On The Line with Radiah Hubbert - Sister Souljah - January 2013

On The Line with Radiah Hubbert - Sister Souljah - Author of 'A Deeper Love Inside: The Porsche Santiaga Story' -

Sistah Souljah talks to Radiah Hubbert about:
- Her latest book 'A Deeper Love Inside: The Porsche Santiaga Story'
- Her thoughts on the juvenile justice system
- Her favorite book to read and why
- Her upcoming project
- And Much Much More!

Click Here For Our Exclusive Audio Interview
With The Author Of 'A Deeper Love Inside: The Porsche Santiaga Story'
Sistah Souljah

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NEW REVIEW: James Causey - Twisted

James Causey - 
Twisted - 
Available Now! - 
4 out of 5 books - 

Travon Brown is back with more problems than ever before. After the death of his surrogate father Willie, Travon is out for revenge against the person that’s responsible. But will he be able to rely on his street skills in order to settle the score?  He has even bigger issues when he finds out that he’s the father of Angel’s baby.  Now he needs to decide if he can continue with his relationship with Faith or try to explore things with Angel.  Will Travon be able to do what he needs to do in order to go on with his life?

Twisted is a good sequel to the Twist by James E. Causey.  Causey did a good job with the development of Travon as a character. Travon is essentially a good man, but he has some things that he needs to work out.  You see how Travon struggles between doing what’s right and what he feels is the code of the street. Readers will actually feel the strong desire that he has to be a father to his daughter. This story shows how a regular man with a professional career can make questionable decisions that lead him down the wrong path.  It was also interesting to see the dynamics of Faith and Angel’s relationship change throughout the book.  Twisted is another winner for James E. Causey.

Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert of Urban Reviews

Order your copy of Twisted today!

  

  

NEW REVIEW: Saundra - Her Sweetest Revenge

Saundra -  
Her Sweetest Revenge - 
Available Now! - 
3 out of 5 books - 

Mya’s world turned upside down when her father was sent to prison for drug charges. To make matters worse, Mya’s mother turned to crack to deal with the pain. At just seventeen years old, Mya has to play the adult role in order to take care of her younger brother and sister. She also catches the eye of a local hustler name Hood. But things spiral out of control when the violence of the streets hits way too close to home. As a result, Mya makes some decisions that could have deadly consequences for all involved.

Her Sweetest Revenge was a decent but average hood story. This book had the potential to be something different but there were a lot of things in this story that readers of this genre have read before. The physical attributes of Mya and the plight of her family are examples of a formula that’s been used so much in other books that it’s time to break this cycle. There were different situations in the book that were told to the reader instead of creating a scene to show us what happened. Several scenarios in this story were so far-fetched that it came off as very unrealistic. Also, there were a number of grammatical and word usage errors that could not be ignored. Saundra does leave room for a sequel at the end of the book. But there’s not enough of a connection between the characters and the reader to warrant or carry a sequel. Her Sweetest Revenge wasn’t a bad story. With so many options in today’s African American fiction market, Saundra needs to come better than this if she wants to really make a mark in this industry.

Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert of Urban Reviews

Order your copy of Her Sweetest Revenge today

NEW REVIEW: Michael Beckford - Dying To Be Straight

Michael  Beckford - 
Dying To Be Straight - 
Available Now! - 
1 out of 5 books - 

Dying to be Straight by Michael D. Beckford is the memoir of sorts of Paul Stringer. The story is a detailed account of his life from the time he was brought into the world. At around the age of five-years old while his mother (the lawyer) and his father (a chemist) worked on their careers, they had family members watch a young Paul. In the care of his father's brother and wife. Paul's uncle touched him in an inappropriate place and had Paul do the same to him. As Paul became older, he became confused about his feelings for the opposite sex. He knew he liked females, but he was more attracted to guys.

More than anything Paul struggled with what he believed God felt about homosexuality and his feelings and attraction to the same sex. Paul battles within himself, wanting to be "normal" and live a heterosexual life, but the pull of his old life soon becomes something he will need to deal with head on. After losing a good friend, he tries to put things into perspective and evaluate his life and some of the decisions he has made. The question is will he be able to make amends with his family and friends before its too late?

Dying to be Straight by Michael D. Beckford has to be one of the worst books I have read thus far. First, I am a bit confused on if this is supposed to be a fictional account or an actual memoir of someone's actual life. The story takes place from the time the character Paul Stringer is born, from his mother and father describing the hospital room that he was born in 1984. Describing how his mother lit a candle and sat it beside her bedside and when he was born they blew it out. (When did the hospital allow patients to light candles in the birthing room?) Second, the story is way too detailed. From a young Paul and his elementary years to his junior high and high school years and beyond. The problem with this is that it is unnecessary to the story, and with the book being only 204 pages, Dying to be Straight lacks depth and emotion. The story is told in first person, at times it is repetitive, and everything is simply stated instead of being descriptive, making the story too cut and dry. Aside from the lack of editing, the wording of some things are enough to make you shake your head. For example: when the author describes one of the characters being pregnant he words it as "...was scheduled to be deployed from his mother's womb." and "...he was expected to officially arrive on earth in August." EARTH? Seriously, is this an alien baby? The author also seems to make up his own words, such as the character Paul practiced "bisexualism." At one point I had to shake my head when the author described the 5th grade Prom where he was fitted for a tuxedo and how everyone was trying to make plans to hook up afterward. Keep in mind we are talking about 5th graders who are 10-11 years old. Seriously? In reading this story, there was entirely too much going on and situations that were totally unbelievable, especially near the end. It's like the author threw things into the mix because he thought he needed to add more, but it was totally unnecessary.

Reviewed by Leona of Urban Reviews

Order your copy of Dying To Be Straight today!

  

  

NEW REVIEW: K'wan - Animal

K'wan - 
Animal - 
Available Now! - 
4 out of 5 books - 

For those of you following the "Hood Rat" series, Eviction Notice leaves off with Gucci being shot in the club. Animal is kidnapped on the way to a maximum security prison and taken out of the country on a secret mission.

Fast forward...

Animal is still out of the country and everyone thinks he is dead. When he finds out that the love of his life has been shot, Animal is hellbent on revenge. He vows to go back to the states and make sure everyone involved will be murdered. With everyone thinking Animal is dead and gone, it gives him a huge advantage to sneak up on his prey. Unfortunately, it also opens him up to be caught by the Feds and locked up for good if he is captured.

Shai Clark is not only being hunted by Animal, but there is someone that is determined to move in on his territory and take over the streets that Shai's crew has ruled for so long. Big Dawg is still as shiesty as ever but after crossing the line too many times with folks, someone is bound to try to knock him off his square.

Animal by K'wan is the sixth book in the "Hood Rat" series. For those of you that have yet to read this series, make sure you read the books in order: Hood Rat, Still Hood, Section 8, Welfare Wifeys and Eviction Notice before reading this one. K'wan never disappoints his readers; there is always plenty of action, murder and mayhem throughout his novels. A part of me kind of wants the series to end but each book has me wanting to find out what is going to happen next. A good writer knows how to keep his/her readers engrossed and wanting more. Kwan does a great job in doing this.

Reviewed by Leona of Urban Reviews

Order your copy of Animal today!

  

NEW REVIEW: Kelli London - Cali Boys

Kelli London - 
Cali Boys (Boyfriend Season) - 
Available Now! - 
4 out of 5 books - 


Jacobi and Kassidy are two different girls from different backgrounds, but they have one thing in common...they're wanted by the boys.

After moving not too far from her hood, Jacobi finds herself in a neighborhood where she feels completely different. With her lop-sided breast, being barely developed, and her cheetah print face, Jacobi's insecurities get in the way. That is, until she meets her neighbors.

Moving to Cali from NYC was the worst thing that ever happened to Kassidy. Rather than looking at the move as new modeling opportunities, all Kassidy wanted to do was return to New York to be with her first real boyfriend, Brent. First things first, Kassidy has to get her mind off Brent and scope out the city...mostly for boys. Being a player had to have some type of advantage for her...right?

I really liked Cali Boys by Kelli London. The story had so much going on, including thrilling moments. The author did a great job of pulling both girls lives into one another. The only thing I disliked about the story is the fact that one of the characters seems to have been just pulled out of the story without a reason. Other than that, I really enjoyed Cali Boys.

Reviewed by Tabitha Graves for Urban Reviews

Order your copy of Cali Boys today!

NEW REVIEW: L.J. Wilson - Snitch

L. J. Wilson -
Snitch -
Available Now! -
4 out of 5 books - 

Seneca Allen is a typical sixteen-year-old girl. She likes to hang out with her friends, enjoys going to parties, and of course she loves to shop. She is known to rock all the latest and flyest sneakers.

Her two best friends, Valencia and Darren, are dating each other. Seneca tries to stay out of the middle of their relationship, but she always seems to get caught up in it one way or another. Both want her to choose sides on who is right and who is wrong. Valencia thinks Darren might be cheating on her. Darren is having problems at home and feels pressured academically from his father. When Darren begins to act out, Seneca begins to get worried and wonder exactly what Darren is doing. When she tags along with him to a party, she is in for the shock of her life.

Seneca is soon at a dilemma. She knows something about her best friend Darren that can get him into trouble, yet she is caught in the crossfire of his actions with her parents. She's unsure of what to tell or not tell Valencia because she does not want to get her upset or compromise her friendship between either one of her friends. What is a girl to do?

Snitch by L.J. Wilson is a young adult novel that I think all teens can relate to and learn a lesson from. A quick read that will have you questioning who is right or who is wrong and when is it okay to snitch or is it ever a right time to snitch? What is your definition of snitching? I would definitely recommend this novel, especially to young adults. It addresses a lot of problems in today's society that teens have to deal with. Unfortunately, I was unclear on the ages of the characters in the novel. I did not read the synopsis before reading the book so I had no idea that the main character Seneca was sixteen-years-old. Also, the story kind of ended abruptly, making me want to know what would happen next. The story kind of ended where another story could start off. Ms. Wilson did a great job with Snitch, and I look forward to reading more by her.

Reviewed by Leona for Urban Reviews

Order your copy of Snitch today!