A New York police officer being shot in the line of duty. The Muffin Man. A shopping spree. The initiation of a priestess. Cheerleaders. Lineages that go back to the days of king Solomon and to times immemorial. And a Star, that may bring hope for mankind, or rather, a certain kind of man.

Facts and events, seemingly thrown together at random, as contrasting dots and stripes of paint in an impressionist painting, that will only reveal their significance if you take a step back, and behold the bigger picture. But the image that unfolds before your eyes when going through these pages wasn't made on delicate canvas with the finest of brushes, and is not to be found in any museum or art gallery. This piece is skillfully spray-canned on the brick wall of a Brooklyn church: colorful on the outside, yet spiritual on the inside... but only for those who manage to look beyond the surface of what appears to be just a brick wall with graffiti on it. This is where the mundane and the magic mingle. This is angelic choirs on a hip hop beat.

This is urban fiction.

Like Coney Island’s Thunderbolt and Cyclone roller coasters, “Sleeping With a D-Man” provides a thrilling ride that twists, turns, dives and soars as the heroine, Nicole Jettison, a young black woman possessed by a thirst for knowledge and fulfillment, strives to break free of her haunted and humble Brooklyn beginnings. Throw in a healthy dose of African American history, folklore, black magic, and even some Old Testament, and you get a bracing brew that keeps you wide-eyed and turning the pages. “Sleeping With a D-Man” reveals Hopkins’ knack for fast paced storytelling while teaching us about what life is like for many young women of color. Readers should look forward to more from this talented author.

Mr. D.

This book is incredible! You are an amazing writer. I have to agree with Annie Walker, reading the book is like watching a movie. Speaking of which, I hope that we can see the film version of the book in the near future. (I can only imagine what it would be like on film.) For those of you who haven't read the book, and for those of you who have, I urge you to read/re-read the shaving scene on p.126 (Snow Daze). How sensual is that scene? Man, I want to try that!!!

Imagine if you will Michael Douglas replaced by Will Smith and Katheleen Turner with Angela Bassett and you get Romancing the Stone meets Spike Lee's "School Days."

Now throw in tidbits of Angel Heart, the Prophecy, and a Vampire in Brooklyn. What do you get? No, not prose gumbo but a wonderfully tale of a coming age story of all the characters that is founded on the rich African heritage of which most African Americans are ignorant.

Fellows, there is no male-bashing in this story; in fact, quite the contrary. Ladies, especially those of African decent, beware. The book challenges today's women of African decent to live up to the proud heritage of their maternal ancestors. If you are afraid to open your minds to new regions of thought, then you should avoid this book like baby daddy drama. However, if you are ready to be transported to a time and place much like our own but with a bit of intrigue and mysticism. Then you are ready to experience "Sleeping with a D-Man".

Beloved

Shango, "God of Thunder"