Dyanne Davis
Only Good Reviews!!
Just so you know, you always have to be careful about reviews. For instant you probably
already know that I'm only going to post the good reviews about my work. Hey, I'm not crazy. I
wouldn't tell you anything that people were writing that was bad.  But know this, for two people
that write something nice about a piece  of work there's probably three more that write
something nasty.

Why am I telling you this you might ask.  It's simple.  Reviews are the opinion of one person or of
however many people reviewed the work.

Does bad reviews hurt a writers feelings? You bet they do. But it comes with the territory and it's
what's called getting a tough skin.  When my first book, The Color of Trouble came out I
received a lot of good reviews and was very happy. One of my Windy City chapter members told
me to enjoy it while it lasted because the slings and arrows would follow. And sure enough she
was right.

On the same day that I learned that I was a finalist for an Emma for the book, well there was
another bad review. When I actually won the award there was another bad review.  I told my
husband, That I didn't want to write anymore. I'm not by nature a mean spirited person and
could never see myself saying such mean things in public about anyone.

Bill is my hero and my love for lots of reasons. He convinced me to ignore the mean comments.
Of course that didn't happen overnight but I learned to just not go looking for reviews.

Of course it's still nice when someone email me a copy of a good review. And since I'm still
human bad reviews still have the power to hurt me and any writer that receives them.  Why then
am I even including reviews? Because I'm building this site myself and most writers have copies
of reviews. I just want you to know that my intent is always to write the best story that I can.  At
that moment when I'm doing it it  is the best story that's in me.  I believe the reader deserve
nothing less. If you like what I write, please send me an email and let me know. If you don't like
what I write, send me an email.  davisdyanne@aol.com
BOOK REVIEW                 
Let's Get It On (Love Spectrum Romance) Cover
[zoom]
LET'S GET IT ON
by Dyanne Davis

RT Rating:
Category: CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Publisher: Genesis/Indigo Love Spectrum
Published: December 2006
Type: Contemporary Romance (Interracial)        
Buy Now at Amazon
$9.95

The relationship between Heaven and Hamid is interesting as it explores their different
backgrounds. It's touching to watch them learn to compromise and live together. The inclusion
of a Muslim character is unusual and welcome in a multicultural romance, and it's explored in
a sensitive and respectful way. The relationship is allowed to grow slowly enough so that it
seems real.

Summary: When independent African-American nurse Heaven Adams meets Muslim Pakistani
Hamid Ahmad, she finds him handsome but annoying because of his chauvinistic attitude
toward women. Intern Hamid is in America studying medicine. He plans to return to Pakistan
and wed, but he's tempted by the idea of marrying a woman he loves. Heaven has her own
dream -- to open her own business.

Despite their differences, they marry, and both follow their dreams -- dreams that mean Hamid
is in Pakistan as Heaven remains in America. The separation may destroy their love and their
life together. (GENESIS/INDIGO LOVE SPECTRUM, Dec,,,,P, $9.99) HOT

—Page Traynor
MISTY BLUE
by Dyanne Davis

RT Rating:
Category: CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Publisher: Genesis Press/Indigo
Published: May 2006
Type: Contemporary Romance (African-American)        
Buy Now at Amazon
$9.95




After overcoming much heartache, Damien Terrell and Mia Black have finally decided to tie
the knot -- but not without the family problems that typically go along with planning a wedding.
Damien's philandering father adds more drama when he insists that Damien shouldn't let a
woman tie him down, especially since Mia is not willing to consummate their relationship until
after they are married.

With bickering parents stressing their already precarious relationship, Damien's desire to
elope doesn't make Mia feel any more confident. She's still not sure if his anxiousness is
because he loves her -- or because he just wants to get her into bed.

In this sequel to The Wedding Gown, Davis presents more mature characters and reveals
greater details surrounding Mia's and Damien's upbringings. Examining the psychological
effects of child abandonment and self-doubt, the author depicts a much more complicated
tale. Not the typical alpha male, Damien's character adds a delicate balance of sensitivity --
just when Mia needs it most -- without coming across as weak-willed. And though Mia's
thoughts don't always make sense, she is a likeable heroine that readers will have a difficult
time forgetting. This is, by far, Davis' best work yet, and alludes to the fact that this series
may become a trilogy. (May, 220 pp, $9.95)


—T.L. Burton
I'm going to stop in the middle of finding GOOD reviews to tell you something. I
swear there have been times I've wanted to create a review site of the reviewers
and trash them by name publicly.  That's the BAD Dyanne or maybe just the human
Dyanne.  But since I've chosen to become a published author I no longer have the
right to respond in kind. I would look mean, little and petty.  A few years ago Anne
Rice one of my favorite authors was trashed on Amazon (like all authors are) This
time she chose to fight back and wrote a very long letter in her defense.  While I
totally understood her emotions and reasons for doing it I knew she would also
get more vile and inflammatory posts because of it.

There have been times I've wanted to point out that some reviewers even when
they give the authors good reviews they still manage to trash the work. I've
wondered why many times. I do realize that a lot of reviews written are from
frustrated writers that haven't yet made it. I also know that some reviews could be
because for what ever reason the person may not like a writer, or the writer they
believe is in competition with a friend of theirs or even them. There are a lot of
reasons for bad reviews. Some could be because the reviewer just didn't like the
work or it could be possiblely that the work was really bad.

I'm of the opinion that no writer knowingly put out a bad book. And take note:
There is a difference between a bad book and a poorly edited book.  This is my
wish, for you the readers. If there is an author that you've read and you think
something is wrong with the book, email them.  I've yet to find an author that
doesn't welcome feedback.  I know I do.  I'm aware that not every person is going
to like everything that I write. I would be crazy and an ego manic to believe that.
And believe me I'm neither.

So now that we've had this little soul to soul chat I'm going to scout the web for
more good reviews. Remember that I'm only going to post good review.

I just thought of something. This is an invitation to ALL authors and readers. If you
have a great review for an author send it to me and I will post it in my Good
Reviews Only section.  I love it.

Dyanne













This month, I thought I'd review THE WEDDING GOWN by Dyanne Davis.
And I'm offering a signed copy--the copy I read to review this--(so it's slightly used) ;) for my
contest. Look on my website for news about that! Dyanne's a new author--and I love new
authors. I'm always intrigued to see if they'll be original. I'm tired of the same old, same
old. Aren't you? Anyhow...

THE WEDDING GOWN is an Indigo Love Story. The heroine is not your typical caucasion
girl seeking an earl. In fact, she's a cocoa chick with a little spunk, tired of losers--and let's
face it--there's plenty out there.

Ya gotta love Ashleigh Johnson the minute you read the opening in the book: An add to sell
her handmade, absolutely phenomenal wedding gown--CHEAP. Yep. You guessed it,

Mr. Right turned out to be Mr. Two-timing Jerk. She's stopped dreaming and stepped into
the light of reality. No more free-loaders. No more losers. Ashleigh is looking for Mr. Rich
and handsome or forgetting it all. Which pretty means she's given up on love.  Go ahead,
sigh. I did. We're romantics at heart, aren't we? There's nothing worse than hearing that a
lonely girl has given up. Ya just wanna cry for her and put your arms around her shoulder
and say, "Yeah, sister-we know where you're coming from. You've got every good reason to
want to shoot* allof mankind, but like a good girl, you're just gonna hibernate and call it
quits. We got your  back."  *No, I don't condone shooting men--but who hasn't thought of it
once or twice?

So, Ashleigh puts her ad up on the bulletin board of her building--after she tosses
bonehead out. And that's when she meets Keefe. Tall, dark and handsome just got a
facelift, baby. And he's seen his share of gold diggers. He's a little on the wary side.

And he's only interested in the ad because his sister needs a wedding gown, and he's
footing the bill. Cheap sounds good to him. Not that he's a cheap-o, mind you. But you gotta
meet his sister, and hear the deal on how she talked him into paying for her wedding.

So, yeah, there's a second love story brewing in the background--and I really love that little
twist.  Here's the real scam of the story: Keefe's sister falls in love with the dress, and Keefe
falls in love with Ashleigh--and there comes the real dilemma. Two women, one wedding

dress--and a need for some resolution on the who's gonna wear it issue--because you know
Ashleigh's gonna fall for Keefe, even if he puts on like he's a poor boy. Which he does, by
the way, because he's looking for a girl who doesn't see money signs.

You can see they're at odds--she thinks he's poor and he thinks she's only looking for a
cash cow. And still, they fall in love.

Dyanne Davis discreetly details a few hair-do's but never smacks you with anything that
would raise a racial hair. I like that because I prefer to see the things we all have in common,
and appreciate our differences. I honestly believe any romance reader could enjoy this. It's
a good story.
Black Butterfly Review

P.O. Box 585  Huntingtown, Maryland 2063

April 18, 2007








Rafe and Angela are two sides of the same coin, two halves looking for their mate.  Rafe
(Raphael to everyone else) is a deeply committed Chicago police officer, with a strong  
desire to do his part to  make his corner of the world a better pace.  Angela is  freelance
technical writer, whose brother Adrian is in prison.  An angry young man, he has convinced
her that he has been wrongly imprisoned, and is depending on her to clear him.  man
imprisoned for "trumped up" charges.  As we meet Angela, she is determined to clear her
big brother, and is willing to move to a colorful neighborhood to do so.  Rafe meets her
speeding through town and tickets her.  Although he is a tough guy, he has just recently
seen his aunt who promises him that "he will beg to be loved by the woman who can stop his
heart and start it again."  He has just finished telling his aunt that that will never happen.  
Sparks fly, literally and immediately, much to the surprise of both.  They agree to a slightly
less volatile 'sex only' relationship to avoid from killing each other.  Truth is, they both fall
hard and quick, and circumstances make short work of them seeing it.

Although Rafe and Angela are posited as an interracial couple, their difference in
background is just that—background.  They are both wholly engaging people, who we want
to succeed, and both seem willing to admit their rightness for each other.  Ms. Davis has
introduced a bit of intrigue and some cultural commentary, but the crux of the book is the
relationship.    The author skillfully allows us into the minds of both, deftly explaining their
hesitance without being overbearing or too obvious.  Oddly enough, they get together rather
early, each purposely trying to mischaracterize their relationship in order to come to terms
with their immediate and overwhelming attraction to each other.  Although there is a fair
amount of lust, it is clear that these two belong together, and thankfully, a minimum of stupid
misunderstandings and stubbornness .  Rafe is the police officer hero we have all dreamed
of meeting, and Angela is the damsel in distress who is never distressing.  An intensely
emotionally erotic read, I found myself looking forward to each of their encounters, and
never disappointed once we got there.  Most satisfying, seeing two people in love stumble
around the kind of love that does consume without destroying, until they finally agree to stop
fighting, start trusting, and keep on living—together.

A story sweet at is core, but with enough scintillating spice to be devoured in one setting.   I
highly recommend Ms. Davis' most recent foray into writing.

Reviewed By:  Angela T. Hailey, Black Butterfly Review

Overall Review:  5


“A mark of a good book, is when the story never ends…..”
JoyfullyReviewed.com

Many Shades of Gray by Dyanne Davis
Genesis Press
Contemporary Interracial Romance
ISBN-10:1585712485
ISBN-13:978-1585712489

Reviewed by Indy




Publisher Simon Kohl is on the top of the world, a puppet master in the world of the written
word, he can make or break people with one phone call. The only person he's yet to tame is
his lovely fiancé Janice Lace, a bestselling African American author he plans on building a
life with, but she has yet to say the three words he needs to hear. Deciding he's had enough
with Janice closing him off from her heart and the past that has caused her to become the
cold woman she is today, Simon decides to play a little game of chess. Bringing forth a lover
from Janice's past, Simon is not prepared for the avalanche of pain and confusion he
unleashes in their lives. Now Simon will have to play hardball because his own personal
demons are finally catching up with him and the thing he's always wanted the most may now
be slipping from his grasp forever.

Janice has already gone the love route. She knows the pain that comes when you allow a
man to know he has power over your heart. She refuses to give Simon any more power than
he already has over her because as soon as she does everything she's worked for will fall
apart. Their relationship was supposed to be easy, not about enduring love. Somewhere
they both forgot the rules and with the addition of her past lover haunting their fragile
relationship, Janice and Simon may find that not all stories have a happy ending.

This book reminded me of an old song called "If Loving You is Wrong". I kept singing the
song in my head the entire time I was reading Many Shades of Gray. This story is the
epitome of how not to love someone. Manipulation, jealousy, possessiveness and verbal
abuse seemed to be the common thread between these two lovers. Janice and Simon were
a couple who were so scared of love they did whatever they could to destroy it. Talk about
drama. Dyanne Davis wrote a soap opera that was so excessive I read the entire book with
my mouth hanging wide open, cringing half the time and laughing uncomfortably the next.

Now I'm sure you're thinking I didn't like this story, right? Wrong, by the time I was halfway
through this book, Janice and Simon had sucked me into their insanity. I couldn't wait to turn
the page to see what other act would be perpetrated all in the name of love. Simon took
being a rich ass to a new level. His volatile episodes where he loved Janice to death one
minute and was trying to ruin her the next were mind boggling especially since it was obvious
he really did love her. This is not a love story for someone who wants a fairytale love affair.
This is a story of hot, passionate, obsessive love of volcanic proportions and, just like most
natural disasters, uncontrollable.
Page 1 |  2
The Color of Trouble
Dyanne Davis
Release Date: July 2003: Paperback
ISBN: 1585710962

I know that I really enjoyed this book, because I can still taste it.







The book tells the story of Kari and Jonathan, two perspective college graduates. Kari is a
young, intelligent, ambitious only child of a stable, African-American family, Jonathan the
seemingly only child of initiative of a single white mother. The two have weathered and enjoyed
their interracial relationship in the bubble of college life, and though uncertain of what to expect,
are prepared to see things through. Trouble comes from unexpected quarters, and the couple
is separated over time, distance, professional careers, and outright shenanigans. They meet
again due to circumstance. Jonathan has to use every wile to get the woman he lost (due to
plotting of which he was unaware), and Kari makes him work for every bit of it. For her part, Kari
has to offload baggage she never admitted to having, including a "perfect" fiancée who is just
not perfect for her. Neither has ever forgotten the other, and sparks fly as soon as they are
within waving distance of each other. The conclusion is touching, tender, and satisfying, but the
roller coaster ride to get there is wild, humorous, and HOT, HOT, HOT!

Although the situation is not new, most novels about interracial romance tend to flow in one
direction or the other. Either leaning towards the unreal and overly scripted, or staying too
close to the surface. Ms. Davis does an admirable and beyond credible job of meeting a very
nice balance. Her characters' emotions and responses are real. She provides real situations,
and allows her characters to respond, sometimes badly, but she shows their growth. The
supporting cast is provided as vehicles for explanation, not just filler, and add dimension to the
overall development of the characters. Most of all, the time line seems natural. People don't
arrive at conclusions over a whirlwind of weeks, and Ms. Davis gives the reader and her
characters time to evolve as any normal person would.

When I finished reading the book (in one sitting!), I found that, rather than feeling rushed, I truly
had met a couple who had learned a lot about themselves and the world, people I would love to
meet and hear their story all over again.

Angela Hailey
Literary Essence LLC
Fort Washington, Maryland
sableskin@yahoo.com