Author Archive

Signifying Nothing by Clifford Thompson

By Phyllis Rhodes • Jan 19th, 2010 • Category: Book Review 2010

The novel is set in Washington, D.C., in 1979 and focuses on the Hobbs family. Lester Hobbs, nineteen years old, is mentally retarded and mute until the day he suddenly begins to rap at the top of his lungs about life with his parents and older siblings.



Eyewitness by M.C.Beamon

By Phyllis Rhodes • Nov 7th, 2009 • Category: Book Review 2009

A man is shot to death by a shadowy figure rising from the smoldering bushes lining the walkway to Beulah Baptist Church in a quiet, Southern town. When police get information linking the fire at the church to other recent arsons, they begin searching for the serial arsonist and murderer.



Granddaddy’s Dirt by Brian Egeston

By Phyllis Rhodes • Nov 6th, 2009 • Category: Book Review 2002

A poignant writer produces yet another true storytelling, Brian Egeston has tackled a difficult issue and done so with a soothing pen. In this dramatic story sprinkled with snippets of humor, readers take a ride with a family, a flood, and a fate. Uncovered at last, are the dangers of generational burdens.



Growing Up by Illyasah Shabazz

By Phyllis Rhodes • Nov 5th, 2009 • Category: Book Review 2002

February 21, 1965: Malcolm X is assassinated in Harlem?s Audubon Ballroom. June 23, 1997: After surviving for a remarkable twenty-two days, his widow, Betty Shabazz, dies of burns suffered in a fire. In the years between, their six daughters reach adulthood, forged by the memory of their parents? love, the meaning of their cause, and the power of their faith. Now, at long last, one of them has recorded that tumultuous journey in an unforgettable memoir: Growing Up X.



If Walls Could Talk by Vincent Alexandria

By Phyllis Rhodes • Nov 4th, 2009 • Category: Book Review 2002

Detective Joe Johnson and his partner, Vernon Brown’s first murder mystery series in which they investigate a romantic love triangle with a murderous and chaotic twist. The suspects include the mob, City Council Members, a construction contractor, and even Detective Johnson’s girlfriend. This is a marvelous intellectual who-done-it with a passionate love story and a comical edge.



Lion’s Blood by Steven Barnes

By Phyllis Rhodes • Nov 3rd, 2009 • Category: Book Review 2002

The novel takes place in approximately 1850 AD, and involves two main families: one of Islamic African aristocrats, the other of Druidic Irish slaves. It is a combination of Gone with the Wind and Roots, seen through a dark glass. Two young men, one of each genetic line, must deal with their world and each other.



The Dawn of Man by Elbert Lewis, Jr.

By Phyllis Rhodes • Nov 2nd, 2009 • Category: Book Review 2002

Logan, the first MAN (Mutation Accelerated Nemesis), must battle hostile aliens to save Earth from subjugation but first he must save mankind from itself. In a story of nonstop action and advanced science the fate of the world hangs by a thread and Logan must choose between the life of the woman he loves and the future of the entire human race.



The Parcel Express Murders by Bernadette Y. Connor

By Phyllis Rhodes • Nov 1st, 2009 • Category: Book Review 2002

Detective Hall Hawkins’ stunning family friend, psychiatrist Samoa Tate, is introduced to the sophisticated and charming, Detective Edward Clark and finds herself embroiled in a love triangle that she alone knows all about and a murder mystery of which she is completely unaware.



Threesome by Brenda L. Thomas

By Phyllis Rhodes • Oct 31st, 2009 • Category: Book Review 2002

Sasha is caught in the middle of the exciting, sexually charged underbelly of professional basketball, the sadness of suicide and constant self-destructive behavior. Follow along as the threads of love, happiness and self-worth are woven together to create the fabric of Threesome.



PG County by Connie Briscoe

By Phyllis Rhodes • Oct 30th, 2009 • Category: Book Review 2002

In Connie Briscoe’s splashy novel, five lives intersect in the swish and swanky, rich and raucous Prince George’s County. With more than a nod to Peyton Place, Connie Briscoe created a fabulously fun novel that will delight, excite, and entertain.