Friends, Lovers and Roses Book

Three relationships with one thing in common Smart, sassy, and full of surprises, Friends, Lovers, and Roses follows three gay African-American couples (and their Puerto Rican confidant) through the twists and turns of building (and sometimes, destroying) relationships. Their stories?funny one moment, frightening the next?reveal the hard truths about the journey from lust to love and about the choices we make along the way. This fast-moving romantic drama swings from intense to inspiring and back again in a heartbeat as David, Allen, Stephen, Jamal, Serafina, Dominique (and Damien) struggle with the things we do?and don't do?for love. Friends, Lovers, and Roses introduces you to three couples, all in different stages of their relationships. You'll meet David, a sweet, passive man who can't break the hold of his abusive live-in lover Allen; Stephen, who leaves his girlfriend and young son to pursue the sexuality he's been hiding with Jamal, a mysterious man with a shocking secret; Serafina, who's desperately seeking to escape a powerful lover from her past as she builds a future with Dominique; and Damien, who's seen more than his share of heartache and heartbreak. From Friends, Lovers, and Roses: "Girlfriend! Now listen here. Your ass has been ghost for the past two weeks, and you still trying to get me off the phone!" David raised a furry eyebrow, "Damien. Honey, baby, Papi, you know I gotta cook dinner for my sweety, so what's the deal?" "The deal? I'll tell you what the deal is," Damien started, his Puerto Rican accent getting heavier. "You and that man of yours. I think you trying to get me off the phone so he don't see you talking to me. You know he ain't hardly fond of me." Damien was about to protest, but the truth held him at bay, "Okay. You got a point, but that is my man, girl, so try to recognize. I gotta have this dinner ready for his ass, and you know that. Chicken takes a while to cook." "It also takes a while to choke," Damien laughed. "Which is what you should be doing, instead of dealing with that wildebeest you call a husband." David sighed. Friends could be so brutally honest in their opinions. "Listen girl. I don't have time to hear how you dislike Allen. I still have a dinner to cook." "Okay, Betty Crocker, do what you will. Neglect your friends, put them aside, cast them to the?" "Stop the drama, will you? I swear you Latinos are just all about creating a stage show, aren't you?" David said, as he transferred the phone to his other ear. Damien could not only be trying at times, but very lengthy. "Well, I wouldn't be bothering you so much if you weren't so busy playing matchmaker with Stephen. He's not at home like he used to be since you started setting him up on dates." "I only set him up on one date," David said, looking attentively at his watch. "It's not like he's married already." "He might as well be, since I know you set him up with Jamal Warren. I know that mutha' to be as fine as hell." "And where did you hear that?" "Don't worry about it, child," Damien said, "Don't you know that 411 calls ME when it needs information?" "I have no doubt," David said without any reservations. "Guess you can't keep anything from a diva."Read More