Murder, Mayhem & A Fine Man by Claudia Mair Burney

Date:             7/20/10                

Title:             Murder, Mayhem & a Fine Man

Author:          Claudia Mair Burney      

ISBN 10:        1-4165-5194-8

ISBN 13:        978-1-4165-5194-2      

Pages:           291 

Publisher:      Howard Books/Simon & Schuster        

Cover:           Paperback

Reviewer:      Yolanda M. Johnson-Bryant– Literary Wonders! (www.literarywonders)

Rating:            3.5

In her suspense novel, Murder Mayhem & a Fine Man, Claudia Mair Burney manages to turn a murder mystery into a love story.

Dr. Amanda “Bell” Brown is a forensic psychologist and stumbles upon a double homicide while celebrating her birthday with her sister medical examiner, Carly Brown. Something about this murder mystery does not sit right with Bell but she cannot quite put her finger on it.

Detective Jazz Brown needs help in solving the precincts most recent murder and after meeting Bell, he realizes that she could be of some help to his investigation and to himself.

This wonder duo weaves in and out of clues that lead them further and further into a cult, which suddenly becomes familiar to Bell as she puts herself in harms way to help others escape this deadly organization of religious fanatics.

In the interim, neither Jazz nor Bell want to admit to the uncanny, uncontrollable, and undeniable attraction has developed between them.

Murder, Mayhem & a Fine Man is a good murder mystery with lots of mayhem and suspense. Although, I had a difficult time with this author’s writing style, and Rocky—Bell’s ex-boyfriend, the more I read the book, the more I began to enjoy this novel.

Murder, Mayhem & a Fine Man is a definite page-turner. I would love to see a follow up to this title.

REVIEW: Cougars by Earl Sewell

Date:             7/15/10        

Title:             Cougars         

Author:          Earl Sewell

ISBN 10:       

ISBN 13:        9781593092689    

Pages:           265 

Publisher:       Strebor Books Int’l/Simon and Schuster             

Cover:            Paperback             

Reviewer:       Yolanda M. Johnson-Bryant – Literary Wonders! (www.literarywonders)

Rating:           3

Cougars is by Strebor author Earl Sewell. Mr. Sewell brings us a taboo story of older women, younger men, and lots of sexual energy.

Jasmine Sallie is a forty-something woman who has managed to outwit father time with her beauty and physical fitness. Jasmine is out to enjoy life and have lots of sex. Discretion is not one of her strong suits and she soon finds herself getting a little too comfortable with Travis Adams.

Things get a bit more complicated when Travis applies for his dream position at Headroom Pharmaceuticals and lands the job. Much to his surprise and pleasure, Miss Jasmine turns out to be his boss and they start a behind the scenes office romance.

As a researcher, Alex is assigned a project to create a woman’s version of the drug Viagra. He takes his job and his assignment serious—a little too serious.

Soon Alex’s determination to get this drug on the market turns into greed and deception.

Upon first reading Cougars, I had to put it down, as it was a slow read for me. It was after I picked Cougars back up that I began to enjoy this tile from Mr. Sewell, only to put it down towards the end. I started wanting to give this book a three, and then a four, and then back to a three. However, I am certain others have and will enjoy this title. 

Red Hats by Damon Wayans

Date:            7/5/10          

Title:            Red Hats       

Author:         Damon Wayans

ISBN 10:       

ISBN 13:       978-1-4391-6461-7      

Pages:          214 

Publisher:     Atria Books           

Cover:          Hardcover             

Reviewer:     Yolanda M. Johnson-Bryant – Literary Wonders!

Rating:             5

Red Hats is the witty new novel by comedian Damon Wayans. Red Hats teaches us lessons in life, love, and forgiveness.

Alma and Harold have been married for a lifetime and through the years, they have formed a wall of anger and resentment towards one another. The couple has become complacent and unable to communicate the love they share for one another.

Similar to the couple on the long run, discontinued 80’s television show, In Living Colour. They do everything they can to try to kill each other, but when in the public eye their favorite catch phrase is, “We’re still together!”

Everyone has hopes in receiving another chance to get “it” right, but Alma’s chances run out when Harold has had enough and decides to check out; permanently. Alma is angry that Harold has left her alone

as she ventures on an unplanned journey that teaches her how to forgive—mostly herself.

It is not by chance that Alma ends up in the path of The Red Hatters after a failed attempt to kill herself. Against her conscious will, befriends one of the Red Hatters and starts living life—which leads her to a new love.

James teaches Alma that she is worthy of love and that he is the one to give it her. With James in her life, Alma has a new lease on life, including a renewed relationship with her estranged children.

Damon Wayans did a great job in this easy to read novel. I will make it a point to read other books that have been written by this comedian turned author. Red Hats will cause you to experience a broad variety of emotions.

REVIEW: Black Diamond by Ja'Nese Dixon

Date:                    July 15, 2010 

Title:                     Black Diamond      

Author:                 Ja’Nese Dixon 

ISBN 10:              

ISBN 13:               978-09740762-1-8

Pages:                  251

Publisher:              Nia Publishing 

Cover:                  Softcover/e-book  

Reviewer:              Yolanda M. Johnson-         Bryant

Rating:                     4 Stars

Black Diamond is the debut novel from author Ja’Nese Dixon. Mrs. Dixon did a great job with her first novel. Black Diamond combines ultimate sins and twists them into a hot steamy, love story.

Camille Carmichael, aka Camille Blackwell is an agent for the FBI working undercover at International Jewelry Distribution Company. Her assignment is to find out if the company is using the business as a front to move illegal black diamonds.

Over a span of two years, Camille works her way through the company, clearing several promotions and building lasting friendships with her colleagues. She thinks she is on track to secure the necessary proof the agency needs to shut down the company’s operation, but when dead bodies start turning up she soon discovers that things are not as they seem.

Marc Fulton is asked by an old friend from the agency to assist Camille in her investigation of IJDC and sparks begin to fly. Being the devoted agents they are, the two vow not to get personal and just do their jobs. These two find it hard to deny the passion that steams between them and with their doubts about each other, they soon find out who can be trusted and who cannot.

Talib Kamwi is in the United States on business. He wants his money and he will do whatever it takes to get it back. He tries to blend in at IJDC to find out who knows what in hopes they will lead him to what he came for. Unfortunately, his stay in the states would be longer than he had expected.

In Black Diamond, author Ja’Nese Dixon intertwines a web of love, deception, and money, expertly developing realistic characters that her readers can visualize with ease. Black Diamond starts with action that will draw you into the story from the prologue until the last sentence of this shiesty story of cat and mouse.

I cannot wait to read more from this author and I especially anticipate her follow up novel to Black Diamond.

Black Diamond by Ja'Nese Dixon Virtual Book Tour: The Prologue

Black Diamond by Ja'Nese Dixon is a romantic suspense novel about an undercover FBI agent investigating a vicious group suspected of trafficking conflict diamonds.  Sit back and listen as Ja'Nese reads the prologue to Black Diamond.

About Black Diamond

Camille Blackwell, an undercover FBI agent, poses as a jewelry purchaser in an international diamond trading company in hopes of identifying the domestic players in a vicious rebel group suspected of trafficking conflict diamonds. The Bureau requests CIA renegade Marc Fulton's assistance with sweeping international intelligence to identify the major rebel organizations with the finances and stateside connections strong enough to evade criminal prosecution, despite Camille's objections.

Their attraction is instant and tense; both resolve to focus on the case. But when Camille receives an encrypted memory stick from a murdered co-worker Marc may be the only person she can trust.Black Diamond is the eagerly anticipated debut novel by Ja'Nese Dixon. True love, like black diamonds, is rare and precious but when murder and a persistent criminal threaten a frail relationship, will love triumph?

About Ja'Nese Dixon

Ja'Nese Dixon writes fiction novels for readers yearning to escape and disappear into a good book. Ja'Nese's debut novel, Black Diamond is scheduled for release in June 2010. She resides in Houston, Texas, with her husband and their two children. For more information visit http://www.janesedixon.com.

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Black Diamond by Ja'Nese Dixon Virtual Book Tour is organized by Nia Promotions, a marketing company that assists authors and publishers with using web-marketing strategy to market and promote books on the internet. Follow Ja'Nese's tour at http://bit.ly/blackdiamondvbt.

30/90 Challenge Book #1: Red Hats by Damon Wayans