Taking A Chance At Love by Kesha Pride: A Book Review and Interview

Picture this: Its a gloomy day, clouds are gray, thunder rumbles above you and the wind is nice and breezy. Rain is coming and there is nothing on your agenda. What do you do? You decide to pick up a book that you recently bought and make up your mind to only scan the book, figuring its a nice lead into the much needed nap. So you reflect on the title, and chalk it up to being another hopeless romantic novel, with a little action to keep you aware of the characters and another 'oh so predictable' story line: Boy meets girl, boy screws up, girl gets hurt, he proposes and all is right with the world. Well, in scanning the first couple of pages you find that its MUCH MORE than what you imagined and now you cant put it down!

As an avid reader, I think its important to skim and scan books just to get an idea of what you are up against. You know assessing the kind of read you will have, the mood/environment needed to get the most out of the book, and of course how drawn in you will be. One of my most recent book purchases included TAKING A CHANCE AT LOVE by Kesha Pride. When I ordered the book, my first mindset was only to take a peek until I had more time to actively read. However, I picked the book up, only to scan it and was unable to put it down. There was no time or need to choose the optimal setting. Immediately, I was enthralled in the book, fell in love with the characters and made connections to my own life within the first few pages. The book is set in Atlanta, Georgia; however, there is a great connection to Houston. I find it exciting to read about places that I have been and people that I know, because I immediately begin to visualize the scene and project myself into it. As the title suggests, it is certainly about taking chances...MASSIVE life altering chances. Taking A Chance at Love commands its readers' attention introducing us to Tori Becker; a fresh, young, and beautiful doctor, who just happens to be an out and proud lesbian. Quite the charmer, Tori, immediately sweeps two young women off of their feet. From that moment on, the book is a page turning, nail biter. The plot thickens with each page, and creates the perfect foundation for a sequel or three. Filled with Drama, Sex (Great Sex), and Murder; TAKING A CHANCE AT LOVE is the perfect read, no matter where you are and what you are doing. Just be ready to be taken away and able to 'zone' out....Its THAT Good! TAKING A CHANCE AT LOVE, was so good, it became imperative to catch up, with the author herself, to find out what is the fuel behind this genius creation.

When I caught up with Kesha Pride, she was in the hair salon, sitting under the dryer. Beauty in all its glory was able to take a moment and share with me, the force behind her pen and book. Kesha Pride, a transplanted Houstonian, from Georgia, relocated to Houston after accepting an amazing job in Houston's Medical Center. Being all about family and career, there was no way that she could pass up an opportunity that benefited both. Ms. Pride has been writing for quite some time. She shared that while, "Growing up, I would write little short stories in notebooks and draw little pictures to go along with them. It was a great pastime. My freshman year in college, I changed my major from Biology to English in hopes of becoming a writer, but my parents were totally against that. I was an English major for about an hour, lol. Even still, I continued writing blogs, short stories, and university newspaper articles as requested or required. Fast forward to June 2010. I was seven months out of my final degree and had the time and energy to commit to writing but I wasn't sure where to start. I opened up Microsoft Office one day to test it on my new computer and when I closed it down for the night, I'd written the first three chapters of TAKING A CHANCE AT LOVE. My passion was renewed and I threw myself into the story." Even with all these years of writing, Ms. Pride considers writing a hobby. To her a writer is someone who enjoys writing, and based on that definition she has been a writer since elementary school. A vivid imagination and love of reading will create and foster a love of writing. For Ms. Pride, writing is a release, allowing her to escape temporarily and the beautiful part of it all is that she can go anywhere her mind takes her. As a result of that she plans to continue to write well after her retirement. As a pronounced fiction writer, Ms. Pride incorporates my favorite (erotica) along with drama and suspense as well, making it the ultimate read. Its certainly, no surprise that Eric Jerome Dicker is her favorite author. Her favorite book by EDJ is Pleasure.  His style of writing by way of elements used is definitely hinted throughout TAKING A CHANCE AT LOVE.

When discussing TAKING A CHANCE AT LOVE, Kesha stated that the book wasn't planned, there was no central theme, it was just what she felt at that moment. It sounds like she begin writing this book, like I begin reading it, once you start, you are unable to stop. Whatever the case, once it was completed, it was translated into a work of fiction based on real experiences; her own and that of others. I was just dying to know if Ms. Pride would take the risks that Tori took, for the chance to have real love. Ms Pride stated that she would have to plan thoroughly before putting her livelihood on the line, for love or anything else. "I don't mind taking risks, but they are usually calculated ones." With that in mind it is safe to say that Ms. Pride is satisfied with the end product and wouldn't change anything about this book. The characters have left their mark on Ms. Pride and based on reader reviews, the mark is left on the readers as well. Currently, Ms. Pride is working on her second novel and a compilation of erotica stories to present a total lesbian anthology.

Most of my readers should know by know that I am a HUGE fan of support. This is the only reason that Sweet Tooth Media exists. So I couldn't help but ask Kesha, who are her biggest fans and supporters. Ms. Pride concluded our session with humbleness and appreciation of the support she receives. She says she loves the love she receives from her reader's, members of the LGBT communities in Houston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York and other parts of the country. She says "the love is way more that I expected." She sends special recognition to Amuse Bouche Entertainment and K. Dapree of Heart & Soul. I confer with her as I have had the pleasure of working with both entities. She states that her friends have taken on this project full force and she is honored and happy to have them in her life. She shouts out Stacy, Kimmie, Kaze, Phyllis, Lisa, Tonya, and Brandee, "You ROCK!"

"Books support us in our solitude and keep us from being a burden to ourselves"         -Jeremy Collier
You can find out more about Kesha Pride and order TAKING A CHANCE AT LOVE at http://www.keshapride.com/

"Buzzworthy Cravings, Creatively Satisfied!"