Nannies, is clearly drawn. I enjoyed “Metamorphosis” as much as I did “What if it Feels Good? Now McLaurin has the unenviable task of surpassing in writing two novels!
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MinnieEstelle wrote this review Thursday, October 2 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“"The Living Blood" by Tananarive Due is a riveting and supernatural suspense novel that will hold your interest from chapter to chapter. She introduces her characters through their minds as well as their actions. Heavy. While parents Jessica and David are the main characters, for me, four-year old Fana steals the story. Due’s ability to explore the mind of a gifted child is compelling. And how she handles Fana’s parents trying to understand and raise a gifted child tugged at my heart.

As in Tananarive Due’s other book, "My Soul To Keep," the theme—the blood of Christ—continues in “The Living Blood,” proving in her stories that it is more precious than gold.

What happens when the ability to heal the ills of the world with one drop of the living blood? Human beings are honored, hated, misunderstood and frightened out of your wits. This well constructed novel highlights the admirable, reprehensible and greed in mortals. Immortals, who received the blood through the Life Brothers, declare a life or death battle to keep it within the colony, pitting powerful forces against powerful forces.

The need for family is permeated throughout the story in both the mortal and immortal world.

I could go on but I’ll stop here. I could not put this excellently written book down. I am in awe of Tananarive Due. Onward to “Blood Colony.” I’m a committed fan.
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MinnieEstelle wrote this review Saturday, August 16 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“In F.D. Davis’s dark novel, In the Beginning, Adam Omega propels this thrilling tale of creatures-of-the night. You have never met a man, excuse me, a vampire like Adam Omega. Reading this, Adam would say, ‘Yeah, lady, get it right. I am a vampire!’ Adam is different from Anne Rice’s Lastat and L.A. Banks’s Rivera.

The story opens in 1005 A.D. Adam is a priest and gives up his priesthood to marry the love of his life, Eyanna. The local townspeople believe her be a witch because of her ability to heal. Already alienated from his God yet not entirely from his faith, Adam volunteers to be turned into an immortal to save his wife from being burned at the stake. To his horror, events turn against him. What happens next sets the stage for the rest of Adam’s eternal life.

Davis brings the story into today and Adam still grieving over the lost of Eyanna. He believes that the mortal lady Eve that he meets in church (yes, in church), is Eyanna reincarnated.

Eve is also frighten of Adam, believes him to be evil. Her emotions swing between love and hate for the vampire. (Is hate a ramification of love? I wonder.) But that does not deter Adam from his quest to reclaim his wife through Eve. His confusion about Eyanna and Eve turns into a nightmare for Adam and Eve. She may well be Eyanna’s reincarnation. Eve’s quest to save Adam and strengthen her wavering belief in God aligns her with Eyanna. But will she lose her soul in this quadrilateral perplexity? It becomes a battle of wills and faith, Adam’s being the strongest and Eve coming very close behind.

I was totally involved with In the Beginning. The issues are clear: true love is forever, faith is shaken and best of all, even immortals have a soul, and a sense of right and wrong.

If you are willing to suspend your logic, you will enjoy this interesting tale of love. I look forward to more from Adam Omega.
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MinnieEstelle wrote this review Monday, July 21 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“I can write romance better than you. No you can’t. Yes I can. No you can’t. Yes I can! And so it goes when Baptist Georgia peach Toreas Rose and talk show host Jared Stone collide. Author Dyanne Davis keeps the fire going in “The Critic,” her latest romance novel. The two characters are a study in contrast: Torese is trying to be as pure as the driven snow, hiding behind baggy clothes and her father’s sermons, while temporarily living away from home in Chicago. She has running conversations with God about what she considers her sins. She writes romance stories, yet is afraid to show desire in real life. Jared Stone is straightforward with more than his share of testosterone, worldliness, and good looks. He comes to Chicago from L.A. to do a local TV talk show. He is angry with romance writers and insults them on TV. Jared blames romance writers for his girlfriend’s unrealistic view of life that causes her to dump him. He told Torese that anyone could write a romance story, says they are written in fixed formulas. Torese challenges him, and then the fun begins. How do you research for a romance story? I’ll let Torese and Jared tell you. Dyanne Davis builds her characters with mental thoughts, narration, and lively dialogue. I enjoyed the read and laughed through each chapter. “The Critic” is a well-written, delightful, entertaining read. I suggest you take it to the beach this summer, on your vacation or simply enjoy it at home. I enjoyed it at home. ”

MinnieEstelle wrote this review Sunday, June 15 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“John A.Wooden is fast becoming the best mystery/thriller/fiction writer in today’s book market. An Eye for a Deadly Eye is an exciting read. Right off, the novel opens with the murder of FBI agents in three states. There in is the hook. As John methodically moves through the pages of his story, you’ll understand why being involved with the death of these FBI agents can be extremely dangerous. As John says "Lines of good and evil are crossed." Indeed! ”

MinnieEstelle wrote this review Thursday, June 12 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 0 stars

“Another book I've had for years. Excellent read.”

MinnieEstelle wrote this review Saturday, April 26 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 0 stars

“I have had this book on my shelf for years. Need to read it again, slowly of course.”

MinnieEstelle wrote this review Saturday, April 26 2008. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 5 stars

“The Demise of Luleta Jones by Mark Allen Boone is an excellent literary work. The opening paragraph immediately tells of the suicide of Luleta Jones—an eccentric 39-years-old African American, public school teacher. Clayton Hemphill, a 75-year-old retiree and unwavering fan of Luleta, finds her body hanging from a rafter on the second floor of his 2-flat apartment building. Theophilous ‘Theo’ Pugh, who tells the story through interviews, is an unrelenting reporter for the Chicago Weekly Word. Theo comes to Lincoln Manor on the West Side of Chicago to profile the community and stumbles upon the story of Jones’s suicide that had happened two years prior. He slowly uncovers how she died, power grabs by African American bourgeoisies, backstabbing, and family infighting. What becomes apparent is that Luleta was a person capable of seeing good in all people, a woman who believed that all human beings had worth. This cause love and hate relationships for the talented, self-confident, beautiful, independent woman. Even Theo’s life is touched in startling ways. In his decision to put her life on paper, and in interviewing various members of the community, Theo falls in love with the deceased woman and is obsessed with her story. Could his obsession with Luleta cause Theophilous Pugh to lose his grip on reality? Mark Allen Boone’s methodical descent to the end is emotional, heartwarming and much unexpected. He is an excellent writer; his characters are so close to reality that you find yourself lost in each of their lives—so very true with the life of Luleta Jones. The Demise of Luleta Jones is indeed an excellent, fresh read. I hope to see more of his work in the near future. ”

MinnieEstelle wrote this review Saturday, April 12 2008. ( reply | permalink )