Beautiful Rage: The Break of Dawn

 
-A journalist takes the interview of her lifetime when she meets an inmate who has been charged with a horrible crime in which the inmate attempts to justify her actions. The journalist now faces the dilemma of understanding the justice system and not becoming emotionally overwhelmed while completing the most difficult story ever. It’s the journalist task to tell the inmates story without losing her sense of moral mind-set.
 
This book was very different from any book that I ever read in regards to the story line which kept me very interested in the book. The details that covered the occurrences in the book were very vivid which also painted a very clear picture of each character and their role in the book
 
I wish there was a different ending for the book which would have led to a part two. I wanted more from the star character after her crime (life outside of prison after her crime leading up to her going to prison). With that being stated, the book was great. I would love to read future books from this author.

Rating: 4

Reviewed by:
Tamara Walker

RWA Bookclub

ww.rwabookclub.com

-Beautiful Rage: The Break of Dawn by Janaya Black will have you asking what exactly will you do if someone harmed a person you love? How far would you go to avenge the murder of a loved one? If the justice system failed you would you take matters into your own hands? Vanessa Jackson asks herself these questions as she sits and listen to Dawn Langston tell of how she ended up in prison.

Vanessa Jackson is who the inmates of the Wayne County Women's Correctional Facility call "the voice." She gets their stories out to the world in a women's magazine, telling of what pushed them to do the crime which placed them behind bars. This time around Vanessa speaks to Dawn Langston, a woman who took matters into her own hands to get justice for the brutal murder of her little sister, Carmen.

Dawn Langston felt that after the way the justice system let her and her family down it was left up to her to be the prosecutor, the judge, and the jury when it came to Ross Styler. When Vanessa Jackson is shown the pictures of the brutal injuries inflicted on Styler, she does not believe there is anything that could make her do anyone like that. Would she change her mind after hearing the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

Janaya Black's Beautiful Rage: The Break of Dawn impressed me so much; I want to read the other books in The Prison Chronicles. Each book stands alone, and Vanessa Jackson is "the voice" in all the books, but Ms. Black's writing had me wanting more. I felt like I was in the prison with the characters as the story was told. There were some editing mishaps, one being the usage of a wrong name to address the character. Overall Beautiful Rage: The Break of Dawn is a good read. I recommend this book to anyone who likes drama.

Jennifer Coissiere
APOOO BookClub

As Told By the Other Woman

-Vanessa Jackson, a reporter for a Women's Lib magazine, has taken on a new segment that is gaining popularity among readers. She offers incarcerated females the opportunity to have their voice heard concerning crimes they are locked up for. Her latest assignment is Timberlyn Crawford's case.

Timberlyn has received a life sentence after being convicted of a crime of passion involving her married co-worker and his spouse. She shares her side of the story, starting with her troubled childhood, her dangerous obsessive behavior and having to grow up too fast as a runaway teen. To compound her issues, she falls in love with a man who has kept his marriage a secret. Driven by rage and jealousy, while also dealing with unresolved mental issues, she makes some choices that produce deadly consequences.

AS TOLD BY THE OTHER WOMAN, the second novel from the Prison Chronicles series, is a quick and easy read. Black does such an excellent job with character development the reader can easily sympathize with Timberlyn's character. Although there were minimal grammatical errors, content editing could have eliminated several inconsistencies in the plot. Overall, it was a pleasurable reading experience.

Reviewed by Paula Henderson
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

-In this tale Vanessa Jackson works for Lib magazine and her job is to give women in prison a voice. She comes across a lady name Timberlynn that is in prison for being that other woman. She tell Vanessa her story of being the other woman of where and when it all started and how she landed up in prison.

This story of Timberlynn was fiction but this is something that does really do happen in real life. The story was a moving experience for me because it was brought out in details after details.

Reviewer
Big Time Publishing Magazine

-Once again, Janya takes us on an exciting journey through the eyes of Vanessa Jackson. Although Ms. Jackson recieved many accolades for her interview featuring Marion Hayes,the women incarcerated for killing her husband, she was devisitated by her death due to suicide. Pursuing her mission with sharing the stories of incarcerated women with the city of Detroit, Vanessa selects Timberlynn as her second assignment. Timberlynn, barely the legal age of drinking is serving time for killing the wife of her former lover. Although Timberlynn is not looking for pity, her goal with the help of Vanessa to have her version of the story shared with the public.

Janaya once again proves that she was born to write. Out of five stars, I'm giving her sophomore novel a four. In the nearer future I'd love to see her talk to a young group girls with low self esteem about the consequences of selecting the wrong types of mates.

Adra Young
Author of: The Everyday Living of Children & Teens Monologues  

-As Told By The Other Woman was one of the best works of fiction I have read in a long time. I could not put it down. Janaya Black is a gifted writer. She paints a vivid picture of the characters and setting. It is a must read. I just ordered The Breaking Point. I can't wait to read the first installment of the Prison Chronicles.

Ignite Change

-In the novel, "As Told By The Other Woman", author, Janaya Black has taken an age old concept, infidelity and turned it into one of the grittiest, engaging tales I've read in a very long time. Black has managed to make readers look into the darker sides of themselves to at the very least understand what drives a troubled woman to do the unthinkable! The lead character, Timberlynn tells a story that pulls you in immediately at page one and doesn't let you go until the very last sentence! I could not put this book down until I was finished. Even then, it left me scrambling vigorously for the next installment of the Prison Chronicles. Five stars is an understatement at best! Janaya Black deserves a medal for writing a book that offers a new, more in-depth spin on the face of tragedy. Job well done indeed! I encourage all to let this book take you on a fantastic literary voyage you'll never forget!

Author Tracie Christian