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ANYONE WHO HAS A HEART  by Jacqueline Powell
Reviewed by Stacey Seay

GOD STILL DON’T LIKE UGLY  by Mary Monroe
Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy

Mary Monroe's highly anticipated sequel, GOD STILL DON'T LIKE UGLY, does not disappoint. The story picks up with some familiar faces from God Don't Like Ugly and includes a few new characters for a little extra spice. The protagonist, Annette Goode is still plagued by memories of her abuse at the hands of Mr. Boatwright and the devious deeds that her best friend Rhoda performed. Annette also has unresolved feelings towards her father for abandoning his family for a white woman. Because of all the pain and grief she has endured, this novel finds a stronger, more confident Annette who is able to cope with all the twists, turns, and pitfalls that life has to offer. In this novel, she will learn about true love, true friendship, and the lessons that you cannot escape from your past and that "what goes around comes around."

Although a sequel, GOD STILL DON'T LIKE UGLY, recounts much of the story for new readers without being redundant. It is definitely a stand-alone book. If you did not read the first novel, you will not be lost trying to figure out characters or plots in order to follow the story line.

Mary Monroe has again woven a cast of colorful, unforgettable characters. She intertwines humor and a bit of romance while tackling intense social issues such as rape, child abandonment, prostitution, and racial tensions. Fans of Monroe will be delighted with her newest novel. My only disappointment came when the last page had been turned.

Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Best-selling author Zane returns with THE SISTERS OF APF: THE INDOCTRINATION OF SOROR RIDE DICK, another fast-paced, sensual read based upon a short story from her first collection of short stories:  The Sex Chronicles.  With the title of this book, you’re given an idea of the plot of the story and the secrets that lie within the closed doors of this prestigious sorority of women who are educated, articulate, beautiful and have no qualms when it comes to their sensuality and the complete fulfillment they expect and demand from those they let into their intimate world.  The Sisters of APF are selective of their members and have chapters spread abroad with yearly gatherings and monthly escapades pulling their members from all walks of life; including college students who may need a little nudge in taking part of the female sexual revolution.

After staying home and attending a local college for her undergraduate degree, Mary Ann Ferguson is headed to Hartsdale Law School in Washington, D.C.   She is leaving behind the chicken farm, her parents, eight siblings and her high school sweetheart, Clarence, on a journey to meet new people and further her desire to become a lawyer.  Patricia Reynolds is the resident assistant at the dorm in which Mary Ann lives and though she thinks Mary Ann is a country bumpkin, she sees something else hidden beneath the surface and invites Mary Ann to join her for a meeting with her “investment club.” Armed with upperclassmen knowledge and seniority, Patricia leads Mary Ann into the secret world of The Sisters of APF, their mission, and the tools necessary to lead her away from her timid, good girl demeanor into an experience that is more fitting…one in which she will not settle for just anything when it comes to sex.

As in most of her books, Zane has taken a bold look into the lives of women unafraid to express their sexual wants and desires.  And, while I don’t condone all of the activities of this book, I do applaud Zane on yet another story with an underlying theme of being true to yourself and not being a victim in any arena of your life; especially sexually.  No, the sorority does not exist outside of the pages of THE SISTERS OF APF: THE INDOCTRINATION OF SOROR RIDE DICK, but it does help one to see that “if they could work hard every day, bring home the bacon, and raise a family then they deserve a little hellified sex in their lives.” This is definitely a ride worth taking.

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

MARY'S LITTLE LAMB: A MICK HART MYSTERY by Lawrence Christopher

Reviewed by Robilyn Heath

Lawrence Christopher reintroduces the literary world to Mick Hart with a case that is full of deja vu.  Election Day in Odelot brings a great deal of headline news: the election of its first African American mayor, a car jacking and the disappearance of two teenage girls.  Mick is called to duty to investigate the whereabouts of MARY'S LITTLE LAMB.  This little lamb happens to be the daughter of Mary whose murder Hart solved previously.

Hart's investigation leads him to realize that teenagers (our little lambs) are becoming victims of the wolves of the world because they are growing up too fast. These wolves found on the streets and also on the Internet disguised as adults prey on our little lambs. As he ventures deeper into the investigation for MARY'S LITTLE LAMB, Hart is faced with demons from his past. Are these missing teenagers connected?  Will past demons and secrets hinder the search for the missing teenagers?

Christopher has done a masterful job with this Mick Hart mystery.  It is a refreshing mystery that captures the reader with witty chapter titles and journal entries. He provides background for the readers to know the history of his characters that are reintroduced from his previous novella, All About Mary, so that one does not need to read it first.  I look forward to the next Mick Hart mystery.

Reviewed by Robilyn Heath for The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

ONE DAY I SAW A BLACK KING by J.D. Mason

Reviewed by aNN Brown

John King's life can be compared to anything except royalty. Born under tragic circumstances, he literally punched his way into the world. The midwife who delivered him believed he was a demon child and nearly succumbed to voices telling her to kill him as he was being born. Raised by a grandmother who detested the sight of him, John is forced to flee Bueller, Texas when he is fifteen years old with too many unanswered questions of how he came to be. Life for him is one city after another, too many temporary liaisons and an emptiness that threatens to consume him.

Connie Rogers and her sister were deserted by their mother when they were twelve and eight years old. Her sister was adopted and Connie was placed in the foster care program. At the age of fourteen she flees the foster home and lives on the streets of Denver surviving by any means necessary. Her reality is that she exists because someone needs a doormat on which to walk. Numerous one night encounters have brought more heartache than a young girl should have. When the faces of all the men she has known merge into one face that haunts her, she seeks a way to save herself.

King's travels places him in Denver at a time when he is tired of running from his demons and his past. John's and Connie's meeting is not monumental because, while both know how to survive, neither knows how to live. As a reader I hoped the hard times they'd endured did not make them believe heartache is all life had to offer them.

ONE DAY I SAW A BLACK KING is Connie's testament to a wayward John King who stirs unfamiliar feelings in her. The story is haunting and sometimes joyless as it pulls you into the lives of the characters. All of the pieces are in place for this one, the storyline is exceptional, the characters are real, and the pace is on target. Though the secondary characters have their own story to tell, Ms. Mason expertly uses them to enhance the flow of this story. Much more than a story about survival; this is a story about standing toe-to-toe with life and learning how to live it. I felt this story in the recesses of my being and I did not close this book unscathed. This is an excellent look at the endurance of the human spirit and the second step toward Ms. Mason establishing herself as a gifted writer.

Reviewed by aNN Brown of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

FEENIN' by Nane Quartay

Reviewed by Diane Marbury (HonestD)

Feenin by Nane Quartay is a story which encompasses a modern day survival of the fittest theme. The story which is set in Albany, New York follows the life of Tokus Stone. Tokus is a young black man who was abandoned by his mother when he was fourteen and left to raise and care for himself. Tokus survived life on his own by becoming a street hustler. He sold drugs as a means to an end and constantly dreamed of a life without illegal activity.

After Tokus graduated from high school, he went to college during the day while maintaining his street hustle at night. He managed to avoid the long arm of the law the whole time. However during the last night in his illegal trade, he has an encounter that results in the death of an addict and a corrupt cop picking up his trial. Tokus' encounter with "Five-O" changes his life at a time when he thought he was doing the changing.

Feenin is a complicated tale that introduces several characters who are victims of life's various injustices. The people are plagued with everything from drug addiction to incest to greed. Many of these characters are introduced, seemingly, abruptly, but if you hang in there with the story, things become clearer. Where Tokus is the hero in this story, Way Jalon, a power hungry millionaire racist is the villain. Before all is said and done, Tokus and Way are engaged in an old fashioned good versus evil battle.

Nane Quartay writes well and makes good use of metaphors and description. Sometimes the description becomes a little disturbing when you realize a drug induced high is being described in vivid, colorful detail or that the description is being used as social commentary. After reading the final words of Feenin, I felt a sense of injustice and some of the cruel irony that runs as an undercurrent throughout the novel. I can only wonder if that was the author's intention.

Reviewed by Diane Marbury (HonestD) of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

PROVERBS FOR THE PEOPLE edited by Tracy Price-Thompson and TaRessa Stovell

Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy

We have all heard proverbs at some point in our lives; little truths that teach morals, tell stories, or teach us how to live.  In PROVERBS FOR THE PEOPLE, authors take insightful African, African American, and Biblical proverbs and utilize them to create extraordinary short stories that depict truths and leave marks on the heart.

This unique anthology contains stories from well known authors such as Travis Hunter, Omar Tyree, Margaret Johnson-Hodge, Pearl Cleage, and others, as well as stories from up and coming authors.  Like the proverbs they represent, the stories are diverse and full of emotions.  Although all of the stories were wonderful and touching, some of personal favorites were Gwynne Forster’s “First Thing Monday Morning,” which taught the morals that actions speak louder than words and to be careful what you wish for, because you just may get it, and Robert Fleming’s “A Crisis of Faith,” about a man who is wrongly incarcerated.

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