Interview with Tamika
1. How did you get your start in this business/industry?
In February 2008 I was sitting on the bed watching my husband pack for his second tour to Iraq. Already staying in a new city of San Antonio, I felt alone and bored. I simply stated to him I wish I was in a book club. Just out of nowhere in that instance an idea of starting a MySpace page and to post up books I read came across my mind. I thought it would be a great idea to just talk with people over the internet. In that same month I started to get emails from authors I had never heard of who wanted me to read their books. I said to myself, wait I should read their books and post my thoughts on them. Not knowing that it was going to grow into something so large. This is how African Americans on the Move Book Club were birthed. I later birthed AAMBC Radio and Delphine Publications.
2. Did you have any formal business training?
I had absolutely no business training. I didn’t know anything about blogs, book reviews, how to publish, how to market, or any of that. I started with posting up my views on the author’s book and I asked people to read them. I believe this totally came from God’s doing. I was blessed to have met so many authors through MySpace and learn from all of them all at once.
3. What separates you and your firm from the competition?
I honestly didn’t know of any other format when I started my company. So the fact that I launched something clueless to the industry excites me. The ideas and concepts I started in which I continue to do all began when I knew nothing or no one. So the fact that I based a lot of my early works just from brainstorming separates me from the rest. Not to say I am original but I am not duplicated.
4. How would you describe your experience as a Entrepreneur?
Being an entrepreneur is tuff, time consuming, and adventurous. You take complete control and meet so many people. To think that I am here in this position is a blessing because I didn’t start to read novels until 2006. But I was always a writer since the day I could write a sentence. Being your own boss has its blessings and sometimes I find myself so obsessed over my work that I can’t stop. Ideas come one after the other. So I enjoy being an entrepreneur because I control my destiny. Well me and God that is.
5. What do you like most about your profession?
I design my concepts, I promote my concepts, I develop my concepts, and I can stop when I want to. I enjoy having control over what I do, when I do it, and how.
6. What is your biggest challenge in business? How did you overcome it?
My biggest challenge is that with success come trials and tribulations. I am a fan of myself but somewhere down the road you meet others who are not. It can be because of what you do, what you’ve accomplished and so forth. I use that as my motivation. So how I overcome the negativity is to use it as my gas to keep it moving. A business such as any other industry requires tuff skin so I put mines on and my game face and I enjoy my works.
7. What advice would you give someone just starting out in your industry?
To never enter an industry you don’t know anything about. I know that’s funny seeing as though I was an ammeter when I started. Thing is I took a crash course and learned the industry through others and research. Google is a great engine. Use it. Go to seminars and conferences and speak to veteran authors. Always research and as long as you’re living there is always something to learn.
8. What do you hope to offer your clients or customers to shape their lives?
I hope to give people I work with skills and knowledge. Anyone can show you how to do it but learning it for yourself empowers you. Within AAMBC I give authors exposure and I explain how to self promote. On my radio show I offer authors the opportunity to speak on the things they love while exposing themselves to potential readers. With my publishing house, Delphine Publications, I teach my authors how to hustle and grind. If you love who you are you would work as hard as you can to make sure you reach your highest potential and, even then, shoot for more.
9. What are 3 things all leaders possess?
A Strong foundation, common sense, and a creative mind.
10. How does your mission or vision keep your business growing?
I simply want to help others. My mission is to expose the independent writer so that they too can have a national fan base. Although I do converse and speak to national best sellers my main focus is the new authors. Because of this I have grown in more ways than I could ever imagine. I expect my reach for my company to reach more than triple the current reach within the next year with keeping the same mission and goals. When we started I could count the amount of members AAMBC had and with our new website I am able to keep track of over 1200 members worldwide.
11. Tell us about the people you help. How is your organization or company impacting the public? What social issues or causes do you want to address?
The authors I connect with on a daily bases are usually new authors on their first book or have recently self published and want more exposure. I offer them that. The purpose of getting your book exposed is very important. You want your name and novel to become a familiar product. My goal is to help them become more familiar. Some issues that occur are when an author knows to little about the industry and marketing. It can delay the process of promoting their novel. All authors must know that they have to self promote whether they are with a publisher or not. I always state that the author must self promote and do a lot of research. This is always important to any writer who wants a long term career in writing.
12. What's new in your company?
AAMBC has become more active in virtual tours since last spring; our radio show has a consistent concept with on average two shows a week. We started annual events such as Holiday Book Bash, Valentine Showcases, Virtual Book Release Parties, Holiday Book Drive, College Scholarship Fund, April is our Poetry Month, and we have our annual conference which will make its home in Dallas starting in 2011. AAMBC Radio has a new co-host Anna Black who is also signed to my label Delphine Publications. I am constantly thinking and developing new concepts and online events for our members. I will never rest I know that for sure.
Bio:
Tamika Newhouse is the Award Winning-Best Selling author of The Ultimate No No. She is also known as the creator and President of African Americans on the Move Book Club, which is an online book club catering to avid readers across the nation. She is currently the CEO of Delphine Publications and literary consultant. In March 2009 Tamika was announced the Women of the Year by Alive Magazine and nominated as Best Radio Personality by the Black Book Clubs Rock Awards. She recently won Author of the Year with African American Literary Awards.
Tamika can be heard on the syndicated AAMBC Radio, where she interviews new and seasoned authors. The show showcases many of the author’s talents and their current projects.
Tamika created the national tour group called Literary Sistah's, where she and authors tour all over the nation. She is currently living in San Antonio with her husband son, and daughter and attends University of Texas. She is currently working on her third novel Cookie: A Fort Worth Story and plans to release her fourth novel He was a Bad Idea following Cookie.
The Book:
Synopsis:
When Dahlia decides to get even with a man, named Troy, who broke her heart she thinks of a master plan. To her dismay after asking Nitrah, her best friend to help her get even, she falls in love with Troy. Not only does this cause a huge rift, the ladies must soon face the fact that they both have lied and their secrets will unveil. Troy thinks he has finally found true love with Nitrah but what will happen when he finds out their relationship is based on a lie. This novel includes, love, sex, deceit, and betrayal. Five characters tell the story as they see it. Learn what The Ultimate NO NO is when it comes to love.
Excerpt:
I only wanted a quick fix, and now I’m stuck on what to do next. It’s been three long years and nothing but pure, unadulterated drama. I hadn’t expected things to turn out the way they did, especially since my friendships were on the line. But, no, I had to say yes, and commit to something I knew I would regret. All I wanted to do was help my friend. Dahlia approached me with this bright idea, but I didn’t expect it to go as far as it did. What she asked me to do was like nothing I’d ever done before. At first, I thought it would be harmless. You know that “pay back is a bitch” kind of thing. Yeah, right!
My subject was Troy, short for Troyon—local gigolo of Fort Worth and the headmaster of heartbreak. You see, he’d hurt so many women, including Dahlia, we wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine. However, Troy Washington was no joke. Yet, my girls and I needed to break him down a little. Teach him a lesson. He needed to know how it felt to be cheated on, to have a broken heart, to have his mind twisted and, definitely, he had to know how it felt to love a cheater. Why was I the chosen one? It beats the hell out of me. But, just call me Superwoman; always coming to the aid of my girlfriends, who somehow always found themselves in some shit.
Troy had a brother, Robert, and a best friend, Tim. Although they hung out with Troy, they weren’t heartbreakers. Now, I still don’t know why my girls chose me to do their dirty work nor do I know why I suckered up and agreed to do it. However, there was one thing I did know, if nothing else. I knew I was playing with fire. Still, in the end it could have helped plenty of women. Okay, at least that’s what I kept telling myself.
From the kiss to the fight, from Dahlia’s screams to the truth being revealed; I constantly shake my head at this whole mess, and thinking about everything that happened, simply because my dumb ass said yes. Ugh! I used to hear my friend’s laughter when thinking about the old days; what I would do to get those days back. How we would go to the lake and pull phone numbers. Get our hair done and buy new outfits, simply to impress. Nevertheless, as I sigh heavily, I realize that all changed the moment I said yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. The three-letter word ended up being the death sentence for our friendship. All of our lives changed. I just didn’t know if it was for the best or for the worst.
Fort Worth, May 2002
“So who in the hell made you the queen of all queens and allowed you to tell us what to do?” Jazzaray asked while laughing. Jazzaray was my youngest friend out of the group. Still in school, working at Lapetite Academy, and so badly wanting to move out of her mama’s house. That was me about a year ago.
“I graduated too, and I want to hit up Club MP3,” Dahlia demanded. Dahlia was my very best friend. I was the peanut butter and she was the jelly. You rarely saw one without the other. Dahlia earned her degree in criminal justice, but just like Jazzaray, she struggled with what she wanted to do with her life. So for now, she was a medical assistant. Something she hated to do, but it paid her bills.
It was my college graduation party and I made an effort to keep things going my way. “Well, I just want us girls out tonight. I mean, we always hit up some club,” I argued. I had just completed my degree and could now do everything I ever wanted, and that was to become a teacher.
“I know why you don’t want to go. Y’all know Denim is going to be at the club. I think it’s his night to spin records,” my friend Charmaine joked. Charmaine was the most responsible one out of the group—she kept us in check—and when we were about to fight or get into it with someone, she held our purses. Never was she the one to start a confrontation.
“Oh hell no! Don’t even go there, Charmaine. Denim is my ex so, of course, I don’t want to see him; it’s only been a while. I mean, damn, can’t we just have a girl’s night?” I yelled.
“Oh, she is cussing now so that means it’s true,” Jazzaray joked.
“Here we go again,” I mumbled.
Dahlia and Charmaine were laughing but my spirit was mingled with them mentioning Denim. He was my high school sweetheart until a month ago. I thought we would be married by now but, then again, we both couldn’t stay faithful to each other. He would usually spin records at many of the Fort Worth and Dallas clubs, and Club MP3 was one of the main clubs where he would spin. I figured tonight would be no different; I just knew he would be there.
“Okay, I will admit he is spinning tonight but hell, we just called it quits so why would I want to see him tonight, of all the nights, why tonight?” I debated.
“Okay, you right, so let’s just go rolling on Miller and just chill,” Dahlia suggested in my defense.
“Fine, let’s go. You know on Sundays it’s always somebody out on Miller and then we can hit up Arlington Lake,” Charmaine added.
On Sundays, we knew where to be and why to be there. We wanted to be seen, and wanted to make sure we were at the places with the most guys. Now don’t get me wrong. We are all young, beautiful educated ladies but, from time to time, we like to get a few phone numbers. Nothing wrong with that, right?
When we got to the lake we saw a lot of potential new boyfriends—one for Charmaine, Dahlia, Jazzaray, and me. Dahlia was the light-skinned female out of the click, while I was the blackberry. Both Jazzaray and Charmaine were caramel brown. Don’t get me wrong. Even though I was the darkest, I got much play with the men, plus my confidence stood out. We were all trim-shaped model types but conservative and laid back. I guess you can say we all got along great because we were more like true sisters than we were friends. I have my own siblings but these were my girls, my own set of relief from my everyday family.
Before I knew it, Dahlia had spotted some trouble and, as usual, she was eager to jump in someone’s face. Why does she always have to start some mess, I thought.
“Look at that bitch, Sarah,” Dahlia yelled over the crowd. “I have been waiting for her to show up.”
Realizing whom she was talking about, I saw Sarah, the woman who was now sleeping next to the man I had been with for years.
“We aren’t about to fight out here, I just got my hair done,” Jazzaray declared.
Sarah was my enemy, but we all hated her equally. “You don’t have anything to say, Nitrah? That hoe took your man of six years, let’s go kick her ass.”
“I don’t have much to say to her. You know I was messing with Kenneth anyway,” I said.
“I’m going to kick her ass anyway. Come on y’all,” Dahlia said, pulling my arm. As usual, Jazzaray and Charmaine were down and followed suit, and since he was my ex man I had to put my A game on and get ready to fight. I didn’t hate Sarah, but then again she was sleeping with Denim, while I held cold sheets at night.
As we walked toward Sarah, I thought, Dahlia is about to start some shit again, damn. What am I doing over here?
Sarah saw us approaching. She had one lonely friend with her—it was Kia. Now Kia was the local bed hopper in Fort Worth. I just knew she had a plan to get with Denim; she was that type of female that loved men who were taken, and hated men who were single. The challenge of the chase, I guess.
Noticing us, Kia yelled out, “So you hoes come to fight or should your men stand in line for some Kia action?” She ran up toward us, yelling in our faces, and before I knew it, my fist connected with her mouth. I didn’t expect to get so angry over this simple female, but she had it coming when she disrespected my friends and me. I could feel her teeth cutting my knuckles. The anger rushed through my body, and it felt like pure heat seeping from my pores. I heard people in the crowd yelling, “Fight!” I could feel Dahlia breathing down my neck. I could tell that she and Sarah were going at it. My mind was racing and then I thought, How in the hell did I end up fighting Kia?
Jazzaray started yelling, “Kick her ass, Nitrah.”
Charmaine was trying to separate us, and then I heard a familiar voice bark, “Nitrah, chill out.”
A group of guys separated Dahlia and Sarah, and Kia finally gave up trying to gain access to me after being pulled away. Then I saw the damage to her eye and mouth. I wanted to laugh because she never got a good hit on me. I also felt stupid because I didn’t know why in the hell I started fighting that girl in the first place.
“Next time, come prepared to back up all that noise you be talking, trying to act hard,” Dahlia yelled at Sarah over the crowd.
“I don’t have any beef with you,” Sarah shot back. “Separate myself from you. We don’t have anything to discuss.”
“We all got problems with hoe ass tricks like you,” I yelled, trying to get in my two cents. I was released by a man that restrained me and as I turned to walk away, with the crowd still watching hoping something else would happen, Denim walked up to me, yelling all in my face.
“So, you’re hittin’ on my girl. Damn, Nitrah, we’re supposed to be cool.” I wanted to run away from Denim. All I kept thinking was, why is he here and not at MP3? This is so embarrassing.
“Denim, this girl ran in my face. We didn’t start anything with her!” Dahlia yelled at him.
Even though we broke up, Denim and I stayed cool. We have known each other for fifteen years; we were friends for a long time. I truly did miss him, but why we could never stay faithful wasn’t clear to me. Of course, he started cheating first and I simply followed suit. I finally decided to cut him loose, seeing as though our relationship would never go anywhere. We were friends all of our lives so it was only natural we stayed close.
“Dahlia, my girl don’t start mess so don’t even go there with me!” Denim yelled back.
“She didn’t start it, Kia did,” Jazzaray interrupted.
“Don’t put me in this mess,” Kia objected.
Sarah yelled, “They were all planning on it; I saw them talking over there.”
“Don’t even go there, Kia came at us. What was that you said? Our men need to stand in line for some Kia action?” Charmaine reiterated.
“Kia you always starting something, and Sarah you going to start leaving her ass at home,” Denim demanded pointing his finger in Sarah’s face.
“That’s right,” Jazzaray yelled, trying to get her two words in as well.
Denim walked away but not before giving me a wink. He always did that to me, letting me know that this fight wasn’t anything and that he was cool with it. I gave him a wink back in hopes that he saw I was still his girl and not Sarah. Then my girls and I turned to walk away. It was just about time to leave before the cops came.
“Let’s go get something to eat, y’all wore me out tonight,” Jazzaray said jokingly, knowing that she was the only one that didn’t fight or, should I say, the only one that didn’t get involved. She knew that if she would have fought, her hair would have gotten messed up, or she would have broken a nail.
“You are good for nothing Jazz; you think you too cute to fight,” Dahlia teased.
We all hopped in my Sorento and drove off, heading toward the next eatery. We ended up at Bennigan’s because Charmaine wanted their wings. After we were seated at our table, we ordered our food, and Jazzaray spotted more boyfriend material. I told her I would introduce her and Charmaine to the brothas we saw, a little game we played. We would occasionally hook each other up; I would usually be the front man as I was tonight. I would create a leeway by stepping to the brothers first and telling them that my friends were digging them. Unlike every other night, they declined my opportunity to give them some leeway.
“That’s alright, Nitrah, we got it.”
While they were gone to go get some potential new men, Dahlia and I started talking. “You see me beat down Sarah?”
“I was too busy beating down Kia’s ass. You are going to have to stop pulling ‘em into every single fight you have. We got jobs now and we are grown. I am too cute to be fighting some simple bitch like Kia.”
“A’ight, girl, I know what you mean. But she had it coming but I saw Denim wink at you, so I’m guessing you two aren’t over.”
“Yeah we are. I mean for now we are, but I’m sure he’ll call me or my mama’s house to talk about tonight.”
“So whatever happened between you and Kenneth anyway?”
She was referring to the man I cheated with on Denim. After a while, that’s what I did, cheated. I guess Denim showed me how to do that. I never planned on staying with Kenneth; he was just someone to hang with at the time. Looking back now, he wasn’t even worth my time. A waste of a cheat.
“Nothing. He was just something to do at the time and so were Billy, Carlos, Antwain, and Tyrin,” I admitted, laughing.
“Damn, you a slut. Denim was trippin’ on the same stuff you were on too. Why couldn’t you two just stay faithful?”
She was right to ask me that, because if Denim was guilty, I was too. When you look at how he cheated on me, you would’ve thought I would’ve just dropped him. At first, it was a get even thing, but it later became like second nature. I just didn’t see me being faithful to him anymore.
“Dahlia, Denim was my first but wasn’t worth being my last.”
“I heard that!”
“So what are you two talking about,” Jazzaray asked coming back to the table.
“Denim, who else?” Dahlia answered obviously rolling her eyes as if she was tired of hearing his name.
“He was looking mighty fine tonight. I saw how he looked at you, Nitrah. You two are trippin’.”
“Yeah he did look good; I am not trying to go back that way you all. Let’s just drop the subject.”
At Bennigan’s our food had arrived and we started to eat. Just when things were about to get boring, in walked Troyon Washington and his crew. Troyon was about six-four, two hundred ten pounds, with caramel skin, curly hair like the singer Genuwine, and was clean-shaven. I noticed him walk in as I reached for the ketchup. My eyes were set dead on him, and I knew why. He was such a good-looking man. Charmaine, noticing who I had my eyes on, said, “Oh my, God. He is here.”
“Who?” everyone asked with curiosity.
I had locked eyes with Troyon as if he knew we were talking about him. He was with Robert, Michael, and another guy I came to know named Tim. Now Tim was just like Troyon and just as good looking. Seeing them two together was like walking into ongoing traffic, deadly.
“Don’t look at him, Nitrah, he is hypnotizing,” Dahlia demanded as her mood suddenly changed.
“I was just seeing who it was, you were talking like it was a celebrity up in here, and you know it isn’t any celebrities in Fort Worth.”
“It’s Troy and Tim, the damn dogs of the funk,” Jazzaray said in disgust.
The funk was the nickname everyone called Fort Worth, which was only thirty minutes outside of Dallas. It was rumored that the city was named Funky Town because it reeked of cow manure, but it never smelled that bad to me.
“Why you call them dogs? I’m sure they aren’t dogs, they just get silly females who do whatever they ask,” I teased.
“You laughing, but I’m sure he can punk you, too,” Dahlia added. She almost spit at me as if she was spitting venom. What’s up with her, I thought.
“Yeah right, I could punk him. You know I got skills. Better yet, I can show you how I work it,” I challenged
“Alright then, let’s make a game out of it. Go ask for something from their table…but very sexy,” Jazzaray dared me.
“Really, that’s it? No big challenge. I can do this in my sleep.” I knew the challenge was coming, but who was I to be scared? I was the queen of dares.
“No, Jazz, don’t dare her like that,” Charmaine begged. “You know she will do it, and Lord knows Troy is not the one to play with.”
“He may be the devil but he sure does look mighty good from here,” Jazz joked.
“I’m down, ladies. Watch and learn. Oh, by the way, you girls may want to take notes.”
Before I could get up, Dahlia grabbed my hand and said, “Be careful. This isn’t a game.”
“I’m not worried about that fool, Dahlia. I’m cool, I got this.” I walked over very slow and sensual, but not to obvious. I wasn’t scared but I wasn’t trying to fall on my face either. This seemed just like a good opportunity for something wrong to happen. I knew who Troy was. I graduated class of ‘97 from Southwest High with him. I knew he was the type of dog I would never date, and even now at the tender age of twenty-three, he was still that same boy to me.
I reached their table and said, “Hey boys, how are y’all doing tonight?”
Tim was the first to speak. “Good and how are you, miss?”
“I’m Nitrah, and you are?”
“Tim and this is Troy, Robert, and Michael.”
“How do you say your name again?” Robert asked me.
“Knee-trah,” I said slowly, sounding out my name.
“So there are four of us and four of you and your girls… Do y’all want to sit together?” Troy asked me, noticing my friends watching us. I saw something in his eyes as if he wished he could retract that comment. He saw something; I wanted so badly to look back but didn’t want to lose concentration.
“No thanks, but I do want something from you,” I said above a whisper to let Troy know I was flirting with him. His boys smiled at him thinking he had pulled another female his way, but I was a different female. He returned his attention to me, his smile returned. I have him railed in, I thought.
“And what do you want from me, Miss Nitrah?”
“Not much, just that ketchup on your table.” Tim looked at me like I was crazy, as if I was delusional for not wanting more. I repeated, “Can I have it?” and reached out toward him just a little bit. He didn’t give me an answer; just stared at me as if he was waiting for me to say more. So I leaned over the table, very sexy like, and grabbed the ketchup myself. I walked away but not without saying thanks first. I was hoping he was watching my ass sway in my shorts and I felt sure he was.
Troy yelled out to me before I got any further. “What’s your name again?”
“Nitrah! Nitrah Hill. You boys have a good night.” I walked back over to my table knowing Troy and his friends would be still watching. I sat down and all eyes were on me.
Charmaine was the first to speak. “He is still watching. What in the hell did you say to him?”
“I didn’t think you were going to do it,” Jazzaray added.
Dahlia said, “You’re my new idol.”
We all started to laugh. I didn’t want to admit that seeing Troy up close like that made me a little moist. Just thinking about what I could do to him made me squirm in my seat. I phased the thought out of my mind and finished eating my food, using the ketchup I got from Troy’s table.
Afterward, we had great conversations about men and the dirty things they do. I noticed Troy and his crew getting up to leave, and then I looked at my watch. It was way past one in the morning. “Alright ladies, let’s go because it’s late. We’ve been at this table for three hours.”
“Yeah, I hear you,” Jazzaray said. “It’s back to work in the morning.”
As I got up from the table and started walking to the exit, Troy came back in to give me a message.
“Hey, sweet thing, how about you give me your number.”
I was a little appalled at the way he asked me and started to see his playa mentality. “My number? I don’t believe you deserve that reward.”
“You know I’m feeling you, and you are just too gorgeous for me to just walk away.”
I decided to play with his mind just a tad and call in on his bluff. “Alright then. Here’s what we are going to do. If we meet again, and I’m sure we will, then it was fate and I’ll give you my number then,” I said as me and my girls walked out the door.
Making sure not to look back and give him eye contact, Dahlia whispered, “Girl you got him twisted.”
I smiled, knowing I could have him if I wanted to. “I could show him a new thing or two.”
Reviews:
The Ultimate No No goes up there with all of my favorite books, I met Tamika at our National Conference she was one of our Vendors such a lovely lady with a big heart and a kindred spirit, When I had purchase the book at the conference I put it with the rest of my books, I read the back and it sounded interesting but not at first catching my attention, So I was headed out of town and I always bring my reading material at least three books just in case I can not get into one of them I have two more and I know I will like one of them, I started with Tamika book and I could not put it down, the places where familiar the character seem like real people I knew and it always kept you wanting more and she kept giving it to you all the way to the end and I can not wait to read the second one. Mrs Newhouse did her thing on this one. Great Job Tamika!!!!!!!! look forward to future books from her.
~Savvy Book Club
Have you ever been so mad that you just wanted to get even with somebody. Well as the old saying goes, be careful what you ask for. In the Ultimate No No the only thing worse than a woman scorned is one on get back time. Tamika Newhouse has done a wonderful job of showing us just what can happen when you don't leave well enough alone. Nitrah Hill, has allowed her girls to talk her into getting into a man's heart (Troyon Washington) and then breaking it. The problem is once she gets into his heart he also gets into hers. However, this does not set well wither her girl Dahlia who has set this whole scheme in motion. Unbeknownst to Nitrah and the rest of her girls Troy the town slut has broken her heart in the worst way and instead of Dahlia being up front with her girls she tells them just what she wants them to know. While they are cooking up the scheme and Nitrah is following through she is falling in love. And, what do you know so is Troy. But, as luck would have it they all have a past that won't stay in the past. There is so much drama going on in Forthworth Texas that you may need to say a couple of Hail Mary's when you get finish. This book was definitely a summer sizzler. Five stars for Ms. Nitrah Hill who just happens to also be a very down to earth Authoress!
DC Reviewer
Michelle Rawls
Imagine this...your best friend asks you to do her a favor. Simple enough, right? Your friend wants you to befriend a certain man. He's fine so no problem with that. Here's the kicker - you are to make this man fall in love with you and then...dump him! Why? Because this man did your friend dirty. But what happens when you find yourself falling for him?
Imagine this...you've met her, as in the one. She's the woman that makes you want to give up your doggish ways. She's got you ready to consider the dreaded - monogamy. Now imagine this, she's the best friend of a woman that you did the unthinkable to, but it's obvious that the woman of your dreams doesn't know. Do you just hope and pray that your past isn't brought to light?
Meet Nitrah and Troyon. It's gone beyond imagination to reality. And the reality is they both have secrets they don't want the other to discover. Add to the already volatile mix opinionated friends, lies, love and lust and you have "The Ultimate No No."
In her readable, sometimes surprising story, Tamika Newhouse examines the lives of two cliques of friends coming to terms with maturity and love. Newhouse knows one thing - drama! I really liked that her characters were practical and relatable. They fell in love a little too quickly for my taste, but to each, its own.
"The Ultimate No No," a captivating snapshot of emotional struggles, packs a lot. Newhouse's debut can hold its own. I look forward to more from this talent.
Reviewed by: Toni , OOSA
Trailer:
Tour Schedule:
June 19th The George W. Carver Festival, San Antonio, 11-5
June 18-19th The Juneteenth Music Fest, San Antonio, TX
July 9th, The Literary Joint, Forestville, MD 5pm
July 9, Cartel Books and Cafe, Oxon Hill, MD 1pm
July 10th Michele's Book Place, Annanoplois, MD 11am
July 10th Borders Lorgo, MD 5pm
July 11, Patapsco Flea Market , Baltimore, MD
July 12th, Michele's Book Place, Annanoplois, MD 11am
July 13th DC Book Diva, Washington D.C.
July 16, Horizon Book Store, Philadelphia, PA 1pm
July 16th Phenomenol Women Speaking Engagement & Signing, Chester, PA 530pm
July 17th Harlem Book Fair, Harlem, NY
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