Book Title: One Foot Outside the Door
Author: Vina St. Fran
Genre: Interracial Romance/Multicultural Romance
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions
Good lovin’ is easy…But true happiness is harder to find…
To anyone on the outside looking in through the door of Cyndarella Worthy’s life, it looks like she’s got it all. At thirty-two, she’s beautiful and successful, with a handsome brother lover, Thad Mitchell. But deep in her heart, she holds a candle for Bashar Bazzi, the Chaldean immigrant she loved ten years ago. Bashar left for Iraq and she never saw him again, and she assumes he made a marriage within his own community without a backward glance.
Cyn’s girlfriends, Tavie, Denise and Vette, know that their sister still carries the scars of Bashar, but they pray she’ll find love and peace with Thad. Anyway, they’ve got issues too: Tavie’s dating smart school principal, Mack Dooley, but she can’t escape the rumors that he’s playing around; Denise’s marriage to Sean is under pressure because she hasn’t conceived a second child; Vette’s dating an older guy, Louis Burns, but wonders if she’ll ever get a ring on her finger.
When Thad proposes to Cyn and she accepts, it looks like this sister’s finally on her way to true happiness. But no sooner are the celebrations done, when there’s trouble—Bashar Bazzi is home, and he’s ready to settle his unfinished business with Cyn…
The passionate, powerful heart-breaking prequel to Betrayal’s Dust by Vina St Fran.
Chapter One
There are men who speak about their penis as if it is an extended member of their family. They damn near burst out of their pants to make the introduction. The thing they fail to realize is that, for most women, inches can’t compensate for character or a man’s worth.
Cyndarella Worthy’s mama always told her how to behave like a lady throughout much of her life. Except when it came to the subject of men. Perhaps had they had such conversations, it would have spared Cyn the consequential heartache she racked up in dating deadbeats.
Hell, Cyn pouted, most women don’t realize they’re dating a fucking’ loser until each layer is peeled back piece by piece like an onion. So much so, it ends up making everything around you tear.
First of all, you got to check off the outer layer. Of course he's dangerously fine, like Terrance Howard. All the way down to that little smirk of a smile on his face that initially drives you wild. This is a man that any mother would pray her daughter would bring home. A well groomed professional man with the material trimmings that would make most women's hearts swoon, and let’s not neglect to mention that big fat bank account.
Accompanying this package are the big boy-toys, you know, the E-Class Mercedes Benz, and perhaps a Hummer or some other luxury SUV parked next to the Benz in his three-car garage. And, imagine, there is an empty spot waiting he’s been saving just for you! He’s a go-getter on the fast track career-wise. Heck, there ain’t anything sexier than a man on a mission!
Three months have passed and by now you’ve discovered the middle layer. Your potential Mr. Right is charming, blends into most social settings and loves to shower you with affection. And yes, you've hit the sheets with him to find he is equipped with a substantial-sized tool to drill you deep in the wee hours of the night.
Women lie when they say size don’t matter, Cyn reasoned.
In her clinical experience, Cyn found fucking men with little dicks required much more work in order for her to achieve an orgasm. God forbid if they suffered from premature ejaculation! For her it wasn’t an option she desired to explore.
Getting to the inner layer some six months later, you find that things aren't quite working out. Mr. Right has fast become Mr. Wrong. He starts calling you less and making excuses why he's unavailable. And when you are together, his cell phone rings all through the night, and he can't seem to keep his lies straight as to who’s on the other end of the phone. It is then you realize the object of your affection has started to show his ass and, of course, it's all because he thinks things are moving way too fast. He needs time to sort things out. Bottom line is, Mr. Lover Man isn't ready to commit and has moved on to his next conquest.
Examining herself, at thirty-two, Cyn was striking in appearance. Yet, she was further from the altar than she’d ever been. Not only that, Cyn had what she called the five Bs: bank, beauty, boobs, booty and brains. And the fact she hadn’t become a member of the single mothers’ club made her stick her chest out even more. But wouldn’t you know, some people viewed her as selfish because of this? That was their problem, not hers.
Thad Mitchell, Cyn’s latest flame, was a bit different from the usual targets she dated. He was divorced with a four-year-old daughter. Normally, Cyn didn’t do men with baby mommas because she hated the drama that went along with it. Too many of her girlfriends had suffered just because they made the mistake of falling in love with a man who had dependents. Despite their good intentions, some men never truly, completely made a clean break.
It just so happened Cyn lucked out, because Thad’s ex got remarried overseas to a fellow naval officer, so Thad rarely got weekend visits. It was more of a long- distance phone relationship. Heather, his ex, was great about sending family videos and photos. Thad visited twice a year, which Cyn encouraged because she sure as hell didn’t want anything getting in the middle of quality time with her man, namely him drowning his sorrows because he missed his little girl.
At eight months old, the relationship was still quite fresh and Thad agreed to something most men couldn’t seem to follow through on: courtship. That was the one stipulation Cyn had before she’d accept a single date with a man. And if he wasn’t consistent, forget about it! Three months into their courtship, Thad hadn’t failed her. With a demanding high profile career, Cyn rarely had time for anything more than an occasional fling every now and then. Not that she minded variety at all, but she had to admit, her favorite slogan, ‘A few good men’, was starting to get stale.
Thad was eye candy at its finest. At 6’ 5”, weighing in around 280 pounds, his body was definitely lean and mean. He had fair skin and a strong jaw line, accompanied by keen facial features that appeared like they had been chiseled into place. The thought alone of staring up into Thad’s piercing hazel eyes made her ache to be with him. And being with him felt right. She was satisfied with the way they were progressing. She kept her fingers crossed that they would stay that way.
Lacey Smalton, Reviewer from the Midwest Book Review, Reviewers Choice, March 2015 edition wrote:
“I am not a fan of most debut novels in which I have reviewed. I must warn you in advance that this is not the typical cookie-cutter Contemporary Romance novel you may currently find yourself reading! This is the 1st book installment of a trilogy. One Foot Outside The Door is a story about Cyndarella Worthy, a vibrant and beautiful African-American woman and her three best friends from childhood. They face the trials and tribulations of life, love, and romance, but not without angst. Cyndarella, the heroine of the story is successful in every area of her life, except in the love department, but her luck changes after a whirlwind relationship with Thad Mitchell, a handsome, African-American accountant in that she agrees to marry. However, Cyn's ex-boyfriend, Bashar Bazzi, a Chaldean gentleman of Iraqi descent returns and has other ideas about her new-found pending marital status. This book delves into the heartbreaking arena of the intense scrutiny and misconceptions involved in interracial dating. Yet, it embraces those struggles with such realism, grit and honesty, that this is truly a refreshing read from this new author.
There is a true love story which unfolds here that entertains as well as educates. The storytelling is solid, focused, and downright unpredictable! The supporting cast of characters each with their own distinctive flavoring makes this a must-read book that I would highly recommend. The sex scenes are sensual, passionate, and SO frigging good because they reel you in with each scene from beginning to end. Hotness at the highest level! It is a game-changer! Can't wait to read the next installment!”
Hi. I'm Vina St. Fran, a Michigan native and I write contemporary romance stories for a mature audience. I am also Political Contributor for Examiner.com, which is an online news publication.
Let me expound upon what drives me to write as an author. I like creating stories about powerful, kick-ass women who make it happen in the boardroom and the bedroom without apologies. You will find my novels may contain characters of different ethnic backgrounds who add spice to the plot, and makes for interesting reading.
My female heroines are confident and charismatic, yet they are vulnerable when it comes to matters of the heart. The realism is heartfelt, for to love is to risk. They find certain situations push them to the brink of despair, yet in the middle of it all they manage to enjoy amazing, fulfilling sex lives with their significant others, which is thrilling and downright erotic. The end result is that the characters mature, and develop into stronger women.
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