R&B Star Pamela Mayes has
not been back to her hometown of Mercy, GA since she left abruptly over
eighteen years ago. The people in this small town always wondered why
she left so suddenly. They could only speculate as to why. Pamela
intended on never returning to Mercy, but the passing of her twin sister
Paris Greene forced her to come back. Pamela knew that she would now
have to face the demons of her past.
Terra Little found a unique way of telling this story. She tells the
story through journals written by Pamela, Paris, & Nikki. The story
flashes back through the teenage years and how things changed between
the twin sisters. I enjoyed the way that the women were telling private
moments through reading the journals. The story kept you on the edge of
your seat with the change from the past to the present. She gave great
details as to how each character developed through the years. Even
though Running From Mercy was Terra's first novel, she did an
outstanding job. I look forward to reading more of her books in the
future.
Reviewed by Jackie for Urban-Reviews.com
5 Star, Top-Shelf Rating
May 2008
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Pam and Paris, the beautiful
orphaned twins. As different as night and day. Pam left Mercy at 18,
vowing to never come back. Instead she went on to become a famous R&B
star, but is known for being reclusive and fiercely protective about her
privacy. When her sister Pam tragically dies, she is forced to break her
vow and go back to Mercy for her sister's funeral. The tension sizzles
from the moment she steps into her sister's house and is confronted by
her distraught brother in law. Soon, we learn the intimate details of
Pam, Paris and Nikki's lives through the flashbacks and entries in all
of their diaries. And what we learn is explosive.
Meanwhile, a journalist has also come to town for Paris' funeral so that
he can do an unauthorized biography on Pam. He befriends the townspeople
and Pam herself, giving her the false name Miles, and does some digging
of his own. What he discovers finishes the puzzle of Pam and Paris'
origins and made this reader gasp out loud. I loved this book in that
it was new and fresh and Ms. Little has now become one of my new
favorite authors. I see great things from this lady and I can't wait to
get my hands on her next book! Good job, Terra!
Author Gayle Jackson Sloan
Let the Necessary Occur -
It's like great sex, one climax after another
June 2008
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~ ~
Running from Mercy is filled a lot of twists
and turns, and romance. Ms. Little captures her audience in such a
suspense novel, that you don’t want to even put it down. I was sad when
I got to the last page of the book. I really didn’t want it to end, to
be honest I took my time reading this book, not wanting to get to the
last page.
Ms. Little is a remarkable writer, and it
shows in her first debut. To find an author with this much passion &
dedication in her work is highly important. As an avid reader, from
sci-fi to street fiction, I’ve run across so many books that lack
passion and dedication, and its highly noticed from the first sentence
to the last page. However, when you do find an author with this much
heart and dedication, their book shines and will be on its way to main
stream.
Ms. D, Urbanfire Books
www.urbanfirebooks.com
July 2008
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~ ~
WOW!!! I truly enjoyed
Terra's first novel. She done an excellent job for her first book. I
truly could not put the book down. It was good from the beginning to the
end. I'm not going to give away the story. Go pick up a copy today. You
will truly love Pam (and her many issues), Chad, Nikki and Nate.
Tiffany Y. Brutus “Book
Lover”
April 2008
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~ ~
RUNNING FROM MERCY is an engaging read
that will elicit anger on one hand and tug at your heartstrings on
another. There are several plots running concurrently where the suspense
is so intense, you actually feel the emotions of the characters flowing
from the pages. The characters are unforgettable and will remain with
you once the book ends. Debut author Terra Little uses a combination of
journal entries and flashbacks to fill in details and backgrounds as the
story is unfolding. Once it completely unfolds, you will be amazed, a
little battle weary, but optimistic that good exists in all situations,
no matter how hopeless they may seem. A wonderful first effort.
Brenda M. Lisbon,
RAWSISTAZ
I dare you to expect the unexpected.
Get between the sheets and let Where There’s Smoke shake up your
comfort zone. It’s Contemporary Fiction with a bit of a sophisticated
urban twist. Or is it? Check out the reviews…
It's hard to narrow down the things I
enjoyed about Where There's Smoke. It's a strong, compelling story that
builds in tension and drama to the very end, never lagging. If I had to
pick the top three things I loved the most, I would have to say
complexity, character development, and dialogue. Where There's Smoke is
a story about relationships; about the complexity of those
relationships; and about learning how to forgive yourself and others, so
that you can forge into stronger relationships. Little does a wonderful
job of layering the subtleties of the story and giving us characters
that are unique, engaging, and who reflect - through action and dialogue
- their personalities. Strongly recommend it!
Shonnell Bacon, ChickLitGurrl: High on
LATTES & WRITING
July 2008
"WHERE THERE’S SMOKE by Terra Little is
an interesting book that explores the issues which make people what they
are. The best part is Ms. Little shows how these problems can be
overcome. It is an entertaining book, as well as one that teaches a few
lessons without being preachy. It also has its hot, smoky bedroom
moments. It was a wonderful read."
Reviewed by Alice Holman, RAWSISTAZ.com
4 out of 5 Stars!
October 2008
"Little writes comfortably in a range of
registers, from slang to the more refined speech of the aspirational
main characters, and with good humor to balance out the heavier
moments…a solid, believable, cautionary tale…ably written."
Kirkus Reviews
November 2008