If There Be Pain [Paperback]

Gloria Mallette (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2006

From acclaimed author Gloria Mallette comes a story of a man living his wildest dreams and confronting his worst nightmares.

Kyle Lawson has everything--a beautiful house in Brooklyn, a successful business, and more women than most men encounter in a lifetime. Yet marriage is nowhere on his horizon, despite pressure from his mother and several of his girlfriends. But just when Kyle thinks things couldn't get any better, his life takes a turn for the worse--a whole lot worse.

After the death of his Native American grandfather, Kyle begins experiencing terrifying dreams that leave him in both physical and mental pain. As if the dreams--or nightmares--weren't bad enough, his mother is pressuring him to stop screwing around, his gay sister wants him to impregnate her life partner, and several of his lovers decide he's the one.

Desperate to regain control of his life, Kyle seeks the advice of a tarot reader, who warns him that danger lies in one of his lovers. Kyle thinks severing all ties with his women will end his problems, but he quickly learns life is not that simple, and if he wants to live, he has to get himself together--or die trying.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gloria Mallette is the author of six novels. She lives in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, with her husband and son. She is hard at work on her next book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 310 pages
• Publisher: Dafina (December 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758211597
• ISBN-13: 978-0758211590
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,848,268 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nationally acclaimed award winning author GLORIA MALLETTE began her true literary journey by self-publishing her second novel Shades of Jade in April of 2000. By July and 13,000 sold copies later, Gloria signed on with Random House who re-released Shades of Jade in 2001. Shades of Jade made several best sellers lists, including Black Board, Essence Magazine, The Dallas Morning News, and The Washington Post/Washington is Also Reading listing.

Gloria has been featured in The New York Daily News, USAToday, ToDay's Black Woman, Upscale Magazine, and The Pocono Record. Gloria also has a featured novella, Come Tomorrow, on the USAToday website.

To her credit, Gloria now has ten published titles including the newly released SASSY; Weeping Willows Dance; and Living, Breathing Lies winner of the National Best Book 2007 Award and the 2008 Indie Excellence Award.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Self-centered and Egotistical Make a Poor Excuse of a Man, March 24, 2007

By 

M. Ball "Book lover" (Kc,mo) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: If There Be Pain (Paperback)

In If There Be Pain, Gloria Mallette writes a tale of a man who thinks that he has his life under control. Kyle thinks that by giving the ladies who he uses as sex objects gifts, he is doing alright by them, and that they are getting a deal. After all, he his very nice looking. Kyle does not respect any of the women in his life, not even his mother. He emotionally and physically deserts his mother when she needs him most. When his Native American grandfather, who has always supported him, becomes ill and is no longer of any use to Kyle, he makes himself scarce , leaving his grandfather feeling abandoned. Everyone, from his parents to his friends, has tried to get the selfish Kyle to grow up.

After his grandfather dies, he is plagued with nightmares and visits a tarot reader to try and find out the meaning behind the nightmares. The tarot card reader tries to warn him, but Kyle still refuses to examine his life and does not believe that his women could have a problem with him.

Kyle was so selfish that I wanted to jump into the book and shake him. I could not find one reason to like Kyle nor could I like any of the women in this book. Hated characters make for memorable books, but I do want to have at least one character to sympathize with but I found none in this offering. But, on the other hand, I did enjoy reading this book . Women that have potentially selfish sons would benefit from reading this novel; maybe it could help to steer them in the right direction.


Reviewed by Margaret Ball
APOOO BookClub

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awakening!, November 29, 2006

By 

Cheryl Robinson "Just About Books Radio Talk ... (www.JustAboutBooksTalkShow.com Mon 9PM -EST) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: If There Be Pain (Paperback)

If There be Pain serves as a wake-up call and a reality check for men and women, who use the opposite sex for personal gains. Kyle Lawson was wrapped up in "his world" and did not care about anyone--his family, his best friend, his employees--and especially not the many women in his life. He did not care about how anyone felt, as long as he felt good. He did not care about the pain that he caused others, as long as he felt good. His life motto: If there be pain--oh, well! Kyle used many women, but dated three main women. Kyle was recklessly leading his life down a path of total destruction. Then his grandfather died. He was very close to the Native American Shaman. His grandfather came to him repeatedly in painfully real dreams--to get Kyle to see the dangers of his lifestyle. Kyle seemed to never truly understand and learn from his life lessons. Kyle and death had a face-to-face encounter! But he continued to treat women with disrespect and his grandfather knew that he had not learned from his pain and his wrongs. Kyle learned almost too late that to do what is right takes strength of mind and character. Mallette takes us on a nightmarish tale that startles the reader into reality!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "This compelling story is gripping and provokes deep reflection.", December 20, 2006

By 

Books2Mention Magazine "Editor" (www.Books2Mention.com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: If There Be Pain (Paperback)

"If There Be Pain is a fabulous read. This compelling story is gripping and provokes deep reflection."

"Kyle Lawson is living a wonderful life. He is a successful business owner, attractive and a ladies man. Everything is going great until Kyle's grandfather dies and begins appearing in his dreams. Eventually those dreams turn into nightmares."

"Kyle's business begins to suffer, his relationships are unraveling and the three women he is intimately involved with begin to cause havoc in his life."

"Desperate to stop his nightmares he seeks help from a surprising source. This unfortunately opens Pandora's box and will change his life forever."

"Gloria Mallette has written an enticing suspenseful read."