In her debut novel, Mel Hopkins weaves an epic supernatural tale of forbidden love, conspiracy and sacrifice.
Brooklyn native Nicole Jettison says freshman year at St. Vincent University in Queens, NY started out like a typical school year at the Big East division school. Cheerleader tryouts, sorority rushes, basketball games, and a lot of school work which was par for the course for any co-ed.
What Jettison didn't count on was extra-curricular activity that included unmasking a shape-shifting drug-dealer, sorcery, and a crash course in fallen angels.
"To make matters worse," says Jettison, "I did it all while battling a Lenni Lenape Indian princess and West African Obeah high priestess for the captain of the basketball team."
In the end, Jettison wins his heart and something else she didn't bargain for; a gift from otherworldly beings that are hell-bent on changing their fate and maybe the world too.
"The D-Man is a fantasy that moves like real life." If Vickie Stringer is the Queen Bee of Hip-Hop publishing, then Mel Hopkins is surely her Lauren Hill. Mel has managed to take a romance between two well to do college students and turn it upside down into a vision of betrayal, mental abuse and religious awakenings. And I don't mean the kind that you'd normally find in a Church in this country (no matter what the Denomination). This story takes the reader on a dizzying tale that travels from Queens N.Y. to West Virginia, Jamaica West Indies and even to Ethiopia. Dubbed an Urban Fantasy by the author, it sometimes reads as if a lot of this has actually happened. As I was reading it the visuals that ran through my head seemed almost familiar, as if taken from the pages of newspapers past. It left me wondering if a young woman could really face these types of situations and circumstances and yet become a productive citizen or, is it the work of a woman with an extremely... More > complex imagination. Her characters sometimes come off so real, while at the same time so disturbing that I have to do a double take and start the page over again to make sure of what I'm reading. The various spiritual and religious ceremonies, I believe are based on actual facts, both known and hidden. Either way, whether fact or fictional, the research that went into this is due to be noted as Mel breathes life into each ritual, incantation and spell that is cast. This story starts out up and running from the opening line, as if it was written to be a major motion picture. We witness almost first hand an event that will later be pivotal to the process of understanding the main characters. Nikki Jett and Drew Michaels both have a few skeletons in their closets. The only question now is who's got the keys that open the doors? Cheda' Jones – The King of Urban Media< Less
"Surprisingly Good" I caught one of my female friends reading your book and at first glance I thought this was a romance novel, but found that it was so much more. (I like to read, but I'm not big on romance novels, you know?) The story lines are so involved, I still don't see how you managed to get it all in about 200 pages! Excellent work, and I look forward to reading more from you, Ms. Hopkins. P.S. Sexy pic ;)
"Sleeping With A D-Man" Sleeping With A D-Man is both personal and ambitious, combining reflections on bereavement and love with a conspiracy that draws in everybody from fallen angels to police officers to college kids. As such it feels as if it could've done with being longer in order to let the various elements settle together more seamlessly. Story and research don't always mesh, with the latter sometimes feeling too list-like, and this can pull the reader out of the narrative. Also, the supernatural elements really needed time to be seeder more deeply into the overall story - I read a lot of this type of fiction and suspension of disbelief isn't something I have difficulty with normally, but here I just couldn't buy most of the dreams or transformations, or the surrounding characters' reactions to them. In terms of real-life protocol, there are also moments when things just don't seem plausible. It spoils nothing to mention these in general terms, so I'll say that I... More > found it hard to believe that court procedure would have allowed one particular incident to happen, and it seems unlikely that the ethics and mores of a Christian college would allow a theological lecturer to impart as fact so many of his own opinions. It might have helped to investigate these fields further, as there's almost always another way to get across vital points while keeping pacing, important hints and emotive power intact, which I understand is important in a book whose plot involves secrets and mysteries. More time spent on character development would also have helped some character decisions to feel a bit less arbitrary, since they often seem to choose things because the plot requires them to, rather than from their own hearts. This is a shame, because the characters are generally quite believable and their interactions often well-observed. A great love of people and community comes through in the dialogue and in the person of central character Nicole Jettison. Nicole's warm and witty delivery make her a likeable heroine, and I daresay a lot of girls her age will identify with her enthusiasm for life, and her dilemma of how to balance a relationship with independence. The parts of the book with the greatest emotional resonance are the scenes involving Nicole, her family, and how they cope in the aftermath of her father's murder. Whatever its flaws, this is certainly a book written from the heart.< Less
"Can you look beyond the surface?" 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.... More > This is where the mundane and the magic mingle. This is angelic choirs on a hip hop beat. This is urban fiction.< Less
"WOW!!!" 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!!!
