Tag Archives: Betrayal

B-More Careful by Shannon Holmes

Print Length: 292 pages
Page Numbers Source
ISBN: 1592323146
Publication Date: April 28, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Description

From the streets of Baltimore, Maryland hail an all girl clique called the Pussy Pound. At the head of the clique is Netta, at her side is her close friend, Mimi. Both women are armed with a do anything-for-the-money attitude. Quickly it becomes clear that Netta will go above and beyond the call of duty in her quest for the almighty dollar. Under her tutelage the Pussy Pound becomes infamous on the streets of Baltimore as they attract and target some of the most prominent dope boys in the city. With each hustler that they bed the Pussy Pound becomes more deeply entangled in the game.

As the consequences of their acts catch up to them. They soon discover that the streets of Baltimore are an unforgiving place and there is a heavy price to pay for their treachery.

Review

B-More Careful was a raw and gritty account of what takes place in the life of the streets. The premise of the story was based on betrayal, deception and treachery.

I would have rated this book five stars had it not been for the excessive typos and grammatical errors I came across. Nevertheless, Shannon Holmes is an exceptional and talented writer.

B-More Careful was fast paced. I was able to visualize and feel everything as if I was there.

I admit, I had a difficult time getting through this story. The characters and content felt so real to me. In reading this story, which took place in Baltimore, I came to understand the realities of the streets. The game is certainly not a lifestyle I would want to be a part of, because of all the danger, backstabbing, jealousy, envy, betrayal, greed and revenge which is paramount.

B-More Careful emphasized the life of drugs, money, sex and murder. There is nothing glamorous or attractive about it based on what I read. This story made me sad.

Shannon Holmes did not sugar coat anything. He gave it to you straight and to the point. The characters who stood out for me were Black, Netta and Mimi. Black and Netta being the most ruthless of them all.

Unfortunately, there was no happy Hollywood ending either. All in all, B-More Careful taught me a great deal and opened my eyes to the harsh realities of a world I knew very little about.

Shannon Holmes wrote his first novel, B-More Careful, while in prison. When it was published, it immediately became a #1 bestseller, making him a major name in a new generation of fiction: hip-hop fiction. He then launched Triple Crown Publications, one of the leading publishers of hip-hop fiction, with Vickie Stringer, and wrote more novels, including the #1Essence bestsellers Bad Girlz, Never Go Home Again, Dirty Game and Caught Up.

 

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Fakes, Frauds & Opportunists

I haven’t been in the urban genre circle for long. But in my short time, I’ve had certain people tell me to be careful, because not everyone in this business is your friend.

Courtesy of Creative Commons

What’s interesting is that these same people, who I believed had my best interest in mind and had my back, were the very ones who stabbed it.

It is a sad shame when people portray an image of themselves, only to find out they were frauds.

Some people come into your life with an agenda and that is, to use and exploit you. I call them opportunists. They study and watch you from the sidelines, to figure out what you can do to help them. They seek and prey upon good, selfless and giving people.

They will say anything to get you to do what they want, until they’ve exhausted their use of you. As soon as they believe you have nothing left to give or offer them, they no longer have any interest in you. They will act as if you never existed.

They are manipulators, schemers and users who only care about themselves. They are out for themselves and what they can get, even if it’s at your expense. They will use their words masterfully to convince and deceive you with their lies and deception.

They will smile to your face, but speak negatively about you behind your back. Thereby, turning others against you in the process.

This is what I’ve experienced recently, and it was a hard, painful, costly, but valuable lesson for me to learn. One of which opened my eyes to the reality that people aren’t always what they seem, appear or what you would like to believe. They put on a good front and hide behind their mask.

You are probably wondering how I wound up in the urban genre circle? Well, I’ve always enjoyed watching mafia and gangster movies since I was a teenager. I never knew about this genre until about approximately nine months ago. I enjoy the raw, real, grittiness of the writing.

I am not familiar with the streets or the game… this isn’t the world I was raised in or grew up around. I guess because of that, it always intrigued and fascinated me. But never did I fathom that I would fall prey or victim to it in the process of helping others.

What is the solution going forward? I’m not quite sure, but for one, I’m definitely going to be more careful and not be so trusting. Trust and respect is earned, not freely given. But, I am the type of person who genuinely seeks and wants to see the good in people, until they betray me. I’m not interested in being chewed up and spit out by the people in this business. I don’t want to become heartless or ruthless as a result of getting burned by selfish people. All I’m interested in is reading, reviewing books and promoting authors who I believe craft unique plots, interesting characters and, are great writers. That’s it.

All that other “stuff” doesn’t interest me. So I humbly request that those with their personal agendas stay as far away from me as possible, because I’m not in this genre or business to be used, abused or exploited by anyone who wishes to utilize my gifts and talents for their benefit. I’m a professional and I take my work and time seriously.

Have you had a similar experience?  How did you go about handling it?

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The Hustle Chronicles by Blacc Topp

Publisher: Blacc Star Media Group
ISBN-10: 1622093712
ISBN-13: 978-1622093717
Price: $10.00
Purchase: Blacc Star Media | Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Description

Julius Jr.s’ childhood is far less than perfect. He is torn between his mother and father who are going through a bitter divorce. His world is turned upside down when his father takes him from the comfort of the family home in Benton Harbor Michigan to the brutal streets of South Dallas Texas. When Julius Jr.s’ family is gruesomely murdered his life takes a dramatic turn. His mother Naje moves to Texas to care for her youngest son and finds herself drawn into a conspiracy that threatens to not only take the life of her youngest son but hers as well. Roll with Julius as he grows into the ultimate hustler and unrelenting killer that the gang-ridden streets of South Dallas often breeds, where pimping, drug dealing, treachery and betrayal go hand in hand.

Review

I happened upon Novelist Blacc Topp recently, and decided to explore his writing. The Hustle Chronicles is his debut novel which was released in 2012.

Little did I know, I would embark on a suspenseful ride of twists and turns. I immediately fell in love with his writing, the story and the characters. Especially, Julius Sr. and Julius Jr. Their bond was special and touching.

Novelist Blacc Topp does an extraordinary job of evoking emotion as well as conveying the inner workings of the mind and heart of his characters. His writing style is raw, sensual and thought provoking. He draws you in, and seduces you with his vivid and detailed descriptions. It’s as if he’s holding your hand and guiding you through an experience you won’t forget.

Blacc Topp is a creative genius and a master of words. His unique and original style has taken this genre to another level.

I highly recommend The Hustle Chronicles, and any book he pens. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

Novelist Blacc Topp was born to a father that was a gangster turned preacher and a mother that was a singer, artist, and scholar. He was born into a family of preachers, pimps, prostitutes, drug drealers, dopefiends, and squares. Blacc Topp was raised on the streets of South Dallas, Texas. After the death of his father, feeling as though he had nowhere to turn he turned to the gang. The neighborhood gang, Dixon Circle 357um Gangsta Crips is where he would learn to become ruthless and unfeeling. Although he was deep in the gang and game, he continued his studies for fear that his mother would make him move to Florida.

By the age nineteen he had been shot three times and was on his way to the Texas Department of Corrections with a forty year prison sentence for distribution of narcotics. While inside he lost his youngest sister to the violence of drugs in 1996. After serving seven years, he was granted parole (mainly due to his mother’s efforts). He used the education that he obtained inside to land a job at a top engineering firm in Texas. He used his love of word play to push himself to local fame on the hip-hop scene in Texas and Florida but, he would lose his mother to cancer in 2006, only to lose his oldest sister to cancer in 2008 and he knew something had to change. He began to chronicle his life, his mishaps and his capers which gave birth to The Hustle Chronicles, his debut novel and soundtrack of the same name.

You can follow him at: Novelist Blacc Topp, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

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