Everyone’s patience with Keera has dissolved from the size of an ocean into that of a small rain drop. The lesbian community in the college-town of Eatonton, North Carolina is even smaller.
Six years. Crashed and burned into a crisp. Ja’Keera Thomas is a romantic con-artist whose time is running short. But who has the time to own up to their mistakes when they’re such a hot commodity? When Alexis Hughes realizes that she’ll have to take the first step out before being swept back into an endless cycle of misery, a series of serendipitous events take place, leading her closer to her own self-discovery – but not before she’s lost herself all over again. Jordan Greene is true to her name – a basketball prodigy with an unfortunate past. She just can’t seem to shake each lost opportunity after the next. If she can only reach out, grab something, and hold onto it long enough, shouldn’t that make it real? From the eyes of each woman, Loving Keera is a narration of how nice girls can sometimes finish last.
Targeted Age Group:: 16-40
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
I wanted to tell a story about the things that young couples go through in a fashion where the author forgets that these relationship issues are primarily taking place between lesbians, and yet they can focus on the issues themselves and possibly find a situation in which they may reflect back to their own “learn to love thyself” process. There are so many complications represented regarding love and relationships that it should hit close to home for everybody. Those certain common factors may help some realize that issues are issues across the board. Drama and learning experiences do not discriminate.
How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
These characters are all women that I (and friends) have been at times, who are dealing with women that I (and friends) have dealt with. These characters are amalgamations of the relationship barriers and personal excuses that many people use as a crutch, resulting in unsuccessful relationships.
Book Sample
I wasn’t crazy.
At first I thought I was crazy. But I wasn’t crazy.
I thought this whole losing Alexis thing had drove me to the brink of insanity. Like, I thought I was seeing shit. But I wasn’t.
I looked through the blinds and hoped not to see the black Volvo rolling down the street again. Scanned the left, surveyed the right. Looked over my car. No flour or eggs. No silly string. No toilet paper. I let the blinds go and sighed relief. Grinned at myself for being shook; watching out the window like a prisoner in my own home. Shrugged and laughed at myself for being shook at all. It was nearing midnight. Too damn late to give a fuck.
I turned the porch light off, doubled back, and triple checked the locks before going to lie down. Shit was getting serious. At least I could acknowledge that.
Now she knew where I lived. Somehow she’d followed me home. She was riding on my ass for a while before I realized who she was. Then I took a few turns out the ordinary. Thought she lost me. But when I pulled up to the house and got out the car, she rolled by nice and slow, rolled down the window, and made sure I saw her glower of death.
I wouldn’t talk to her. And now she was stalking me. What a silly fucking rabbit. I knew her to be dumb, but not psycho. No telling what else her short, stumpy ass was up to. At this time of night she needed to be out finding someone else to throw the pussy to. I’m sure I had nothing else to worry about for now.
A warm shower calmed my nerves. I entered a neat bedroom and tucked myself between fresh linens. I made myself busy cleaning and straightening up the bedroom from the time I got home to keep myself from checking out the window every five minutes, never sure of what plans her crazy ass had in mind.
I summed up my recent life while waiting on sleep to come find me. Thinking of Lex so much almost made me forget that I was now unemployed. Was going to have to front rent by myself from now on. Not by choice like usual. There was going to be no other option.
I had to get my shit together.
I thought about skipping class tomorrow and filling out applications, going out to see who was hiring. Nah. Couldn’t ditch class. Did enough of that on some bullshit. I’d already sat a semester out in the past and I couldn’t afford to fall any further behind.
I needed to hit the gym on campus for an hour or two as well. Playing ball over the weekend put me to shame. I used to be so much better. I used to be in shape. All that huffing and wheezing for air had to go. Felt like I was dying out there for a second. It also stuck with me when Lex said she wasn’t the only one who gained weight. I had to get my pack back. Just for her. I didn’t have a pot belly or anything. Still had a flat tummy, but it gave quite a bit extra to the pinch. I had to get on a “no flab allowed” policy. Get on the bench and the tread and break a sweat. Work out some of this stress.
I wondered where I was going to take Alexis on Wednesday. I had to make it special. I had to make it like it was our first date all over again. I had to get her to consider changing her mind. Somehow. There had to be some way.
A faint noise startled me. I sat up sensing another presence close by. I looked to the doorway. A short figure stood in the shadows and leaned on the door pane. I sat forward and squinted. Focused for a face.
Alexis stepped into the streetlight coming through the blinds and smirked. Her hands held up a towel wrapped around her chest, her hair up in a banana clip. Her body was dripping wet, fresh from the shower. She was amused by the frozen-dumb smile I wore. She edged toward the bed. Dropped the towel on the way. I couldn’t wait to handle her body. Kiss up and down those pert breasts, burry my face between her golden thighs.
She pushed me back and straddled me, the heat from her soft spot pressed down on my waistline. I was so comfortable. So at home. She was home. She leaned in for a deep kiss and I returned it with so much passion, nothing held back. Everything out in the open. Honest. Sincere. Two things I should’ve stayed all along.
She tasted so sweet. Man, was she so sweet.
I let her hair down out the clip, caressed her scalp with her hair between my fingers, directing her head in for a deeper kiss. She kissed over my neck, all over my face, told me she missed me. She loved me too much to let me leave. Too much to ever let go. She’d never ever let go. I would have her forever. My woman kissed me again and started to cry.
Still without saying a thing, still holding a humble smile, I dried her eyes. Pulled her in for a hug. Her crying became wilder, held so much more wrath and contempt. She tried to pull away. I couldn’t let her go. Couldn’t risk it.
She managed to get out of my hold and I jumped from the bed. Zerene looked up at me. Tears welled in her eyes, a blade in hand.
“See what you did to me? Did you know what you do? Did you know how you made me feel? Can I show you how you make me feel now? Huh?”
I backed up until I couldn’t back up anymore. Knocked into the vanity mirror that Alexis loved so much, knocked it to the floor in panic and it shattered. I couldn’t turn around completely to catch it. Had to keep my eyes on the crazy, broken heart standing between me and the door. The only way out.
She was nearing closer and closer. No longer crying. Instead a deep deranged look took over, froze her face in scorn, and had her looking like she missed her meds for the day.
“You know how much pain I’m in? And to think you think it’s all one big game…You wanna play?”
She rushed up on me and we wrestled with the small knife for a minute until I slipped, shards of the broken glass ripping through the soles of my feet. She took the first opportunity she had to gorge the blade into my throat, and I watched the drops of blood land on my open hands before squirting out in a thick stream.
I woke up in a scream with no sound, then coughed and caught a hold of myself. Looked over my surroundings. Looked at the door. In the bed beside me. No one.
Deep breath in. Deep breath out.
Sweat dampened the sheets where my head lay and I moved my hands across my forehead, around my neck. Felt like I’d gone swimming. Swallowed hard. Bad case of cotton mouth.
I got out of bed. Went to the kitchen for a glass of juice. I was jumping at every shadow, looking over my shoulder, scared of every headlight that passed through the street outside. Man, I couldn’t let this shit get to me this fucking bad. I felt bitched. I didn’t even know what the hell I was so afraid of. Being alone for a difference was definitely starting to take its toll. I had to be tough.
But I won’t lie.
That nightmare scared the fuck out of me. I never went back to sleep.
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