Rating: 3

Who would you recommend this book to?
Women

What did you like most about this book?
Heather Jones' story is a very emotional tale of physical and emotional abuse. I appreciate the author's willingness and ability to delve into issues of domestic violence, abuse, mental illness and rape through a candid story of survival. The manner of which the story was told as a firsthand account really brought the story home. I believe this style made the story relatable to other women who have gone or are going through similar situations. The element of the negative impact of the church when power is used to take advantage of worshippers through the word was instrumental to the story. It provided eye-opening detail about how easily people are influenced and the horrible consequences of their actions. I loved that the author had the courage to write the unhappy ending.

What did you like least about this book?
While the book was candid, it began to lose some of its power when the storytelling began to skip around. Some of CJ's talks and his letter were overextended and became very repetitive. There were points where the author would go in great detail and then there were points where the author would give very little detail, but would repeat the same point without introducing anything new. I would've liked to hear more about the impact of their son throughout the book instead of at the very end.

Any suggestions for how this book could have been better?
I believe this book would have been dynamic without some of the repetitiveness and if the storytelling followed a consistent flow. I also would've loved to feel the same emotion throughout the story as I felt during the telling of Heather's childhood.

What was your overall impression of this book?
This book is a good read although it's not as dynamic as I thought it would be when I first began reading it. I believe it will truly help someone who has suffered through abuse and I applaud the author for writing about so many sensitive subjects.

Reviewed by:  Kreceda Tyler

Rating: 5

Who would you recommend this book to?
Anybody who enjoys poetry and needs to be uplifted

What did you like most about this book?
I loved the encouraging words throughout the book.

What was your overall impression of this book?
I loved the little nuggets of wisdom throughout the book. I especially loved how the author equated the relationship she has with her husband to the relationship we have with God. All of the poems were great, but one of my favorites was Word of Advice. In this poem, the greatest piece of advice Shawn gives is, “The only one worth crying over is the one who gave His life for us.” Another poem that I loved was ‘Missing Love.’ In this piece Shawn is challenging Love to show itself, prove that it exists and is not just a figment of her imagination. If you love poetry this is the book for you!!!!

Reviewed by: Vanessa Harris

Read about and feel Zen’s evolution and the evolution of those around her who are impacted by her. Zen Cooper is a coming of age story with romance, humor and real life pain that shows how overcomers do it. You will be entranced and caught up in the lives and stories that cover so many issues that concern family, love, mental illness, colorism and learning to simply be who you really are!

About the Author:

Angelia Vernon Menchan is an author, publisher and public speaker who owns two publishing companies, MAMM Productions and Honorable Menchan Media. Mrs. Menchan is also a Budget Officer and former Job Corps Counselor. To date she has published nineteen books of her own work, both fiction and non-fiction and more than sixty Ebook novellas on amazon.com. She is also publishing the work of other authors.  She resides in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Maurice.

Visit her website at: www.angeliamenchan.com

Loosely inspired by true events, Bound by Memphis, by Jennifer J. Hayes, is the steamy, sultry romantic story of Jasmine Henderson, a successful public relations consultant who has everything she's wanted in life... Well, just about everything. Fourteen years ago, while planning her wedding to Melvin Brown, better known as MB, she was left at the altar with no explanations. Although she assumed she'd never move on, she ended up meeting and marrying the love of her life, Chauncey M. Henderson, and having a child, years later. It's when Jasmine's latest work venture places her in the city that holds memories to her past, Memphis, MB resurfaces when he learns she's back in town. Although Jasmine loves her husband, her son, and her life, she can't deny the passion and chemistry that she once shared with MB. Briefly away from her family and home in Dallas, Jasmine is left alone to deal with these emotions and unresolved questions of MB. She goes looking for answers to why he walked away. When forced to confront painful memories she awakens something she thought died long ago. In this novel, Jasmine discovers herself as she explores the depths of her former love versus her current life, and learns "Love doesn't change, people change." Bound by Memphis takes you on an insightful journey of love, joy, and pain, and gives a deeper meaning to why sometimes "you have to lose happiness to find it again."

Meet Jennifer J. Hayes

With more than 14 years in the dating industry, Jennifer J. Hayes has the passion and dedication to helping her clients find love that lasts. She believes in love, fully, and won’t stop until everyone around her has what she has. Through her career in the matchmaking field, as well as her dedication as the Love Guru, Jei Knows It All, she ensures her clients have all of the knowledge and assets to sustain a passionate, meaningful relationship for a lifetime!

Throughout her journey as a wife and a mother, Jennifer has learned what it takes to have it all. She is never one to skimp in an area of her life, and knows that if you want it all, you have to commit it all!

Jennifer considers herself blessed and fortunate, and therefore is concerned with community efforts. She is constantly dedicating herself to philanthropic efforts, causes such as Heart Disease and Breast Cancer, and her awareness for literacy prompted her own foundation Iknowhowtoread.org.

“Love Big, and Live Big.” Jennifer considers herself lucky to know what it’s like to have passion and to have comfort. She’s never one to give only 50% and is excited to give her whole effort to trying new things. While the two loves in her life are her husband and her son, she constantly finds pleasure in finding new pleasures, such as authoring her debut book, Bound by Memphis.

Jennifer J. Hayes has a varied educational background in Communications, Education, a Bachelor’s in History, and a Master’s in Clinical Psychology. She earned both of her degrees from the University of Houston. Her work of published articles can be found in WorldOfLongmire, RelevantMagazine, and Single Lifestyles Magazine.