Every now and then you come across a book so hot, so thrilling, you just cannot put it down. Well Black Coffee is definitely one of them! This amazing book entails love from a man’s perspective, and is a sequel of sorts to Looking For Sweet Love. Written by an equally amazing author, R.L. Byrd, the novel reveals the stories of “the Brotherhood;” DK, Quentin, Miguel, Michael, Donnell, Pastor Levine, Dr. Houston, and Brass. DK “Love” Niles, on his own search for love, talks with the husbands, boyfriends, and lovers of the Love Forum Divas from the previous book.
All too often women seem to hold a monopoly on love. Think about it. When it comes to romance, it is always hearts, flowers, and lots of red decor and pink trimming. Even the stereotypical love story goes as follows; guy meets girl, guy woos girl, guy hurts girl, guy loses girl, guy fights to win girl back over, girl gives back into guy…and they live happily ever after. “…we don’t really get to hear enough about the fellas when it comes to love…people forget that men love too, and that they’re half of the relationship…” Byrd states.
Black Coffee may have mentions of this “fairy tale” love, but only in the most realistic and believable way. Each character is well written and layered, but most of all relatable. To put it simply, there is a guy representing every single man you can think of in the aforementioned Brotherhood. In fact, after reading their tales you might swear you personally know some or all of them. “Their stories come from people I know and even my own personal experiences [he laughs]…I won’t say which one is me, but just know there’s some truth to them…” R.L. admits. The style of the book is also intriguing, written in a rather blunt and unapologetic way. Nothing is off limits. “I wanted it to sound like an actual conversation. As we know language is not always proper, it gets to be vulgar sometimes, especially when you are talking with someone. So I incorporated that in my character’s dialogue…Dialogue is what drives a story along with the plot, it’s what pulls the readers in…”
Like most authors, R.L. admits he was inspired by other authors. His inspiration, however, is found in the legendary writers of the Harlem Renaissance, Zora Neale Hurston and James Baldwin, and the nineties’ Best Seller, Tracy McMillan (Waiting To Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back). “They [James Baldwin and Zora Neale Hurston] were great writers, opening the doorway for so many who have come behind them…I read Waiting to Exhale and just couldn’t put it down…she [Terry McMillan] has a way of pulling you into her stories that is amazing…it would definitely be a good book if she wrote a follow up to it [Waiting to Exhale], updating it with what really happened between she and her ex-husband…” When I asked why anyone should by read Black Coffee, R.L. gives an earnest response. “How often do you get to read about love from the perspective of Black Men? This book has a voice that people want to hear and they won’t put it down…” We definitely concur. Black Coffee is a hot, steamy, and enlightening treat that will warm more than just your heart.
Visit www.RichardLeonByrd.com to snag a copy of “Black Coffee” & connect with Richard on Twitter/Instagram @Author_RLByrd
