The Moanin' After - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
This is a story of David Richmond, a lost dancer struggling to reclaim his equilibrium after his core rhythm has been taken away by loneliness, disease and the death of his best friend. It is a look at his journey from promiscuous party animal to a sober, mentally stable adult by way of analysis.

This is also a deep, wistful, brave and harrowing account of a handful of New Yorkers: Bliss Santana, a beautiful actress and single mother, living with HIV, Faison "Browny" Brown, a failed singer determined to grab that brass ring at any cost... and finally there is Kindred. Is he the personification of a pure and untouched soul, or is he just a figment of David's imagination?

The Moanin' After is a tale about ghosts and intrigue, hope, greed, ambition, and mystery. Most of all, it is an unapologetic look at urban life, its joys and pitfalls, where secrets are revealed and love is tested to see if it is indeed as David Richmond proclaims, "a verb!" THE MOANIN' AFTER is all this, and so much more.

Praise for Manhood: The Longest Moan

"Ross is one amazing writer, a poet who can move with ease into the area of storytelling and yet maintain the allure of brush stroke images too often found only in the terse poem form." - Grady Harp, Top 10 amazon.com reviewer

"Ross delivers a story that is sharp, juicy, wicked, and unapologetically brazen." -James Earl Hardy, author of the bestselling B-Boy Blues series

"Mr. Ross is a literary master." - Lee Hayes, author of Passion Marks and The Messiah

Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

'No book, no story, no plot, just a journey through Love.' April 18, 2008
158 out of 160 found this review helpful

LM Ross continues the story of his highly successful novel MANHOOD with this sequel THE MOANIN' AFTER and in every way it is the equal to his first foray into the lives of four African American men, friends since childhood, but disseminated by fate, fortunes, and lessons in life. Ross' skill at joining street talk with descriptive elegant prose is very much present here. Few authors can handle colloquialisms and slang with such fierce rhythm while keeping the descriptive portions of the writing so rich in poetic color and so liquid in flow. It is a gift that serves Ross well in creating a novel that moves briskly through the lives past and present of his four main characters and allows him the ability to seamlessly introduce (or re-surface) other characters in this well-paced novel. Reading LM Ross recalls two music forms: the atmosphere and narration of the story are definitely from the Blues mold, while the technique Ross embraces in telling his tale is pure Jazz - themes, riffs, solo runs, scat, and the magic of having the ensemble come together in a climactic end.

Knowing that every reader may not have read MANHOOD, Ross adroitly references the beginnings of the four lead characters: David Donatello Richmond (dancer), Pascal 'Face' Depina (model), Tyrone Hunter (writer), and Faison 'Browny' Brown (singer) joined forces as a music group 'Da Elixir' in high school and had a short success with a hit song. The four become men, some fall in love with each other while others fall in love with fame and money and drugs and addiction, some go their separate ways, some die in the AIDS scourge, some marry and some have children almost accidentally, and as the four men diminish one is left as the narrator of the spent lives - David tells this story in both active time as he is wasting from AIDS and from reflections after his closet friend of the four (Tyrone) dies and leaves his inheritance to David. The loves and losses of each of the four men are explored by David's experiences with his Psychiatrist, with women bonded to each of the men, with gay lovers and fleeting forays, and with the ever present challenges of living in New York City. As David states, 'When you're a dancer, you're also a body actor. You had to be observant - and you keep observing until it becomes a reliable muscle....I became the most observant student of the others.'

The central Blues theme of the book is David's coping with the loss of Tyrone, a man whose life and spirit continue to haunt him after Tyrone's death. David seeks advice not only from his doctor but also from a spiritualist, he sees Tyrone's 'ghost', discovers secrets about all of his acquaintances from Tyrone's journals, and finally decides he cannot exit life without returning to this first love - the stage - and there he unveils the realities of being a black gay queen in a public confessional ('From Fag to Man, The Journey') that draws the story toward its conclusion. 'Love is a verb' is a phrase David often repeats and it serves as a signpost for his dealing with every situation, good and bad, that he encounters. Through some terrifying sequences and many sensuously beautiful love scenes Ross paints the lives of unforgettable characters like a fine jazz session, all the while peppering his pages with 'scat-like' idiomatic dialog. Stepping back from THE MOANIN' AFTER the reader realizes that the book is packed with a wide variety of characters, and yet each of them is so well developed (even in a mere few pages at times) that every character is an integral part to the story.

It would not be fair to ignore the fact that this novel has many editorial mishaps: words are inadvertently repeated, pronoun references are misplaced, punctuation errors stop the eye from smooth reading, etc. - all minor flaws but ones that should have been addressed by careful editing and proofreading. Ross' book deserves better. With this novel LM Ross confirms his status as one of our important novelists. His work 'snatches joy!' Grady Harp, April 08

5 out of 5 stars

If you sleep on this you will be lost!!!!! March 29, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

Sometimes in life you'll come across a writer who will have you glued to the pages. You will be able to feel his/her every word and know he/she put their blood, sweat, tears, heart, and soul into every word.There is hope, greed, ambition, anger, and mystery all role in one well written masterpiece. I have introduce this wonderful man before, and I must have you meet him again, Because he did the damn thing again with....

The Moanin After is the sequel of Manhood The Longest Moan. This is David's story, he says; love is verb. He is lost without his friends who died, and left him behind. He's in so much pain, dealing with life issues.

Faison "Browny" Brown is still a lost soul, blamin everyone else for his sorry life, still plottin to get what he thinks everyone owes him.

Bliss Santana she forgot who is was, and want her past back. That of a young girl to be free.

Kindred is young man searchin for the love of parent.

This masterpiece will have you looking at your own life, your trials, and tribulations. Looking for your Long Blue Moan. Looking for David, Bliss, Browny, and Kindred just to give them a hug.

So people go out and grab your copy, and tell a friend.

5 out of 5 stars

He's done it again! May 29, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I just finished L.M. Ross' latest gift to the world. Once again, Mr. Ross has given us a profound gift and another taste of his genius. I LOVED The Moanin' After. Far too often these days, African-American authors of "gay" material or otherwise, tend to write for (what seems to be) readers with a 7th grade education, at best. Not this writer! He really takes you on an emotional journey, in which maturity and intelligence is a must; as well as some experience in that indefinable condition known as the human heart. As with his brilliant work before this - Manhood, The Longest Moan - again, Mr. Ross made me think..and not just coast along, when reading. How refreshing. How challenging. How adult. How REAL! He made me use my brain, and more importantly - my heart! Congratulations, Mr. Ross. You deserve KUDOS! If you crave intelligent, adult reading with raw and heartfelt emotion - this one's for you! We need more from you, Mr. Ross! Thus, we wait.

5 out of 5 stars

"In The Raw" April 8, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

I just got through reading & I actually had tears in my eyes. This is one
absolutely Phenomenal book. I liked this one better because it was so Real & Raw about "Destructive Behavior" and it's "Deadly Consequences". This sequel made me Laugh-Cry-Sad-Happy, even a thrill every now and again all at the same time.

What's so Phenomenal about this novel is the "Breakdown" if you will of what happens when you make "Poor Choices".

David Richmond went from "Feeling Good to Feeling & Seeing Death. The death of his long time Friend Tyrone Hunter. He soooo Loved this man more than himself at times. To find that he was also "Dying" a slow death as well. He became very promiscuous as if he really didn't care anymore following the death of Tyrone Hunter.
He could not understand why most if not all of his friends were all dying
around him & he's still here.

My God if this book don't shake "Reality" into these wanna be Invinceable People...Then you certaintly are playing a dangerous if not
"Deadly" game with your precious lives.

Now I have "Happy" tears for my Dear ohhhhh so Talented-Young-Gifted & Wonderful Friend Mr. Lin M. Ross.
First & foremost a Phenomenal Poet/Writer that I had the sincere Pleasure of knowing.

This by far is the most Intriquing,Compelling & Captivating Book I have ever had the Pleasure of reading. An absolute "Must Buy".

PICK UP YOUR COPY TODAY!

5 out of 5 stars

BRILLIANT! April 13, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

L.M. Ross has done it again! In this breathtaking novel, Mr. Ross creatively expresses and captures the influence of "real" life issues on a group of urban New Yorkers whose lives intertwine. While depicting the impact and essence of friendship, love, triumph, tradedy, heartache, loss, and greed, The Moanin' After gives us a clear sense that life is about choices...choices not without consequences, but oft time left to foolish chance. Ross cleverly reminds readers that we are ALL faced with ghosts...be they memories, past choices, or illusions.

As we experience the story of a maturing David Richmond who is mourning the loss of his closest friend (so close they were kindred spirits), we watch much growth and change develop...David attempts to acquire stability and balance in his life, while dealing with ghosts, disease, truths, and lonliness.

The Moanin' After is a must read!! Grab a copy and absorb...You'll be thrilled you did!

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