A Love of My Own

by E. Lynn Harris

Friendship. Love. Family.

Bestselling author E. Lynn Harris is back with another new tale that embraces his signature themes.

Zola Denise Norwood is a young hot editor in chief of Bling Bling, (the magazine “for people who want everything!) who’s at the top of her game, ruling the roost in business as well as the bedroom. Having discovered “the power of three” (not tying herself down to just one guy) Zola surrounds herself with a coterie of men : her best male friend, the gay Hayden; her Monday night man, Jabar, and enjoys stolen nights with married Bling Bling owner and media mogul Davis Vincent McClinton, a man who chases power at all costs…Still, Zola dreams of finding true love.

Raymond Tyler, Jr., a favorite and classic Harris character has suffered a personal loss and picks up and moves to New York to re-build his life. As CEO of Bling Bling,Raymond struggles to enjoy his newfound success in business as he searches for love and meaning in his personal life. John Basil Henderson returns with a new lady in his life, and Raymond and Basil renew a friendship that is fraught with sexual tension. As Raymond examines his life and strains to move forward, tragedy strikes, and Raymond faces his biggest challenge ever.

As Zola and Raymond search for a love of their own, several characters from the past make cameo appearances and round out another E. Lynn Harris classic tale. A LOVE OF MY OWN is filled with all the marvelous ingredients the author’s fans the globe over have come to love. Sit back and get ready as E. Lynn Harris takes you on another satisfying and rip-roaring ride.

Genres: African American, Fiction, Romance, Audiobook, M M Romance, LGBT, Drama

386 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

E. Lynn Harris was born in Flint, Michigan and raised, along with three sisters, in Little Rock, Arkansas. He attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville where he was the school's first black yearbook editor, the first black male Razorbacks cheerleader, and the president of his fraternity. He graduated with honors with a degree in journalism.

Harris sold computers for IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and AT&T for thirteen years while living in Dallas, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. He finally quit his sales job to write his first novel, Invisible Life, and, failing to find a publisher, he published it himself in 1991 and sold it mostly at black-owned bookstores, beauty salons, and book clubs before he was "discovered" by Anchor Books. Anchor published Invisible Life as a trade paperback in 1994, and thus his career as an author officially began.

Invisible Life was followed by Just As I Am (1994), And This Too Shall Pass (1996), If This World Were Mine (1997), Abide with Me (1999), Not A Day Goes By (2000), Any Way the Wind Blows (2001), A Love of My Own (2002), I Say A Little Prayer (2006), Just Too Good To Be True (2008), Basketball Jones(2009), and Mama Dearest(2009),all published by Doubleday, and In My Father's House(2010), published by St. Martin's Press. Ten of Harris's novels hit the New York Times bestseller list, and his books have also appeared on the bestseller lists of the Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times. In 2003, Harris published his first work of nonfiction, a memoir entitled What Becomes of the Brokenhearted, which was also a New York Times bestseller. Today, there are more than four million copies of his books in print.

Harris's writing also appeared in Essence, Washington Post Sunday Magazine, and Sports Illustrated, as well as in the award-winning anthology Brotherman: The Odyssey of Black Men in America, Go The Way Your Blood Beats. His novella, "Money Can't Buy Me Love" was published in Got To Be Real: Four Original Love Stories. Freedom in This Village, a collection of short stories edited by Harris, was released in the fall of 2004. His short fiction appeared in Gumbo: A Celebration of African American Writers (Harlem Moon), a 2002 collection he edited with writer Marita Golden.

Harris won numerous accolades and prizes for his work. Just As I Am was awarded the Novel of the Year Prize by the Blackboard African-American Bestsellers, Inc. If This World Were Mine was nominated for a NAACP Image Award and won the James Baldwin Award for Literary Excellence. Abide with Me was also nominated for a NAACP Image Award. His anthology Freedom in this Village won the Lambda Literary Award in 2005. In 1999, the University of Arkansas honored Harris with a Citation of Distinguished Alumni for outstanding professional achievement, and in October 2000 he was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. He was named to Ebony's "Most Intriguing Blacks" list, Out Magazine's "Out 100" list, New York Magazine's "Gay Power 101" list, and Savoy's "100 Leaders and Heroes in Black America" list. Other honors included the Sprague Todes Literary Award, the Harvey Milk Honorary Diploma, and The Silas Hunt Award for Outstanding Achievement from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

Harris was a member of the Board of Directors of the Hurston/Wright Foundation and the Evidence Dance Company. He was the founder of the E. Lynn Harris Better Days Foundation, a nonprofit company that provides support to aspiring writers and artists.

E. Lynn Harris passed away in 2009.

http://us.macmillan.com/inmyfathersho...

Reviews

[Diane Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read!! sequel to 'Mommy Dearest'.....a talented writer that's gone too soon,huge fan of his books...(paperback!)

[Ashley Teagle · Rating 4 out of 5]

E. Lynn Harris' books never fail to live up to a traditional romance story with a twist. I enjoyed this book, as I have enjoyed his others. I find the dialogue in his books is realistic and I feel like his characters are usually those that you may encounter in real life.

Readers who enjoy a books about love with a touch of unrealistic fantasy thrown in for good measure and a nice tidy ending will enjoy the feel good vibe of E. Lynn Harris' books.

[Winter Sophia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging, Emotional, Intriguing, Page Turner! An Amazing Read! I Loved It!

[Miscoshia · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book by E. Lynn. He came to my college and signed my copy!

[Antonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so good! Can’t wait to read more by him!

[Jay DeMoir · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was eerie to read a book that included 9/11 but it made the story more impactful. Though it wasn't the main focus of the novel, it stuck out to me the most.

I still find it unrealistic that Basil and Raymond ended up together. I never saw that coming.

[Marlene Banks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harris was a good writer. Story held my interest but could have had a bit more depth with the characters.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book even though it seemed a little long. It kept my attention from beginning to end. If you like adult romance and drama, this might be a good one to read.

[Penny Francis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Storyline was great. I would recommend reading the book rather than listening. The version I listened to was hard. The orator didn't differentiate the characters very well, so it was hard to tell which character was which

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have this book, but read it some time ago, but I am a fan of all of e. lynn harris books, all of them are good.

[Towanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sorry we lost E. Lynn Harris. His characters always related to the real world.

[Tamara Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been a fan of E. Lynn Harris, and I'm sad that he's gone, never to write again. I truly enjoyed this book. I actually thought that Raymond and Zola would end up together. That Davis was a piece of work and I just really couldn't stand him. I love Zola and her never-die spirit...I think Justine may have been a little zealous about her beliefs but I'm glad she and Zola reconciled. I thought Kai and Hayden were hilarious. An excellent read!

[Kayla Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned this book was a part of a series after reading other reviews. Nonetheless, it was pretty good. A few times in the beginning, I questioned what the story was about but it got interesting as a continued to read. I loved that the dialogue was realistic. The ending caught me by surprise, because it seemed kind of abrupt for everyone to receive their happy ending. Still a solid read with positive messages throughout it.

[Alonna D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to "A Love of My Own" by. Lynn Harris and narrated by Richard Allen via Audiobook. It was interesting to read characters that live in NYC when 9/11 happened in 2001. I am glad both Zola and Ray found love for themselves at the end of the novel. They both went through alot of twist and turns to really find out how to love themselves.

[Danielle Bigsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!!! So many messages and even though it was written years ago, the material seemed so relative and relatable to today's times. It was my first book by this author but it won't be the last! Excellent job!!!!

[oasisity · Rating 3 out of 5]

- epilogues should not be leaving me with more questions than answers??
- new trope unlocked: escort to fiancé pipeline?
- they defined love on their own terms but it was not giving love ONCE in any instance!

[Jemia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only reason it took me so long to read this book was because life was busy. But I did enjoy any way the wind blows better than this one. The last 100 pages were better than the first 285. But I love reading e. Lynn Harris books because it transports me back to a period in tim

[Queen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly…I felt like this book was boring and anticlimactic. I started to get interested around the boss/zola work issue and the drama between the mom and the celebrity but it all just ended up in a big blah. I would say this is a generous 2 star for me.

[Regina Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all of his books and really enjoyed them all, first time I heard the term on " the down low". I wish he hadn't died so young very talented writer and professor.

[Netta B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good!

[Patricia Burroughs · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

[Rafael Suleiman · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting Black romantic novel.

[TR]

This is my first read by E. Lynn Harris. I am about four chapters in and I'm already feeling some kind of way...

[Yesenia Cash · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so nice to take a trip down memory lane, this book was written in the early 2009’s and I enjoyed reading every page even almost 20 years later.

[Ta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raymond always the good guy. Well written and a good storyline.

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

High powered people, not always making good decisions. Love and loss and strength. Lots of references to Caller ID.

[Keisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book great read

[Degarrius Cullum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read.

[Noelle ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending! It was everything I wanted and more. I so enjoyed this read.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't like this author