An About Face [Perfect Paperback]

M.W. Moore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2009

The final years of prison don t get any easier for former NCAA track athlete Miguel Morris as forces still try to derail his hopes for early freedom. He s still tested by guards, fellow inmates and the bruising sun as he slaves like a farmhand in the work fields. But now, he s trying to avoid similar mistakes due to unresolved sexual addictions. In March 2005, he s paroled and finds employment in less than a month. Ultimately, he hits pay dirt when an Internet design firm hires him as a technician despite a felony conviction for six Texas bank robberies. He later attempts a relationship with Jasmine, leaving behind wounded ex-lover and confidante Lazlo that causes embers to fly. Notwithstanding financial success, he relearns the brutality of the free world when jealous colleagues Carlton and Eva hurl sexual innuendos and threaten him with blackmail, thus jeopardizing his attempt at love. In addition, a contemptible parole officer clamps down on his travels to promote his artwork, a therapeutic passion. Despite obstacles, Miguel is determined to live proudly and make An About Face.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

M.W. Moore began writing while incarcerated in 1997, serving a 15-year prison term for several bank robberies. An About Face is the final installment of a trilogy that tracks his turbulent life from youth to adulthood. The previous releases, For What I Hate I Do (2006) and Internal Chaos (2008), are part of the semi-fictional storyline of protagonist Miguel, whose life closely mirrors that of the author. The three novels detail the conflicts, consequences of sexual addictions, drug binges and imprisonment suffered by Moore, who grew up in a respectable middle-class community. A promising life for the former NCAA track and field champion ran aground due to habitual vices that impaired his judgment. Moore attended universities in Texas and Mississippi, where he studied industrial technology and competed in the 200- and 400-meter runs. He continues to compete in the Masters division with Houston Elite Track Club. He s now a successful writer and Rig Solution Specialist in the oil and gas industry. The third of five children, Moore still resides in his native Houston with his family.

Product Details

• Perfect Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: M.W. Moore Publications; First edition (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977611620
• ISBN-13: 978-0977611621
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,462,582 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Demons Within, December 31, 2009

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An About Face (Perfect Paperback)

AN ABOUT FACE takes the reader into the mindset and the struggles of a homosexual man. Miguel Morris, an ex-con, is well aware of his sexual proclivities, but tries relentlessly to cross to the other side. As he is tormented internally by his demons, Carlton, a co-worker with revenge on his agenda, makes the task even more daunting. His underhanded antics seem to meet Miguel at every turn, until Miguel decides that he's had enough. Will Carlton's tactics cause Miguel to break?

Miguel finds himself attracted to Jasmine, another co-worker, who is unable to accept him as more than a platonic friend once his past is revealed. He desperately wants to pursue a relationship with her, but knows deep inside that he is straddling the fence. Can Miguel really change his ways?

Mr. Morris draws the readers into this interesting and informative saga that makes the readers ultimately appreciate the tug of war that goes on in the minds of many homosexuals. It is obvious his writing comes from a very real place. The third book in a trilogy, AN ABOUT FACE, is an excellent read.

Reviewed by Marcia Brevard Wynn
for The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read., August 20, 2009

By 

H. Austin "Book Howard" (Montgomery, Al) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: An About Face (Perfect Paperback)

This was a great read just as the first two books you published.
Keep up the good work as I look forward to reading more of your work.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A bad soap opera., July 7, 2009

By 

Prometheus (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An About Face (Perfect Paperback)

AN ABOUT FACE is a bad soap opera, pure and simple. Given the very strong (but technically challenging) autobiographical first novel, FOR I HATE WHAT I DO and the forgettable INTERNAL CHAOS, I was expecting some personal insight and self-assessment by the author in the final book of the trilogy. I was unprepared for this over-the-top soap opera that bore little resemblance to his first (and best) book. It was like a dreadful E. Lynn Harris novel, but worse.

I was hoping he would share what he learned from his addiction and recovery; his incarceration, and potential challenges in returning to civilian life. Those arcs were completely absent in this book. I was looking for some self-assessment, introspection, and plans for moving forward with his life. What I found were repeated references to the type of car he drove, his fashionable apartment, the trendy restaurants, the designer clothes he (or others) wore, or the co-workers who wanted to do him in. I had zero interest in these details which lessened the impact and cheapened the novel. The story, such as it was, meanders through various false starts, incomplete scenes, and unbelievable interactions. Many scenes stretch beyond credibility; including the one where his co-worker visits the parole officer and the ludicrous lunch meeting that occurs with the principals. But then, looking back, it was perfectly acceptable if you view the novel as a bargain bin soap opera.

I wanted to know more about Mr. Moore/Miguel; especially why he struggles with his sexuality; why he would throw his best friend (who's interested in dating him) under the bus and announce he's no longer dating men. Mr. Moore erroneously implies that being gay is equated with misery and unhappiness - a theme that, unfortunately, is never explored. He somehow believes that by dating women, his life will be better. His denial about his sexuality and his steadfastness to have a relationship with a female was fascinating, but not fully explored. This may be one of the reasons he's finding life so challenging: he cannot fully accept the fact that he's a gay man and he's attracted to other men. Women ARE attractive, sexy, smart, flirtatious, funny, etc. but a gay man to fool himself into having a long-term relationship with one is comical if it wasn't so sad. Mr. Moore/Miguel has learned nothing over all these years.

I honestly hope that Mr. Moore has moved past his issues with his sexuality and embraces who HE is. Mr. Moore doesn't reveal anything about what he learned through all these years and I'm unsure, now, if he's even comfortable with, or accepts, his own sexuality.