Sellout [Paperback]

James W. Lewis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 7, 2010

People who date interracially are often called traitors to their own kind. Self-haters. Sellouts.

Loan Officer Tammy McDonald has just come out of another failed relationship with a wannabe thug. To break this destructive pattern, she leaves her home city of Dallas for San Diego. As she settles in rainbow California, fantasies of meeting an ebony prince fade, so she eyes Dale Bristol as a potential ivory replacement.

Terrell Jackson is San Diego's only black optometrist. Women regularly drop in for more than just eye exams, but he stays true to his girl Tasha until a wet dream unleashes a ridiculous outburst. Fed up with her jealous fits, he denounces the common "dedramanators" in his life-black women.

Even though Penelope Miller was raised in the South by a racist father once affiliated with the KKK, she can't ignore her attraction to black men. But she never expected to fall in love with one...nor did she expect her "interracial felony" to threaten their lives.

SELLOUT follows these three individuals and the consequences of dating outside their race. In the quest to find what they think is missing in their lives, they encounter guilt, fear and mess they never anticipated...including murder.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Hello all and thank you for checking out my page!
 
SELLOUT is my debut novel about three individuals--a black woman, black man and white woman--facing the consequences of interracial dating. I've found that people sometimes have strong reasons for dating outside the race, which include negative stereotypes (i.e., black men are players). I once knew a black man who was in the middle of divorcing a black woman and he told me he would never date another black woman again. I thought that was sad and interesting at the same time.
 
I wanted to explore the root cause of the characters' racial dating decisions by delving deep into their psyches. What makes a person completely ostracize their own race and "jump the fence?" SELLOUT answers those questions.
 
Hope you enjoy it!
--James W. Lewis

About the Author

James W. Lewis is a novelist and freelance writer published in several books. After spending twenty years in the Navy, James retired from active duty and now moonlights as an assistant personal trainer at a local university while completing his studies in Kinesiology. --James W. Lewis

Product Details

• Paperback: 292 pages
• Publisher: The Pantheon Collective (TPC) (June 7, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0982719302
• ISBN-13: 978-0982719305
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #390,664 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

JAMES W. LEWIS is a novelist and freelance writer published in several books that include Zane's Caramel Flava, Chicken Soup for the Soul (two series), Gumbo for the Soul, Truth Be Told: Tales of Life, Love and Drama and Don't Forget your Pepper Spray. Magazine credits include 3AM Magazine, Eyeshot, Dare Magazine, Naptural Roots Magazine, Lucrezia Magazine, Circle Magazine, Rundu Bedtime Stories and American Fitness Magazine. His debut novel SELLOUT launched in July 2010 and second novel A HARD MAN IS GOOD TO FIND in July 2011.

James won the 2011 National Black Book Festival Best New Author award for his debut novel SELLOUT (July 2010). He also won the African American fiction category in the International Book Awards and placed as a finalist in the 2011 Global Ebook Awards and 2011 Indie Excellence Awards. He's also a managing partner of the publishing company The Pantheon Collective.

After spending twenty years in the Navy, James retired from active duty and is now completing his studies in Kinesiology, hoping to eventually attend graduate school to study Physical Therapy. In addition to writing, he loves to DJ and has a collection of over 300 vinyl records.

In his spare time, James does extensive volunteer work at a local veterans assistance center and Boys & Girls Club.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What is a Sellout?, July 21, 2010

By 

Urban Diva "S.C" (Atlanta, Ga) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sellout (Paperback)

I have often said to myself when I see a black man with a white woman...Why? This is a question I believe we all as black women have ask ourselves. Now that I have a 19 year old son I think about this more, he is a college student and dates white and black women. Me as a mother would love for him to marry a black woman...but his happiness is all that really matters..I quess.

Well James W. Lewis did a wonderful job with this book... So after dealing with the tired/no good brothers who have cheated and hurt us time and time again enough to make a sister date a white man? Is she a Sellout if she does? And what about our black men who get tired of the black woman drama with her guards up, jealous, and not trusting is that enough to make him date only white women? Does that make him a Sellout? What about the white woman who only dates black men? Sellout? And lets not forget about the white man who thinks and acts like a black man and loves black women? Is he a Sellout?

But this book is so much more...I read it in a day because I could not put it down. It takes a turn that I did not expect and actually has you on edge. I dont want to give anything away because its a must read. I'm glad that I read this book because it hits home in so many ways...I tell my son all the time when dating white women "just because she likes you doesnt mean her father does".

This book actually made me think more about the word Sellout...does it actually mean racist? Can we actually be prejudice against our own? What a great job James W. Lewis...I wish you much success and I will always be a fan!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Whole Lot of Something Going On, August 3, 2010

By 

Teresa Beasley (Indianapolis,IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sellout (Paperback)

Sellout, the debut novel by James W. Lewis, introduces readers to four individuals who discover issues that come with dating outside of their race. Tammy McDonald is a well-to-do loan officer who cannot find the right man. When she meets Dale Bristol, it seems her luck just might turn around. Terrell Jackson is a prominent black optometrist that has gotten fed up with his girlfriend's crazy rantings and accusations. He decides it is time he crossed over to the other side. Will he stay or will a chance encounter change his mind?

Penelope Miller is falling in love with the guy of her dreams, but she has one problem, he is of another race. Will her family be able to accept it? Dedrick has developed feelings for the perfect woman and everything is going well in their relationship. He decides to surprise her but soon realizes that he is the one being surprised. Dedrick will then have to make a speedy decision on whether his woman is worth all that comes with her. These individuals have more in common than they believe and when the tide turns, readers will not believe what happens.

Sellout is a book that takes interracial dating to another level. It has unexpected twists that readers will not see coming and suspense that is out of this world. The author's creative way of linking these individuals and couples made for an exciting book. Sellout is very entertaining and will keep readers on the edge of their seats. I definitely recommend this book to others.

This book was provided by the author for review purposes.

Teresa Beasley

APOOO BookClub

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars On the fence, June 19, 2011

By 

krichie (New York) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sellout (Kindle Edition)

I didn't love this story, but I didn't hate it either. I could see why Terrell and Tammy felt the way that they did about dating within their race, but it was surely an ironic twist of fate that they were together in the end. I guess what I didn't like about the book was the overabundance of the race issue. The constant use of the N word, racist remarks about Mexicans, and white people as well. I just wish it would have focused more on the relationships, and not just black men serial dating white women. After a while the constant degradation just became annoying to me.