First off, I must say Raynesha Pittman is an author that I have been following for a while and will continue to follow and support because she delivers every single time. I read her first book, Kismet and it was everything I thought it was going to be – gutter, grimy, and full of drama – but in good way, to say the least. Then, I get a hold of her part 2, “Something You Will Never Understand (Beyond the Bedroom Series)” and man, was I hooked! Raynesha puts it down and goes even harder in the sequel than she does in Kismet part one. So if you’ve been sleeping on Raynesha and haven’t read Kismet, you got some serious catching up to do because the drama continues times 10! Pick up a copy and you’ll see! 5 stars
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Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right by Kennedee Devoe captures the emotion of a reader like no other autobiography I’ve read. Kennedee Devoe gives it to you so raw and arranges her words in a way that’s real, cut-throat, and straight to the point. She doesn’t skip around the bush and she never misses a beat. This book was an easy, exciting, and motivating read that I would recommend for all women who may be going through or coming out of a bad relationship with a man who is up to no good. Although I felt a bit skeptical of this book at first because of its title, I was thoroughly impressed and entertained by the author’s unique ability to bring me into her world and experience what many women go through and have to deal with each and every day. Kennedee did a great job with this one - being that it is her very first book. Way to go Kennedee! 5 stars The Sunday Morning Wife is a beautifully written story wrapped in a powerful, rousing, and uplifting message of love, faith, and trust. It’s the sincerity of the characters that keeps the story moving and makes this book a fun and enjoyable read. I always appreciate a story that brings elements of truth and spirituality and Sunday Morning Wife does just that. I would recommend this book to any one, especially the sisters and brothers of the Christian church. Rating 5 stars Navi' must learn the technique of 'showing' a reader what he is talking about, instead of 'telling' a reader what he is talking about. In chapter one's first four and a quarter pages, Navi should have used those pages as the prologue. The first person narration did not work at all. I know writers are supposed to get to know the characters, but man there is a way to do it, and Navi' didn't do it. There was a lot of internal thought by Aiden; it wasn't styled properly, which caused a lot of confusion. Navi' could have benefited greatly just by using soft scene sets. Not having a consistent writing style really took away from this book. Font should ALWAYS be readable...even in the table of context. Rating 2 stars Born and raised in Atlanta, Lucinda, LaMeka, Charice, and Trinity are best friends with very similar backgrounds. They have all fallen victim to the perils of teen pregnancy. After each one becomes love struck to the bitter end, they realize that their dreams, ambitions, and planned future must be put on hold. While they struggle to find themselves, each one tries to survive in the game called life. Once they find out that their consequences are a little costlier than they imagined, it's the decisions they've made that creates their troubles. Peek into the book “Trin!” Pooch yelled. “Do you hear me? Tri-ni-ty!” He screamed, interrupting my thoughts. This dude is killing me. “Yes, Pooch…baby I hear you,” I said with a sigh while bringing him a roll of toilet paper. “The whole damn neighborhood can hear all that damn fussing and screaming you’re doing.” He swung the door open and snatched the roll of tissue. “Well, if you actually listen and hurry your ass up when I fucking call you then I wouldn’t be fussing and screaming. Damn! Hook up with you, bring a bitch in along with her two snot-faced brats, treat her to the finer fucking things in life, and you treating me like shit? You don’t treat that niggah Terrence like shit. Oh no, not that muthafucka. He gets the royal fucking treatment. I’m your man. I tell you what, why don’t you let that muthafucka take care of you, those kids, and that one me and you had. That would sure as hell free up my damn pockets!” He yelled. He continued taking a dump as if I wasn’t standing there! I wanted to argue, but the stench coming from the bathroom was making my stomach turn. This niggah’s scent was so loud you could smell his shit two doors down it seemed. “Whatever Pooch,” I mumbled, turning to walk away. He grabbed my arm. “Where the fuck you going? I’m talking to you!” I held my nose to avoid smelling the odor. “Pooch, it fucking stinks in here!” “Shit supposed to stink. You think your shit smells like roses? Oh, I bet you didn’t say that when that niggah Terrence took a damn dump!” he yelled. I rolled my eyes thinking, here we go. Terrence this and Terrence that. “Pooch, please, I need to check on the baby.” He let my arm go. “Wait until I get my ass off this toilet. Just wait,” he said, slamming the door. “Pooch, I love you,” I said, faintly walking away. I checked in on Princess and went to our bedroom. It’s true, I really do love Pooch more than anything and I know that he loves me. Two and a half years ago, it wasn’t like this between us. The source of our heartache stems from my first baby’s daddy, Terrence. Purchase a copy online: http://www.amazon.com/Never-Again-No-More-Untamed/dp/1467543829/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354667149&sr=1-1&keywords=never+again+no+more Pantaegeous is an intricately woven joy ride with moments that boggle the mind. Not only is love and lust showcased but the notion that you can't trust those closest to you as well. If you have ever felt that you could easily leave behind the negative and found that you were wrong, then Pantaegeous is a must read. Get your copy today: http://www.lulu.com/shop/ns-ugezene/pantaegeous/paperback/product-15973266.html 3 things about Untamed that you may not know 1. She was very shy about her writing at first. 2. She’s a PK. 3. She speaks two languages. UBAWA: What's your favorite color? and why? Untamed: Black and White. That's two, but I love the blend of the two colors together. I also like red because of the way it brings out my complexion. UBAWA: What's the last country you visited? Tell us about your visit. Untamed: The Bahamas. It was a pleasure visit for my husband and I.I absolutely loved the beautiful white sands and pristine blue ocean water. Refreshing and relaxing! UBAWA: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Untamed: Wow. That's a tough one. Probably anywhere near a beach! UBAWA: If you had to choose between owning a nice car or a nice house, which one would you choose? Untamed: Hands down a nice house. Your home is your castle. It's your place of solace and where your family memories are created. UBAWA: If you could create your dream job/career, what would it be? Untamed: My dream career...or as I will say my REALITY will be becoming a NY Times Bestselling author and making a TV series and movies amongst owning my publications company. UBAWA: Most people say success is a matter of luck; what do you think? Untamed: Success is a matter of hard work, dedication, and prayer. Luck is hitting the lottery lol! UBAWA: Tell us a little about how you became an author. Untamed: I used to write as a hobby and I'd actually stopped for a long time. Then I suddenly felt this void from not writing so I began writing again. However, this time it was different. Once I began writing I felt like I wanted more out of it. So I prayed on it and asked God to show me what I was supposed to do with my writing. After that, I felt that I should try to publish my work, but because I was shy I battled with that idea. Then I heard Tyler Perry give a speech for an award one day, where he stated--and forgive me if I misquote this-- "you know when you're supposed to be doing something when you try to leave it alone but it won't leave you alone." And that did it for me. I made my decision to go with my answered prayer to become a published author and a year later I was signed with my publisher and my first novel was released. UBAWA: Many self-published authors face some sort of challenge when publishing their first book. What was your biggest challenge? Untamed: I'm actually published through a publishing company however there were still plenty of challenges. One of them is promotion. Getting the word out about your work can be very trying and time consuming so you must be dedicated and have thick skin! UBAWA: If you had to choose one category, where would writing fall for you: a hobby, a passion, a career, or a gift? Explain Untamed: A gift. God placed this talent within me to use and because of that I am able to be passionate about my gift and use it as a hobby and turn it into a career. My gift has opened all those doorways for me. UBAWA: Some things are not for everybody. Do you think writing could apply to this statement? Untamed: Absolutely. Everyone has a story to tell, but not everyone can effectively tell it no matter how much they might like to write. Just as there are people who like to sing, dance or play sports, but it just isn't for them. UBAWA: Do you use an outline before you write or do you just write? Untamed: I use an outline as a basic guide to start off my story so that I am able to keep clear and concise ideas, but once I begin writing I allow the characters to take me wherever they need to go. UBAWA: Many authors prefer complete silence when they're in the writing lab, how do you like to set your atmosphere? Untamed: I tend to like soft music to start just as a calming agent and then once I'm in my zone, I prefer complete silence. If I am able to write early in the morning then I do not use music. The stillness of the early morn usually is enough to get my creative juices flowing. UBAWA: What makes your writing style different and unique? Untamed: I believe my ability to find a way to make each of my characters believable to the point my readers feel as if they personally know them makes my writing style different. My uniqueness is my ability to introduce several main characters and several conflicts within each character without losing the story. UBAWA: Do you think it's helpful to invest money into taking writing classes and workshops or are you a self-taught writer? Untamed: I think it is helpful to invest in your craft. Taking writing classes, workshops or finding a writing mentor is needed because no matter how much you know you can still learn more. There is a benefit to keeping your skills honed and learning to build on them. It keeps you from becoming stagnant and predictable in your writing. UBAWA: Before you begin to write, is there some special ritual you adhere to or do you just write? Untamed: Writing my basic outline and making sure it's calm and quiet are about the only ritual I have. UBAWA: Have you ever looked at something you wrote and asked yourself, "Did I write that?!" Please do tell. : ) Untamed: Oh yes! I look at some of my characters especially the ones whose personalities are so different from my own and I have to say, did I write this? lol. In my book Never Again...No More which is book one of a complete series, there is a character named Pooch that really made me laugh at how creative my imagination really is. UBAWA: What's your opinion on the state of Urban Fiction? Is it an accurate depiction of real life or a bad influence on the people who read it? Untamed: I think it is a great form of writing. For some it is fictitious and for others it is a true depiction of real life. I think there is a deeper message in urban fiction that can get overlooked at times. My book (for the most part) deals with the aftermath of teen pregnancy. However, I've had readers tell me that it helped them have open and honest discussions with their teen daughters about sex because the book comes from such a realistic viewpoint. That's the kind of feedback that urban fiction doesn't get its just credit for. UBAWA: Nowadays, it seems that every time you turn around, someone else has a new book out. Do you think the industry should be more stringent as to who can write and publish a book or is it fine the way it is? Untamed: With the ability to self-publish cheaply without going through publishing houses and agents, it has become saturated with plenty of new books. However, it also serves as platform for those authors who are extremely talented to get their work out. Though it can be challenging, I think readers have been connected with great authors who they may have never otherwise gotten the chance to read so you take the bad with the good. UBAWA: If you could give advice to an aspiring author, what would it be? Untamed: Learn your craft. Always try to make sure you're putting your best work out for the world to see. Your books are your babies so take care of what's inside of them because it is a reflection on you. UBAWA: Before you leave, tell us one thing that you would like to be remembered by. Untamed: For my writing, of course! :) About her book, “Never Again...No More”
Born and raised in Atlanta, Lucinda, LaMeka, Charice, and Trinity are best friends with very similar backgrounds. They have all fallen victim to the perils of teen pregnancy. After each one becomes love struck to the bitter end, they realize that their dreams, ambitions, and planned future must be put on hold. While they struggle to find themselves, each one tries to survive in the game called life. Once they find out that their consequences are a little costlier then they imagined, it's the decisions they've made that creates their troubles. Purchase her book online: http://www.amazon.com/Never-Again-No-More-Untamed/dp/1467543829/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354667149&sr=1-1&keywords=never+again+no+more 3 things about NS you may not know: 1. He likes the TV shows "30 Rock" and "Seinfeld." 2. He’s into weightlifting and has been a fan of it since elementary school. 3. He started writing creatively in high school and was recording music before he decided to go full circle with writing UBAWA: What's your favorite color? and why? NS: Green. It's not even about money. Lol. I like green because it's a mellow color. I am usually a reserved person and something about the color green keeps me from losing my mind. Sounds crazy? Don't worry. I'm not. UBAWA: What's the last country you visited? Tell us about your visit. NS: I have honestly never been out of the United States. I would like to visit Nigeria, which is where my roots are from. UBAWA: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? NS: I would have to say that I'd live in either Italy or Spain. UBAWA: If you had to choose between owning a nice car or a nice house, which one would you choose? NS: A nice house. Cars do nothing but depreciate no matter which one you get. I'd be happy with an economy car. UBAWA: If you could create your dream job/career, what would it be? NS: I believe I am well on my way to creating a dual career. I just have to stay focused. Once I succeed as a Program Director and author/CEO, I will feel a little less stressed. UBAWA: Most people say success is a matter of luck; what do you think? NS: That is true for some people but the majority of people have to bust their butts to make things happen. I do believe that people have to be very strategic and not only rely on hard work because you can just be working hard to be broke. You also have to put forth some smarts to get somewhere. UBAWA: Tell us a little about how you became an author. NS: I wanted to become an author after reading "Hood Rat" by K'Wan. At the time that I read his novel, I was far from where I wanted to be as a writer. The other part of this was that my mom and my best friend would compliment my writing ability whether it was me writing scholarly papers or my ability to write good lyrics for songs. UBAWA: Many self-published authors face some sort of challenge when publishing their first book. What was your biggest challenge? NS: The biggest challenge was making sure the final product was as polished as possible. I also had issues getting the words out because I was unsure just how much I should be writing in order to have a book long enough. UBAWA: If you had to choose one category, where would writing fall for you: a hobby, a passion, a career, or a gift? Explain NS: A passion. No matter how much I meet failure, I keep wanting to put out novels for readers and I hope they see what I bring to the industry and consider me one of the best eventually. UBAWA: Some things are not for everybody. Do you think writing could apply to this statement? NS: Yes. Some people aren't meant to be writers because they are far better at something else. I feel that writing is the best thing I do. UBAWA: Do you use an outline before you write or do you just write? NS: I used to outline but now, I just write as I go. I think it can lead to less stagnant writing when you just let your mind go. UBAWA: Many authors prefer complete silence when they're in the writing lab, how do you like to set your atmosphere? NS: I normally like for there to be some music on. I put on Christian hip-hop and the TV. When I get annoyed, it's because of distractions that drown out the music. UBAWA: What makes your writing style different and unique? NS: I believe that I apply literary techniques in my stories. I try making my writing less formula-based and want to make them less predictable. I think that following a system makes a story boring. UBAWA: Do you think it's helpful to invest money into taking writing classes and workshops or are you a self-taught writer? NS: I am mainly self-taught. When I want to add something new to my arsenal, I put in time doing online research. UBAWA: Before you begin to write, is there some special ritual you adhere to or do you just write? NS: I just write. It's key for me to get right to it if a lightbulb is going off in my mind. I have lost plenty ideas due to the simple fact that I was nowhere near my computer. UBAWA: Have you ever looked at something you wrote and asked yourself, "Did I write that?!" Please do tell. : ) NS: No. When I've failed, I do get bothered but I strive to get to a point where my writing ability is debatable enough for readers to defend me if someone is bashing my work. It really fuels me to be more and more creative when I am viewed as failing. UBAWA: What's your opinion on the state of Urban Fiction? Is it an accurate depiction of real life or a bad influence on the people who read it? NS: Urban fiction is a definitely a depiction of real life but it's stuck in one place. Fellow urban authors are going to always be like STHU when there's criticism of the drama but look at rap music. You have Kendrick Lamar...different from the typical west coast artist. He distinguishes himself from the crowd and is positive in some sense like Tupac was. Another west coast artist that comes to mind is Snoop Lion. After all these years, he reinvented himself. That's what is needed in urban fiction. Do we really need the status quo to stay in effect? If we had more openness in urban fiction, it would help greatly. UBAWA: Nowadays, it seems that every time you turn around, someone else has a new book out. Do you think the industry should be more stringent as to who can write and publish a book or is it fine the way it is? NS: It is fine for many people to be stepping forward to put out a book. The question is 'are they doing it to cash in or do they genuinely care about the craft?' UBAWA: If you could give advice to an aspiring author, what would it be? NS: I would advise them to make sure they are almost at the top of their game before they put a book out. Don't just release a book if you are questioning your level of skill. UBAWA: Before you leave, tell us one thing that you would like to be remembered by. NS: I'd like to be remembered as an author who wasn't afraid to go outside the box and one who put out a variety of novels. At the end of it all, I hope that readers see that I was versatile. About his book, “The Church Show” The Bridence Network was looking was looking to move past being the 'Best International Network of 2009.' To spearhead their newest venture, "The Church Show," they decide to enlist Clint Raspin, a TV producer who after five years, is looking to capture the defining moment in his career. He is trying to develop a notable standing in television while the Bridence Network wants to cater to two distinct television markets. Will there be conflict or cohesion between Clint and the heads of Bridence? With the help of the network, Clint is able to sign on five leaders of churches in various parts of the globe. Unfortunately for one leading man, being on the show proves to be a liability. He suffers the misfortune of having his church go up in flames. When the Bridence Network fails to show concern for him and his church, Pastor Gregory Barnes takes legal action against the network, all while trying to find out who is responsible for burning down his church. Nothing can prepare him for what he is about to find out. At that point, Pastor Barnes must re-evaluate what his ambitions behind running a church are. He must also come to grips with the fact that he alienated himself from the people who cared most about him, all because he wished to walk soundly with God. In spite of being deceived, will he be able to offer the person who burned down his church forgiveness? The bigger question is 'will he stop looking to be noticed and simply accept the role he has been designated by God?' Connect with NS online: https://www.facebook.com/nugezene?fref=ts |
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