| Azucar Moreno |
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Buzz
“Azùcar Moreno drew me in with its sexy and contemporary narrative. It
defies the idea of cultural segregation, and instead captures the essence of
an ethnically diverse Detroit life. The twist and turns of all the
relationships were a guilty pleasure. A good read.”
- CHRIS WEBBER, NBA PLAYER
“When someone writes and you really feel their words, I would have to
say that person is a great writer and story teller. I really enjoyed reading
this book - it made me laugh, horny and made me cry."
- KIMA, FORMERLY OF THE GROUP TOTAL
“Debut novelist Shelley Halima has penned a sassy, sexy, and hilarious
novel that demands attention. Shelley's strength lies in her strong writing
voice - a voice that makes you feel as if the characters exist, and there are
many laugh-out-loud one liners that causes the novel to sparkle.”
- CYDNEY RAX, AUTHOR OF “MY DAUGHTER’S BOYFRIEND.”
“Azùcar Moreno is a sexy, witty contemporary freshman novel by Shelley
Halima. Kudos to Ms. Halima on her first outing for delivering a sizzling,
realistic, fresh new novel.”
– A PLACE OF OUR OWN BOOKCLUB
Reviews
RAWSISTAZ
RAW Rating: 4 (out of 5)
In Search of My Dream
What do you get when you put together a group of friends, explosive sex,
infidelities and deception? You get AZUCAR MORENO, where we meet
Mildred Jisela Nicole Moreno, affectionately called Nikki or Nik by her
friends. Nikki is the product of an African American mother and Puerto
Rican father. She is 26 years old, lives in Detroit and works as an
administrative assistant for a private investigation firm, but dreams of
becoming an award-winning actress. Nikki, along with her cousin Rosie,
who is also her best friend, and Chico, their childhood friend, all live in
Nikki and Rosie's grandmother's house.
Nikki and Rosie have been inseparable since birth. Although they are first
cousins, due to circumstances beyond their control, Rosie ends up living
with Nikki and her family, and from then on they become sisters. Nikki
has made the decision to relocate to L.A. to pursue her dream of
becoming an actress. It was a hard decision to make, but in an effort to
make her dreams come true, it became a very necessary one.
It will be hard for Nikki to leave Rosie, as well as the life she leads in
Detroit and her other very close-knit group of friends. Nikki's friends are
her heart. They have been together through thick and thin and they do a
lot of things together. They are so close that they consider themselves
family. As with all families, they have their helping of deception, secrets
and sexual infidelities that could ruin the bond they share.
AZUCAR MORENO is a fast-paced, drama-filled novel that will have
you laughing one minute and crying the next. With an unexpected twist,
steamy sex, explosive secrets and a tale of sisterhood, Shelley Halima’s first
novel is indeed a page-turner that you won't want to put down.
Reviewed by Eraina B. Tinnin of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
www.rawsistaz.com
READINCOLOR
Azucar Moreno, which is Brown Sugar translated into Spanish, is the
debut novel for author Shelley Halima. This tale of the love between two
sister-cousins and their close-knit group of friends is Muy Caliente!
Nikki and Rosie are not only cousins but they are best friends. Family
issues in their early childhood resulted in them being raised in the same
household. Often mistaken for sisters these two are practically inseparable.
As close as they are they are as different as night and day.
Nikki, the aspiring actress has some major decisions to make. Realizing,
that Detroit is not the place for a would-be film star, moving to
Hollywood away from Rosie is her only logical choice. Rosie has her own
dreams but she can stay right in Detroit to fulfill them. Caught up in her
own love triangle now is definitely not the time for Nikki to leave her.
Although Rosie has a tough exterior, she is soft on the inside thus relying
on Nikki’s strength to help her navigate through life.
Azucar Moreno addresses sexual taboos that include infidelity, non-
traditional relationships and a host of other indiscretions. Ms Halima
captures her audience with larger than life characters with major
dilemmas. Azucar Moreno sizzles from beginning to end.
Angie Pickett-Henderson of Readincolor Reviewers
LITERARY WONDERS!
Rating: 4 Stars
Debut author Shelley Halima, another product from Zane’s Strebor
International, gives readers a funny, fun-loving and diverse novel with
Azucar Moreno.
Nikki Moreno affectionately known as Azucar Moreno, and her cousin
Rosie have been close since childhood. Nikki, a product of an African-
American mother and a Puerto Rican father, is an aspiring actor who has
inherited her grandparents home and currently resides there with her
lesbian cousin Rosie and long time friend Chico.
The past, present and future unravel as these three friends prepare to throw
an untraditional baby shower for their friend Rhonda and her boyfriend
Dante. The friends reminisce over relationships gone wrong, going wrong
or will go wrong.
Odell, an African-American homosexual, livens up the pre-party activities
with his “diva” style. Odell has his own share of relationship problems as
he prepares to kick his lover to the curb.
Enter Crystal, the closet freak, who claims she is not down with lesbianism
until word gets around town, that curiosity has killed her cat. When
Crystal is turned out by Rosie, the smoky aura of denial fills the air, as
Crystal claims to not have liked it.
Things get really bad when Rhonda takes a turn for the worse when Dante’
s gambling problems and carelessness gets out of hand. The friend’s lives
change forever, and they all realize that they must make changes as well.
All feelings of love and desire come back to Nikki when Mario comes to
visit. Nikki realizes that she had never lost the love in her heart for Mario.
She also realizes that she has to be careful when she has to notify Rosie
that Mario will be a permanent fixture in her life, which will result in
changes and a move clear across the country.
Azucar Moreno breaks barriers and crosses the color lines as well as sexual
lines to exemplify that true friendship has no color or boundaries. Miss
Halima’s descriptive depiction of each character draws you into the story
as you get a sense of knowing each of them on a more personal level.
Shelly Halima has a knack for telling a story and placing a reader right in
the middle of the action. Praises to Miss Halima for Azucar Moreno and
kudos to the hint of a sequel.
Reviewed by Yolanda M. Johnson
www.literarywonders.com
5/2/2005
Synopsis
In the tradition of The Dirty Girls Social Club comes a hip, tell-it-like-it-is
novel about a group of friends whose tangled interrelationships, explosive
secrets, and sexual infidelities could destroy their precious bond.
Featuring a main character who is vulnerable as she is tough talking,
Azùcar Moreno tells an erotic fast-paced story of love, loyalty, sex and
betrayal.
An aspiring film actress, Nikki Moreno is contemplating making the big
move to L.A. It won't be easy saying goodbye to her Detroit hometown,
particularly her best friend Rosie, a "straight-up gangsta who looks like a
Hispanic version of Cindy Crawford-mole and all-and a figure that J.Lo
would envy." Rosie is not only Nikki's closest gal pal; she's also her cousin
who's beset by her own problems: she is widely attracted to pretty, proper
Crystal, a friend of both Rosie and Nikki. Then there's Rhonda. Her
gambling addicted boyfriend Dante is in debt with the wrong people and it
brings about deadly consequences. As if things couldn't possibly get more
complicated, Nikki's ex comes back into her life. Faced with the possibility
of renewed love, Nikki must now make what could be the most important
decision of her life.
Laced with authentic lingo, humor and steamy love scenes, this taut, sexy
tale of desire, deception, sisterhood, and sexuality among a multicultural
group of friends is a welcome addition to the cutting-edge contemporary
fiction scene.
Azùcar Moreno is available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com as
well as your local bookstores such as Border’s and Waldenbooks
“Azùcar Moreno drew me in with its sexy and contemporary narrative. It
defies the idea of cultural segregation, and instead captures the essence of
an ethnically diverse Detroit life. The twist and turns of all the
relationships were a guilty pleasure. A good read.”
- CHRIS WEBBER, NBA PLAYER
“When someone writes and you really feel their words, I would have to
say that person is a great writer and story teller. I really enjoyed reading
this book - it made me laugh, horny and made me cry."
- KIMA, FORMERLY OF THE GROUP TOTAL
“Debut novelist Shelley Halima has penned a sassy, sexy, and hilarious
novel that demands attention. Shelley's strength lies in her strong writing
voice - a voice that makes you feel as if the characters exist, and there are
many laugh-out-loud one liners that causes the novel to sparkle.”
- CYDNEY RAX, AUTHOR OF “MY DAUGHTER’S BOYFRIEND.”
“Azùcar Moreno is a sexy, witty contemporary freshman novel by Shelley
Halima. Kudos to Ms. Halima on her first outing for delivering a sizzling,
realistic, fresh new novel.”
– A PLACE OF OUR OWN BOOKCLUB
Reviews
RAWSISTAZ
RAW Rating: 4 (out of 5)
In Search of My Dream
What do you get when you put together a group of friends, explosive sex,
infidelities and deception? You get AZUCAR MORENO, where we meet
Mildred Jisela Nicole Moreno, affectionately called Nikki or Nik by her
friends. Nikki is the product of an African American mother and Puerto
Rican father. She is 26 years old, lives in Detroit and works as an
administrative assistant for a private investigation firm, but dreams of
becoming an award-winning actress. Nikki, along with her cousin Rosie,
who is also her best friend, and Chico, their childhood friend, all live in
Nikki and Rosie's grandmother's house.
Nikki and Rosie have been inseparable since birth. Although they are first
cousins, due to circumstances beyond their control, Rosie ends up living
with Nikki and her family, and from then on they become sisters. Nikki
has made the decision to relocate to L.A. to pursue her dream of
becoming an actress. It was a hard decision to make, but in an effort to
make her dreams come true, it became a very necessary one.
It will be hard for Nikki to leave Rosie, as well as the life she leads in
Detroit and her other very close-knit group of friends. Nikki's friends are
her heart. They have been together through thick and thin and they do a
lot of things together. They are so close that they consider themselves
family. As with all families, they have their helping of deception, secrets
and sexual infidelities that could ruin the bond they share.
AZUCAR MORENO is a fast-paced, drama-filled novel that will have
you laughing one minute and crying the next. With an unexpected twist,
steamy sex, explosive secrets and a tale of sisterhood, Shelley Halima’s first
novel is indeed a page-turner that you won't want to put down.
Reviewed by Eraina B. Tinnin of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
www.rawsistaz.com
READINCOLOR
Azucar Moreno, which is Brown Sugar translated into Spanish, is the
debut novel for author Shelley Halima. This tale of the love between two
sister-cousins and their close-knit group of friends is Muy Caliente!
Nikki and Rosie are not only cousins but they are best friends. Family
issues in their early childhood resulted in them being raised in the same
household. Often mistaken for sisters these two are practically inseparable.
As close as they are they are as different as night and day.
Nikki, the aspiring actress has some major decisions to make. Realizing,
that Detroit is not the place for a would-be film star, moving to
Hollywood away from Rosie is her only logical choice. Rosie has her own
dreams but she can stay right in Detroit to fulfill them. Caught up in her
own love triangle now is definitely not the time for Nikki to leave her.
Although Rosie has a tough exterior, she is soft on the inside thus relying
on Nikki’s strength to help her navigate through life.
Azucar Moreno addresses sexual taboos that include infidelity, non-
traditional relationships and a host of other indiscretions. Ms Halima
captures her audience with larger than life characters with major
dilemmas. Azucar Moreno sizzles from beginning to end.
Angie Pickett-Henderson of Readincolor Reviewers
LITERARY WONDERS!
Rating: 4 Stars
Debut author Shelley Halima, another product from Zane’s Strebor
International, gives readers a funny, fun-loving and diverse novel with
Azucar Moreno.
Nikki Moreno affectionately known as Azucar Moreno, and her cousin
Rosie have been close since childhood. Nikki, a product of an African-
American mother and a Puerto Rican father, is an aspiring actor who has
inherited her grandparents home and currently resides there with her
lesbian cousin Rosie and long time friend Chico.
The past, present and future unravel as these three friends prepare to throw
an untraditional baby shower for their friend Rhonda and her boyfriend
Dante. The friends reminisce over relationships gone wrong, going wrong
or will go wrong.
Odell, an African-American homosexual, livens up the pre-party activities
with his “diva” style. Odell has his own share of relationship problems as
he prepares to kick his lover to the curb.
Enter Crystal, the closet freak, who claims she is not down with lesbianism
until word gets around town, that curiosity has killed her cat. When
Crystal is turned out by Rosie, the smoky aura of denial fills the air, as
Crystal claims to not have liked it.
Things get really bad when Rhonda takes a turn for the worse when Dante’
s gambling problems and carelessness gets out of hand. The friend’s lives
change forever, and they all realize that they must make changes as well.
All feelings of love and desire come back to Nikki when Mario comes to
visit. Nikki realizes that she had never lost the love in her heart for Mario.
She also realizes that she has to be careful when she has to notify Rosie
that Mario will be a permanent fixture in her life, which will result in
changes and a move clear across the country.
Azucar Moreno breaks barriers and crosses the color lines as well as sexual
lines to exemplify that true friendship has no color or boundaries. Miss
Halima’s descriptive depiction of each character draws you into the story
as you get a sense of knowing each of them on a more personal level.
Shelly Halima has a knack for telling a story and placing a reader right in
the middle of the action. Praises to Miss Halima for Azucar Moreno and
kudos to the hint of a sequel.
Reviewed by Yolanda M. Johnson
www.literarywonders.com
5/2/2005
Synopsis
In the tradition of The Dirty Girls Social Club comes a hip, tell-it-like-it-is
novel about a group of friends whose tangled interrelationships, explosive
secrets, and sexual infidelities could destroy their precious bond.
Featuring a main character who is vulnerable as she is tough talking,
Azùcar Moreno tells an erotic fast-paced story of love, loyalty, sex and
betrayal.
An aspiring film actress, Nikki Moreno is contemplating making the big
move to L.A. It won't be easy saying goodbye to her Detroit hometown,
particularly her best friend Rosie, a "straight-up gangsta who looks like a
Hispanic version of Cindy Crawford-mole and all-and a figure that J.Lo
would envy." Rosie is not only Nikki's closest gal pal; she's also her cousin
who's beset by her own problems: she is widely attracted to pretty, proper
Crystal, a friend of both Rosie and Nikki. Then there's Rhonda. Her
gambling addicted boyfriend Dante is in debt with the wrong people and it
brings about deadly consequences. As if things couldn't possibly get more
complicated, Nikki's ex comes back into her life. Faced with the possibility
of renewed love, Nikki must now make what could be the most important
decision of her life.
Laced with authentic lingo, humor and steamy love scenes, this taut, sexy
tale of desire, deception, sisterhood, and sexuality among a multicultural
group of friends is a welcome addition to the cutting-edge contemporary
fiction scene.
Azùcar Moreno is available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com as
well as your local bookstores such as Border’s and Waldenbooks