Black Lotus by K'wan

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Rating 4stars

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Published: 5/27/14
• IBSN: 9781617752667
• e-IBSN: 9781617752865

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• IBSN: 9781617752650

Blurb:
Detective James Wolf earned the nickname Lone Wolf from his inability to work with a partner. He’s a hard cop who doesn’t mind bending the rules to the point of breaking them to make a case, which is why Internal Affairs is digging in his backyard, looking for buried bones. People are starting to wonder: Which side of the law is the Lone Wolf really hunting for? His career hanging on by a thread, he needs a major show of good faith to keep employed and out of prison. That’s when he gets the call.

From the moment he arrives at the crime scene, Detective Wolf knows that he’s in over his head. He’s a narcotics detective, called in to consult on a homicide, but this is no ordinary homicide—a priest was butchered and left for dead inside his own church, with the promise of more bodies to follow. The only lead is the killer’s calling card: a black lotus flower left at the crime scene. Detective Wolf now has the opportunity to quietly track and stop the Black Lotus before the next victim is claimed, in exchange for wiping his service record clean.

Accepting this case started as Detective Wolf’s attempt to get Internal Affairs off his back. But when his hunt for the Black Lotus leads him to a cold case from his past, it becomes personal.

My Review:
Let me tell you Black Lotus is not at all what I expected. I have read a couple of books written by K'wan. They have been street lit books. This is not. This is crime fiction. In this murder mystery Detective James Wolf is called in to help solve a murder. Doesn't sound like any out of the ordinary only that Det. Wolf is not with homicide. He is called in by his mentor. If Lone Wolf Jame, has he is called, helps out he will have is record wiped clean.

The murder starts with the gruesome killing of a priest. It soon becomes a serial killing. A farentity of assassins are thought to be behind the crimes but why? What if anything did the priest and those murders that followed do to deserve the brutality of their murders? When the ugly truth is revealed what will justice look like?

This novel has a constant steady pace. It is truly a murder mystery novel. There are not sex scenes. There is no baby mama/baby daddy drama. I will stay that like many mystery novels the whodunit is not really that much of a mystery. The reason for the first murder victim is not a revelation either but there others are. If you are a fan of detectives who don't stop to they get their guy then this is the novel for you.

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Author:
K’WAN is a best-selling, award-winning author of over a dozen titles, including Gangsta, Road Dawgz, Street Dreams, Hoodlum, Hood Rat, Section 8, Animal, and Animal II. He has been featured in Vibe, King, Entertainment Weekly, and Time magazine. K’wan was the recipient of the 2012 and 2013 Street Lit Book Award Medals (SLBAM) in adult fiction for Eviction Notice and Animal. His credits also include featured commentary in the documentary Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp (produced by Ice-T) as well as a recurring role as an analyst on TV One’s Celebrity Crime Files. K’wan currently resides in New Jersey.

Author Links:

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Challenges:
2014 Book Bingo Reading Challenge
2014 Monthly Motif Challenge
2014 Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge

Below is the trailer for Animal II released Nov '13

The White House by JaQuavis Coleman

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Rating 4 stars (3.8)

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Published: 5/27/14
• IBSN: 9781617752612
• e-IBSN: 9781617752889

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• IBSN: 9781617752629

Blurb:
The White House is based on true events, reimagining the dark chronicles of a notorious drug kingpin’s death, and the unfortunate events that followed.

The young heroine Draya lives paycheck to paycheck, laboring as a maid in a luxurious white house. One day, in the course of performing her duties, she is presented with an irresistible opportunity for a quick—and risky—payday. What unfolds in the white house changes the course of her life. Kidnapping, murder, and mayhem lead her—and the reader—through a harrowing and twisting plot to an explosive ending that no one sees coming. Look through the eyes of this young woman and glimpse how a life can forever be altered due to an unfortunate series of events—all touched off in a legendary white house.

My Review:
Great book. It is everything the summary states. Full of twists and turns. The main message of the book is that sooner or later karma will come back to settle things so think carefully about the decisions you make. It's good for those you love street lit. But this is not full of the typical street lit themes. There is a clear direction that this novel takes and the usually drama is avoided as it wouldn't have help this story plot. Also this is a short book. A week at the longest. two days average. One day for a fast reader.

Draya is struggling to raise her little brother June. she did a pretty good job too as he managed to get accepted into college. Unfortunately that good news is where things begin to go from bad to worse. Working 2 jobs she is barely keeping up with the rent never mind paying all the bills. June finished school and did well enough to get accepted but not enough for a scholarship. And in the pursuit to try get to a better place in life leads them into the rocky road of karma. So for those you enjoy getting over on people don't get upset when someone finally get over on you.

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Challenges
2014 Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge

Hold Me In Contempt by Wendy Williams

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rating 3stars (2.8)

Blurb:
Move over 50 Shades, there’s a new romance in town. Superstar Wendy Williams brings on the heat in her first ever, no-holds-barred, down and dirty, romance novel.

Kimberly Kind is trying to get beyond her roots. A successful, beautiful, smart lawyer, she’s finally finding direction in her life and getting out of the streets. But a terrible accident threatens to throw her carefully laid plans off course. Now Kim’s hiding a huge secret… one that could threaten everything.

Enter King. A perfect mix of Justin Timberlake and David Beckham, the man oozes sex and has more swagger than anyone Kim’s ever met. Their chemistry is off the charts. But after passion-filled nights, the intensity of their emotions takes both of them by surprise.

Love was not supposed to be an option. Now it’s the only thing holding them together. When their pasts come back with a vengeance, can love possibly be enough?

My Review:
How you doin? lol We know Wendy Williams from radio and her tv talk show. Now, she has written a romance fiction novel. I must I was surprised. It is a good read.

The story is about lawyer Kimberly Kind. e and her twin brother had it tough growing up. Both handled dealing with their past in different ways. On the surface Kim looks to have it all but since getting into an accident her life has taken a turned for the worse.

She meets a white man named King. He is the support that she needs until she finds out that he may be the one to finally bring her world crashing down. She must decide what is important. The life she was living or the life she could be living. She has to confront what she has been denying and making excuses for. In the end, she must face the truth about what she has done and who she is.

This is a fast paced story that has event constantly adding to the story. The ending is not as satisfying as it could be leading me to believe that there may be a book 2. The back story of King was unexpected. I think any one who enjoys romance novels would like this book.

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Author Info:

Wendy Williams is the host of The Wendy Williams Show and The Wendy Williams Experience, her top-rated daily radio show. Her books include the New York Times bestseller The Wendy Williams Experience, and she writes a weekly column for Life & Style magazine.

Author Links
https://www.facebook.com/wendyshow http://www.wendyshow.com http://www.twitter.com/wendywilliams http://www.wendyshow.com/tv-listings http://pinterest.com/wendyshow http://www.youtube.com/WendyWilliamsShow http://www.tout.com/wendywilliams

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Book Blitz: London Bound by Nana Malone

Excerpt:

As they hit the center of the dance floor closest to the DJ booth, Abbie closed her eyes and let the music take over her limbs. Jasper mixed some unfamiliar drum and base beats along with some mild electronica and infused them into dancehall, rock, and popular rap songs.

The only problem was, three women dancing together tended to attract attention…unwanted attention.

It wasn’t long before guys started to join them, dancing in the periphery, then eventually sidling up close. Tamsin and Sophie welcomed the attention. Abbie tried to focus on the music and ignore them. The first guy to slide up behind her had her body stiffening. Immediately, she stepped forward, spun around, and ended up on the other side of their little circle.

The next guy tried a frontal approach. Luckily, she could see him coming and waved him off. Maybe it was time to find Max and the other guys and sit down.

She waved at Jasper, and he frowned but nodded his acknowledgement. Sophie and Tamsin were too occupied to notice she’d slunk off the dance floor. On the edges where it was darkest, she paused and searched for where the guys had gone.

“I figured I’d try something different and ask you to dance.”

Abbie whirled around and let out a small squeak of alarm. The muscles in her lower belly quivered, and her breath caught. Her savior from earlier stood in front of her, looking like a cross between an angel of mercy and the devil incarnate. “We have to stop meeting like this,” she mumbled.

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Well, there’s no rain at the moment, so we should be safe. I trust we were able to save your camera?”

Heat flooded her cheeks. “Yes. Thank you. Honestly that could have been ugly today. I’m indebted.”

“How about a dance, and we’ll call it even?”

A dance? With him? Pressed up against… “I uh…”

“Now, I’m not as good as you are, so you’ll need to take it easy on me.” He outstretched his hand and waited for her to take it. He didn’t press or push, just stood there…waiting.

Jasper didn’t help her when he switched the track to a dancehall reggae song with a grooving beat.

Butterflies fluttered low in her belly. When was the last time she’d had butterflies? Unfortunately with those butterflies also came fear. The fact was she didn’t know this guy. But, if he’d wanted to hurt you, he could have already.

It’s just a dance. She glanced down at his hand and placed her palm in his. Determined not to be nervous, she smiled up at him. “Hardly seems fair. You save my life and all you get is this dance.”

He drew her close, but not too close, keeping his hands at her waist. He waited patiently until she looped her arms around his neck. “It’s well worth it to me.” The low rumble in his chest as he spoke sent shivers coursing through her body.

As it turned out, he didn’t need any help dancing. He moved them easily in time to the seductive beat. Abbie didn’t dare look around because she knew what she’d find—couples pressed so close that they might as well be naked and in bed. Dirty dancing was a requisite of dancehall music, but her partner kept a marginally safe distance between them, figuratively if not literally, because with every down swing of the base, their hips rocked into each other.

She swallowed hard, but then forced her gaze up to meet his. As soon as their gazes met, her heart rate kicked. His slate gray eyes framed by dark lashes, stayed on hers. Nervously, she licked her lips. He stilled for just a second, causing her to lose her footing and bringing her flush against his body.

She froze, muscles tight. Touching wasn’t something she was used to or allowed easily. But with him, she didn’t want to be anywhere else. He smelled of mint and something crisp and woodsy, like he’d spent the afternoon outside on the water. She released her strangled breath and let her body relax into his. She felt, rather than heard, the low rumble in his throat as his chest vibrated against hers. His warmth enveloped her, and she could tune out everything but him. As if it were only the two of them on the edges of the dance floor.

There, in the dark, in the arms of a relative stranger, she felt safe.

His hands shifted on her waist so his thumbs traced her hipbones, and Abbie forgot to breathe. Wobbly knees forced her to tighten her hold on him. As if responding to her body’s automatic softening, her eyes dipped to his lips.

What the hell am I doing? Her brain tried desperately to take control of the situation. But she didn’t fell like listening. For the first time in longer than she cared to think about, she liked having someone’s hands on her. She wasn’t afraid. Instead, she craved it, that connection. Her body hummed with vibrant sexual energy. An energy she hadn’t felt in six long years. There were nerves, but not from fear or trepidation. It felt good. Better than good. It made her remember how much she needed to be touched. Or rather touched by someone who could make her feel safe.

But just as the last of the tension ebbed out of her body, his thumbs pressed gently against her hipbones, moving her back several inches. He raised his head, and they stood like that for several seconds before Abbie realized Jasper had switched the music. Oh, God. She’d been standing here with a total stranger, practically melting into him.

Heat rushed to her face. “I—”

He smiled, and she was too blinded to finish. Gently his thumbs traced across her hipbones once more, and he let her go. “Thank you for the dance.” Then he turned around and walked away.

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AUTHOR BIO

USA Today Best Seller and iTunes Breakout Books author,Nana Malone's love of all things romance and adventure started with a tattered romantic suspense she borrowed from her cousin.

It was a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana, and Nana was a precocious thirteen. She's been in love with kick butt heroines ever since. With her overactive imagination, and channeling her inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before she started creating her own characters.

While she waits for her chance at a job as a ninja assassin, in the meantime Nana works out her drama, passion and sass with fictional characters every bit as sassy and kick butt as she thinks she is.

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Excerpt:

Satiny heat slid across Lex's body from chest to feet. He inhaled Abbie’s ginger and pumpkin shampoo. She smelled so good. She felt even better, warm and soft tucked into his side. Cranking an eye open, he took in his surroundings. Everything in the room was white. From the curtain hangings to the duvet to the wicker rocking chair in the corner. On the bureau were dozens of photos. And on the far wall, he recognized some of the photos he'd taken with Abbie.

Her deep, even breaths told him she was still out. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually slept with someone. The few times he’d tried always ended up with a disastrous nightmare.

But with Abbie, he’d actually been able to escape his nightmares. More like he passed out after exhausting himself. He hadn’t slept for more than two hours at a time in over a month. But with Abbie, all he’d dreamed about was her. Guilt pricked at his subconscious.

He had to deal with the Gemma situation. She’d encouraged him to go after Abbie at the party, still he had an obligation. But it was way past time for him to start living his life. Gemma would have to understand. And staying away from Abbie wasn’t going to happen. It was almost as if she’d dragged him into her gravitational orbit with her wit, strength, and beautiful smile.

He picked up one of her slim braids and inspected the woven strands of black and lighter brown pieces as they shimmered in the soft morning light. She shifted in his arms, grinding her hips into his crotch, forcing a hiss from him as his semi-hard dick sprang to attention.

As if they were heat seeking missiles, her hips scooted back into his, and he gnashed his teeth together, praying for control. She was so hot, so undeniably sexy without even trying.

What the hell had he gotten himself into? He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anybody in his life. But if he wasn’t careful, he’d lose her. He had too many balls to juggle. The safest thing for him to do was to leave her alone. But he knew he couldn’t give her up. He wanted a thousand moments like this. Mostly because he was a selfish wanker.

She wiggled again. Lex continued to hold her and ignored the sweet agony. Fascinated by the contrast of his tanned hand and her smooth, gleaming, dark skin, he stared as his thumb drew lazy patterns on her shoulder. He could ignore it, just for the pleasure of holding her.

Ah, who the hell was he kidding? He was moments away from waking her when she wiggled again. He wanted her. Again. But he'd had her three times in the middle of the night.

His hand rested on her hip and reflexively contracted when she scooted her ass further into his groin. He groaned. “Jesus, Abbie, I'm only so much of a gentleman. You do that again, and I'm not going to be responsible for what happens.”

She giggled, and the sound was low and earthy, like she should do nothing but laugh all the time. “If you want to pretend later that I took advantage of you in your weakened and food-deprived state, then that's okay.”

He grinned. “The authorities will eventually find me in here naked, half starved, tied to the bed, and horny, very horny.”

She turned in his arms. “Now we're talking.”

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From the author:

We’ve all experienced this. The overwhelming urge to run away from your life, from the thing that scares you most or hems you in.


In my latest New Adult Romance, my heroine Abbie takes off for London under the cover of nightfall, running away from expectations, her family, her ex’s betrayal. But it isn’t so much about what she’s running from, it’s about what she’s running toward—passion, a sense of adventure, and a dream.

I had that moment myself. And yes, I ran to London. After the events of September 11th, I struggled with staying in New York. I was in a dead end job doing something I didn’t love and the city that was normally so vibrant and alive felt hollow to me. After a year long stint in Ghana for a contract, I opted to attend graduate school in London. After all, I’d always enjoyed the city.


But I was unprepared for how alive I’d feel once I got there. In a matter of weeks, I had a job, had registered for my classes and knew the tube and bus schedule as if I was a born Londoner. Most people would assume I had the most fun tripping in my heels, running from club to club. Lol. And while that was enjoyable, I honestly had the most fun at my job. I know, weird right?


I worked at a call center full of ex-pat foreign nationals. I met people from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Brazil. Everyone was young and adventurous and wanted to explore. The moments between calls and between shifts were where I made some of the friends I still have to this day.


I also became addicted to running home between work and school to catch an episode of East Enders (A UK soap opera) and would have these hilarious philosophical conversations about why British television starts didn’t have that pretty, polished glow to them that our stars in the US did. With my schedule, I often had my groceries delivered. I took dance classes at Pineapple Dance studios and explored Covent Garden on the weekends. Going to the park meant Hyde Park and shopping meant the High Street or the West End.

But most importantly, in those moments of exploration and fun and dancing, and combing British bookstores looking for every Lesley Pierce and Martina Cole book known to mankind, I found myself. Oh yeah, and I went to a few classes too.


The friends and love that Abbie finds in London will change the course of her life, just like London did for me. And while the book is of course a fictional work. I couldn’t help but infuse some of my adventures into it. I hope you enjoy Abbie and Lex’s story as they explore themselves, shed their pasts and find true love.

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Synopsis:

It wasn’t exactly like spunky, photography student, Abbie Nartey ran away from her life…except, that she left under the cover of darkness and put three thousand miles between her and her ex-boyfriend’s betrayal. She went to London searching for her dream. She never expected to find love, or herself.

Heir to his family’s tech fortune, sexy, Alexi Chase, is looking for freedom—from his family and from his past. What he’s not looking for is love. With secrets like his, he can’t afford to let anyone get too close. But a chance rescue has him wondering if the price of keeping secrets is too high.

Will Alexi risk losing love to keep his past hidden? Will Abbie trust herself enough to love again? Or will their pasts keep then from accepting true love?

This book contains mature themes and is intended for audiences 18+

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Words from the author:
When I started writing my first book (which now sits in the bottom drawer in my office) I immediately grabbed my laptop and started banging out a manuscript knowing nothing about characterization, plot or the writing business. Like so many newbie “have a lot to learn” writers, I said things like, “How difficult could it be?” An adorable heroine, sexy hero, a cute meet, sprinkle some acerbic wit and bam, you have a book. God, I had no idea. Who knew I needed plot, characterization, some magical writing and heaps of luck?

After several failed attempts at gluing a haphazard plot together for my first book, I got myself some craft books. Make that lots of craft books, joined RWA, signed up for every class I could get my hands on, and found the best critique partner that a newbie like me deserved or could ask for. She’s been patient, but honest. Tells me what I don’t want to hear, encourages me to be the best writer I can be and I’m so honored to call her a friend and one of my favorite authors, Misty Evans. If you’ve never read her, you’re missing out!

Over the years I’ve met some amazing writers. Women who pour their hearts out onto the paper. Those who plot, those who pants it. All of them hustling towards an impossible goal while traversing the land mines of day job, significant others, kids and personal lives.

Because now, 14 years later, 16 books, over a hundred rejection letters and experiences I wouldn’t trade for a pair of Prada pumps, (Let’s be honest, I might trade the experience for some Louboutins), I know what work goes into being a writer. The pain, pleasure, joy of it. The sweat and the literal tears. It’s in my blood now. And as I venture into a new genre, I’m ready for the adventure that brings.

London Bound came out of this magical time in my life when I lived in London for graduate school. You mention a book, show or movie that is set in London and chances are I’ve read or watched it. I loved the energy of the city and the history and let’s face it, the accents. But most of all, I forged some of the strongest friendships I’ve ever had in that city and knew that I would eventually set a story there. While Abbie and Lex’s story is fictional, the places I mention and many of the adventures are real. It will forever be my second home



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