Out Cold

by Daamon Speller

At age twenty-two, best friends Randall Crawford and Dirk Francis are on their own at last and living the good life in New York City in the 1980s. When it comes to the honeys, Randall just doesn't seem able to find his way out of the dreaded 'friend zone,' while Dirk is only interested in fast love and perfecting his funky fresh dance moves.

Life as they know it is about to change when Madison Jones enters the picture. She's a twenty-nine-year-old, def-to-the-bone honey-dip who always gets what she wants--and right now that's a husband, a house on Long Island, and 2.5 kids before her thirty-fifth birthday.

When these three diverse agendas collide, secrets and mayhem follow as they turn each other's lives inside out. Out Cold is an old-school story of good times, not-so-good times, and the consequences of both.

341 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 2009

About the author

Daamon Speller is a former contributing writer for the lifestyle magazines Today's Black woman, Upscale, Heart & Soul, and the Baltimore Sun newspaper. He currently is the author of three novels, and enjoys writing stories with a particular affinity toward the multicultural, 40-and-over audience.

Reviews

[Monique · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yup yup I did just read this silly little novel and follow the characters Dirk, Madison and Randall back to the 80's with its cheesy dialogue, salaries of $20,000, the crack epidemic and times when light skinned dudes pulled ALL the ladies and...I must say it was cute and entertaining--coming off two pretty intense reads requiring concentration and going back to names and dates I wanted to laugh (internally at least) and fly through some pages and this worked ..though I wont lie and say it didn't have its unbelievable and puerile (I love to hate this GRE word) plot twists--I found myself smiling and relaying funny sayings and passages to anyone who would listen as this book was truly "out cold" or as the main characters explain it just so out there and unreal you must have lost consciousness and are therefore 'out cold'--Mmm hmm yes that is how the majority of the book reads but its endearing and nostalgic so I gave a few too many passes and so this book got its second star LOL..Okay so you follow best friends Dirk and Randall as they live and work together, Dirk trying to get with any girl willing (calls them his booty kills--tee hee) and Randall desperately trying to shake his "good boy" vibe and pass the friend zone with any girl who is willing to try a relationship when they meet the seemingly put together older, established and beautiful Madison, an ambitious woman who knows what she wants and carrying the bitter scars of a girl who's been hurt looking for the all American female dream: an everlasting love complete with the brag about wedding and honeymoon, exquisite ring one carat no less,and the house in the suburbs with picket fence and 2.5 kids before she is 35 (maybe a dog but hey that may be too unrealistic LOL)--being all of 28 with money to burn on the house she desperately wants she is a calculated and focused feline with both guys able to fit her plan........but which man???? ....Add to that this is New York in the 1987-1992 era what else can fill up this 250+ page book ha ha guess you have to read like me and find out--such a stinker I am....Final Note--Eh..its comical and entertaining at best not memorable....