A Deeper Love [Paperback]

Shonia Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 4, 2002

Coffee will make you black. Beauty is skin deep. The brown paper bag test. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You're too dark to wear bright colors.The mind is a powerful thing. Developing negative thoughts through what the mind receives can be detrimental to any human being. Paula Travis knows this well because most of her childhood she heard words that destroyed her self-esteem, and her self-love. She grew up believing that because of her skin color she was not worthy to love herself or to be loved by another, until Angel. Angela Reynolds, known to her friends as Angel is an aspiring writer, who works for a local Atlanta theatre company. During a season that people consider the most joyous and loving time of the year, Angel finds herself at a lesbian bar on Christmas Eve soaking her wounds in rounds of Cape Cods. Her lover of two years has dumped her. Angel never expected to meet Paula Travis that night, a woman who would change her world forever. Through this brief encounter, Paula and Angel begin a new relationship and journey towards a deeper love. With the help of a few friends, these two women search for a place in their hearts and minds where negative beliefs no longer exist and only love prevails.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Shonia Brown is a native Atlantan who began her writing career at the young age of 10 with several notebook binders of the tales of an all black soap opera, and romance novels. Later in life she recognized there was a need to tell a different kind of story, when she realized she was also a part of another community. She knew that the black lesbian and gay male didn?t always have a true identity in literature, and wanted to be apart of the revolution that would change this, and thus began to create her first lesbian novel. In addition to writing novels, Shonia is also a professional technical writer, and entrepreneur. She has always tried to acknowledge the blessings that God has bestowed upon her by sharing these gifts with others. It is through her experiences that Shonia has realized how important it is to encourage the love of reading, and to help others bring together their talents for the total success of all those involved and effected by these alliances.

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: IUniverse (July 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595233775
• ISBN-13: 978-0595233779
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,916,113 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Love at its Greatest, May 18, 2005

By 

Marian E. "www.bettmarr.com" (Central Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Deeper Love (Paperback)

Angela (a.k.a Angel) Reynolds is on the rebound when as fate would have it she meets Paula Travis. Paula also is recovering from a broken heart and despite their strong attraction towards one another; she proceeds with the utmost of caution. Being leery of love is not Paula's only hang up, her family has yet to learn of her sexual orientation. Paula's inability to admit to the world around her who she is, does bother the openly gay Angel, but in the name of love, she is willing to make this compromise. At this juncture, Ms. Brown raises the question, exactly what sacrifices and compromises are any of us willing to make for the sake of love? Where should one draw the line?
Finding herself alone during the holiday season, Angel soon discovers where she'll draw the line as she wades through her own feelings of abandonment. All she ever wanted was to love and be loved in return. In her solitude, introspection stirs a new and more confident Angel. By looking into herself, she finds what can only come from within, "A Deeper Love."
Although the story has an air of sadness about it, somewhere around page 100 I began to take delight in it, in the way that I would at the first signs of spring, following a long and harsh winter. Ms. Brown's writing style shows strength and in her bio she proclaims to be a voice representing the Gay community. In general, she is a welcomed voice and shows great promise. While not quite lyrical she has a talent for good lines like, "My heart and face ached, and somewhere deep within my misery, I heard the pitter patter of rain outside my window." The aspect of creating a real sense of sexual tension between Angel and Paula was well done and could be felt right to the core. I anticipate Ms. Brown's following will continue to grow as her readers eagerly await her next release and I wish her much success.

Marian E.
APOOO BookClub

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Simplistic writing is one thing, but..., March 7, 2004

By 

Lady C. (NC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Deeper Love (Paperback)

...just plain bad grammar and careless mechanical errors are another. I had a hard time muddling through this book, for the countless compositional mistakes were extremely distracting; the "reading experience" practically becomes ruined. Honestly, I'm not even sure how this novel made it past the presses with such slipshod work.

In my opinion, one does not need anything akin to a magnifying glass or a college degree in order to detect said mistakes -- they practically jump out at you from the page.

It's a shame that this story becomes overpowered by typographical errors, for its message contains positive, inspirational themes regarding self-esteem and spirituality. Oddly enough, Brown's writing seems to come alive (and error-free) during the intimate love scenes, of which I did thoroughly enjoy. But after the thrill has gone, the reader is left cold again with stale writing, a rushed ending, and even more typos.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gay Black Female Magazine Review, April 26, 2004

By 

Shameal Nelson (Atlanta, Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Deeper Love (Paperback)

Love is supposed to be gentle and kind. Sometimes we experience what we think is love but that love can be a (...). It can drag you so far down you have to look up to see the bottom. Just when you think that love won't ever be good for you, you see light at the end of the tunnel. Then you are able to experience, "A Deeper Love".
In this novel we meet Angel. A young aspiring writer, who has just been dumped during the holidays by her long-time girlfriend for a white woman. All she wants to do id drawn her sorrows in drink. What she finds instead is the woman of her dreams, Paula.
On the outside, Paula appears to be a very positive confident woman who exudes sexuality. On the inside she is filled with lurking insecurities of love and a color complex. Angel and Paula soon go on a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows but eventfully wind up coming full circle.
Shonia Brown, an Atlanta writer, pours out her heart and soul throughout the pages of her first novel. She takes her readers on a journey of heartbreak, hope, love, self-discovery and forgiveness.
"A Deeper Love" examines the complexities of love in lesbian relationships and friendships. It takes you into the psyche of being a black lesbian who deals with a gay male friend's destructive behavior, the color lines that construct fences throughout relationships, and that familiar structure that can help make or break a relationship. It keeps you wanting more because it's sexual, sensual, thought provoking, and humorous.
As soon as I opened this novel, I was hooked. I advise everyone to go out and get this book ASAP. (...)