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JoeyPinkney.com Book Review: Fat Kills, by K.Reid

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JoeyPinkney.com Book Review
Fat Kills
by K.Reid
(K.Reid Productions)
5 out of 5 Stars

K.Reid’s Fat Kills has The DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia) written all over it. It’s more than being “blown” or “siced”, K.Reid has worked hard to include neighborhoods, restaurants, clothing stores, regional websites and so much more.The world as told as through the eyes of the main character Mia Nickole Rose is full of music, memories of “The Metro” newspaper and chicken wings and mumbo sauce.

Working in downtown D.C. by day and moonlighting as a singer at night, Mia is conscious of her weight almost as much as she is cognizant of the effects of the recession that has rocked the globe. Nothing a perfectly rolled joint and some late night sitcoms can’t smooth over another day in the economic jungle.

Speaking of financial woes, Mia is no stranger to the struggles we all face. Student loans, garnished wages and helping parents who are struggling to keep their dream home equals little to no money for Mia to pay the everyday bills. A chance email with the promise of money for simply meeting up leads to Fat Kills becoming a veritable Urban Thriller.

Mia is statuesque, voluptuous and bodacious. In her mind, she is fat and not “phat”. She constantly gives herself pep talks and confirmation of her greatness whenever she’s about to step on the stage to sing and even when she walks into a place with a bunch of people. A twist of fate has her at the beck and call of a murderous doctor who treats people that struggle mentally with how the are treated because of their weight. That same doctor, known as Professor, kills the people who ridicule overweight people as payback for private school bullies beating his son into mental retardation.

K.Reid gave Mia a sharp sense of humor and a profound love of music. This makes Fat Kills doubly entertaining. The personal thoughts and comments that Mia injects into Fat Kills are classic. Sometimes her humor is subtle like Seinfeld, other times she is openly funny as Comic View used to be. Just like a conversation with an unintentionally funny friend, Mia catches you off guard with her dialogue and thought processes.

Mia’s musical palette ranges from the Go-Go bands native to the D.C. area to Bjork to everything in between. This gives Mia’s character a more realistic feel as she weaves her way through the plot twists of her literary world. Throughout Fat Kills, K.Reid blesses Mia with some of the deepest, most comprehensive playlists for her iPhone. It quickly becomes obvious that K.Reid did not just put a bunch a random songs together. The author really put her heart and soul in making sure the songs happening throughout Fat Kills fit perfectly and realistically with whatever is going on in Fat Kills.

The one thing that was a pleasant surprise about Fat Kills is that it was unpredictable. Each plot twist was unexpected, yet when things went in a new direction it made sense. Without giving away the juicy details, I thought Mia was going to lead me through a typical hood story. She didn’t.

Instead, Fat Kills was written well enough that I actually went through the myriad of emotions that experienced as she slowly went through a mental breakdown. It took more than marijuana to mellow out the mangled murder mystery Mia experiences. From not knowing the true identity of the psychopath who controlled her every move like a demented puppeteer to having to sing and perform during heinous acts of torture and death, Mia suffers a jarring mental breakdown that will shake even the most emotionless reader.

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5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, interview

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Teresa D. Patterson, author of Spin Cycle

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Teresa D. Patterson, author of Spin Cycle
(Edit Again Publications)

For middle school teacher Greta Stevenson and principal Austin Johnson, an evening of doing laundry turns into pleasure and chaos. When Greta bends over to take her clothes out of the washing machine, unknown to her, Austin is checking out her assets.

When he makes a comment about her red thong, she blushes in embarrassment, but secretly, she’s turned on. The more she thinks about Austin, the hotter she gets. When her hormones betray her, she finds herself in an uncompromising position on top of a washing machine. While in the throes of passion, they have no idea they’re being caught on tape.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Spin Cycle?

Teresa Patterson: Maybe a certain suave principal at my son’s middle school was my source of inspiration for writing Spin Cycle. I got the idea when I was doing laundry one Sunday. I was bored because I forgot to bring a book to read. While the clothes did their thing in the washing machine, my mind began to spin out of control as I wrote the first chapter of this wild, crazy story.

JP: What sets Spin Cycle apart from other novels in its genre?

TP: It’s different because it’s a mixture or urban fiction, erotica and drama all mixed together. It’s unique.JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Spin Cycle getting out to the public?

TP: The key to my writing success is to never give up. When I formed Edit Again Publications in 2009, my goal was to publish two titles per year. So far, I’ve been able to accomplish that goal. Even though it was released a month later than I planned, I made sure that I got Spin Cycle out to my readers.JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Spin Cycle?

TP: I really don’t know if I would call it a writing process. Ever since I began writing, I’ve always started with a title and go from there. I started writing Spin Cycle in 2009, and it took me a little over a year to finish it. I had a lot of encouragement and prompting from members of RIM (Reader’s in Motion Book Club).
JP: What’s next for Teresa Patterson?

TP: Wow! My brain never stops coming up with ideas, so who can say? Readers are asking for Project Queen II. Since I did promise a part two, I’m working on the re-write of that. I am also excited about finally publishing my first juvenile fiction novel, A Song for Desiree. Juvenile fiction readers should be on the lookout for that.

My next novel titled What About Your Friends is on the horizon. I’m also writing an e-book on self-publishing to share with aspiring future authors.

http://www.teresadpatterson.com/
http://www.myspace.com/itsyourworldblackgirl
http://www.facebook.com/teresadiannepatterson
http://www.twitter.com/teresapatterson
http://www.editagainpublications.com/

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5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, interview

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… H. Ronald Roseboro, author of Is There A Samson In You?

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
H. Ronald Roseboro, author of Is There A Samson In You?
(iUniverse)

Money, fame, women, and material possessions enslave the hearts of many strong men. Is There A Samson In You? invites you to take a candid look into the mirror of male bondage through the eyes of true freedom and masculinity.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Is There A Samson In You?

H. Ronald Roseboro: Regardless of your religious views or biblical knowledge, almost all have heard of the story of Samson and his infamous encounter with Delilah. I took a common and historical name and drew a modern parallel between Samson’s struggles and the struggles of many men today, yet offering a solution that we can overcome inner issues to accomplish our destiny.

JP: Samson is known for his impeccable strength, in terms of a near flawless strength. Yet impeccable also means free of sin, which Samson’s weakness was tied to the sin of his lust for women. What other weaknesses are highlighted in Is There A Samson In You? that will benefit its readers, both male and female?

HRR: Although Samson’s strength was second to none during his earthly reign, his strength was impeccable but his character was not. In this book, both men and women will discover Samson’s issues of lust, anger, lack of accountability, lack of prayer life and flirting with addictions.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Is There A Samson In You? getting out to the public?

HRR: My compassion and passion to see men evolve to become men and for our women to become healed and properly enlighten through this book. This is not just a book; this is a tool of empowerment!

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Is There A Samson In You?

HRR: I am a very detailed and vivid writer. I take tremendous pride in my work. If it is not excellent, I will not release it. Time-wise it took almost 10 months to finish Is There A Samson In You?

JP: What’s next for H. Ronald Roseboro?

HRR: Of course another book! In the midst of expanding my wings to write more, I will also be releasing my spoken word poetry on CD in 2011. The best is yet to come…

http://www.zionspeakz.com/
Facebook: H Ronald Roseboro
Facebook: Ron Roseboro
http://www.shoutlife.com/Roseboro

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