Life is what you make it, darlin' [Paperback]

Marlene Taylor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2000

Bruce and Jackie have the perfect hookup. He's a pilot. She's a doctor. They live in a good neighborhood, in a beautiful house, and after jet-setting around for few years, have settled down into a bucolic life as mother and father of twins girls. Bruce: A man with a dark past, holding back a secret from his long time wife. Jackie: A black woman who follows her heart, thinking she's found the perfect man for her. What's wrong with this picture?

Life Is What You Make It, Darlin sizzles the G-spot as a good old-fashioned romance as told today: Erotic, Spicy, Enticing. This is a how-to manual about surviving the ups and downs of love in a day where nothing seems to last forever. This is an endearing portrayal of a young married couple working through a difficult time. *Warning: contains sexually explicit material.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Be ready to be lulled into perfect relaxation as you read about a thing called love; good old-fashioned romance as told today: Erotic, Spicy, Enticing, and at times Crazy love. -- E. Lynn Harris

We could all learn something about love and commitment from Bruce and Jackie, if only we listened more with our hearts. -- Seeds of Pearl Magazine

From the Author

It came as a pleasant surprise when I read the first comments of one book reviewer who said; "Love scenes are Taylor's specialty". This was good, especially since my goal in writing this book was to give women a mental break by providing a light-hearted, erotic yet smart, love story. I wrote Life Is What You Make It, Darlin' in hopes of giving a gentle wake-up call to people, African-American couples in particular; in regards to the importance of maintaining soulful, loving, intimate relationships. In this age of no-fault, where couples can be divorced in less time than it takes to get from their kid's graduation in June to the first day of school in September, means that individuals must take it upon themselves to stop and think, to do a little soul searching. I learned this from my own hard-won lesson. When I was married, I was firmly grounded in the belief that it would last; that come what may, my husband and I would always be together, that we'd always, no matter what, work things out. Wellthat didn't happen; mainly because we were both moving at the speed of thought rather than at the speed of soulful, intuitive feeling. Knowing what you want out of life is the first step toward getting it. But, keeping on the straight and narrow, keeping your eye on the sparrow, taking the road less traveled; is not an easy task. While Life Is What You Make It, Darlin' can be seen as a metaphor to people looking for answers to a better relationship, it is also meant to be funny, erotic, and easy-going. The latter term being the most important aspect in any relationship. I certainly hope this book does much to help spread the joy of sensual, loving relationships wherein people realize that life is exactly what you make it. This is what I hope for you, dear reader. Feel free to send me a note or to ask a question.

The best of luck to you and keep love in your heart!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Oshun Dynasty Pubns (May 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967767903
• ISBN-13: 978-0967767901
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,648,636 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Kind of Leaves You Hanging, August 26, 2000

By 

kendari2 (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life is what you make it, darlin' (Paperback)

This debut novel from Marlene Taylor, could have had the makings of a 4 or even 5 star novel, but it was so rushed that I felt 3 stars was all I could give. At times while reading this book I had to stop and figure out where we were in the past or present. I did not like the fact that Bruces "problem" was only mentioned a couple of times in the book and then when he finally mustered up the nerve to tell Jackie about it-we didn't even get to hear what he said to her. The book would have been a hit with me, with the exception that I felt alot of information was left out. Continued success and blessing to Marlene Taylor. Peace!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Wish There Were More, July 17, 2000

By 

Joan Dauphine (Ypsilanti, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life is what you make it, darlin' (Paperback)

I had the opportunity to have met Marlene at the 91st annual NAACP Conference recently, I purchased her book there. I devoured the book in one day. I only have one criticism of what could have been a great novel, it was to short, 152 pages was in my opinion not enough. I wanted to know more about Bruce's drug addiction, and do not feel a brief mention of it on pg.42 was sufficient. Even when he finally has the nerve to tell Jackie, the author does not create the dialogue he uses to tell her, but instead describes briefly (in four sentences) the relief he feels once he has told her. Marlene you are indeed a good writer, however I wish the book was longer and addressed issues in greater depth.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars And the point of this book was...?, January 21, 2001

By 

J.C. Wallington "jnettefrommi" (Detroit, MI) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Life is what you make it, darlin' (Paperback)

I wondered where was the author going with this story? What did she want reader to get from this book? How come she did not finish the book? It was only 154 pages so it wasn't too long, or did she get bored with it like the rest of us?Bruce secret was the driving force. It was the cause of his behaviors. He got help for it, but what was it. I have two thoughts as to what the secret was, but I won't spoil it for the other readers or it there is a sequel.