Please Welcome to Book Readers Heaven, Cameron Rascoe, Spotlight Author/Creator, Featuring Restless for Retribution, The Next Sister Act III - PH Block Party!?!

 

“Damn, when are you knuckleheads gonna get it right? Now take it again from the top! On me! One, two, three and pop. Yeah, that’s what I’m talking’ bout.” Chandler’s chastising turned to praise as he attempted to whip his latest boy band into shape. In his mind this group was no better or worse than any of the bands he’d created in the past. Chandler was convinced that if a group had the least bit of talent varied with vocal ability, he could groom them into stars. Very demanding Chandler was of his talent and often the protracted hours of form design wore him thin. Creating was overrated in Chandler’s mind; invariable persistent duplication is the key. Churning out the same with a little twist was Chandler’s greatest talent. “I’m the star! The music industry is filled with my puppets. I am the ultimate Geppetto; he had one dishonest puppet with a long wooden nose. Me on the other hand; my puppets deceive the whole world and entice them to join in the lie. They all sing a song and dance a dance of deception. This all, hatched from my brilliant mind, one mimics the other. Yes, I am a genius.” He would proclaim to anyone in the music industry who’d the misfortune of spending time in his presence fell upon. Overly impressed was Chandler with his own talent which caused him to be very persistent in his attempts to immerse them all in his superficial greatness.

Ras Cat grew to be a leader not only in the streets but also in community activism. He led a few boycotts and held town hall meetings in his twenties in protest of one injustice or another. Not much happened in Pine Hills without it being filtered through the “Mayor” at some point or another. He was dubbed the “Mayor” by some street rivals in an attempt to bring him disrespect for being so involved positively in community projects. The thug sentiment was that he was a hypocrite for getting money in the streets and then standing in front of the cameras and telling folks what to do. Ras Cat reasoned that we all have good and bad in us so why should we let the bad disallow us from utilizing the good we hold within us. “We all sin but doesn’t the Lord want us to go to church and repent if we do wrong. Are we to refuse to do good because we’ve done bad?” Ras Cat announced to an audience at a Pine Hills council meeting. The community latched on to the title of “Mayor” so the title was used by all when referring to the Ras Cat... He was a leader in music with the label Ras Cat Records. The label was owned by Ras Cat, a real Pine Hills G. A man in his mid thirties who knew the streets backwards and forwards; never committed a heinous crime, but been on the grind for decades. He’d done some of everything and never spent one day in the pen. Ras Cat was an intelligent man but he just decided to play the cards he was dealt. Smart enough to own three local profitable businesses but still had a real passion for Music, the one thing besides athletic competition he had to hold on to during his own painful childhood.

~~~

They called him the Mayor since there wasn't anybody in the position, but Ras Cat "earned" the title by doing anything and everything to help the people in the community of Pine Hills, also called Crime Hills by the rich and famous; but, a place where people of all races seemed to find a home, perhaps because of the atmosphere that was brought about by Ras Cat? Of course, there were still guns and drugs to be had and; based upon the family, sometimes, it depended how the teens would look forward to their future lives. If they favored a special uncle, who happened to find easy money through the sale of drugs, then they might wind up either hooked or in jail. While, others might recognize that they had to act on their own to get to the place where they wanted to be. And, if you were that type of boy or girl, and happened to have music in your blood, then Ras Cat just might be the role model they followed!

For surely  Ras Cat was the person to whom, when a group who was hoping to make a career in music, they came when they realized that they might have been "screwed royally" by their present manager. And, yes, they were under contract. The thing was that, the group wanted to go one way, even recording a song that they'd put together on their own; but their manager didn't even want to consider changing his routine method of dealing with groups... He saw himself as the puppet master and all of those he represented were to do exactly what he said, no matter what...

Ras Cat changed that... PH BOYZ were soon under Cat's wing and singing on tour and more! Of course, that change did not come easy and much of the behind-the-scene actions that both music fans and the rest of us never see (readers), are spelled out in the fantastic drama of Restless for Retribution!

And one scene was growing steadily toward eruption when a young boy, Ronnie, just 14, picked up a gun, and more, from his uncle who allowed his illegal activities to be seen and discussed with whoever happened to be visiting...

Ron was soon being mourned as still another Black boy was murdered...

Calls of warning were made to young Ronnie to no avail. He was engulfed in the embraces of his adolescent love, Tina. As the fall winds gently blew the pink white trimmed curtains in her bedroom window, the teens made sweet puppy love to the sounds of Chris Brown. After receiving one last dose of sugar from his number one girl, Ronnie exited her home and walked tall down Hastings Street. The cool winds blended perfectly with his mood of contentment and wooziness. Upon reaching the corner corner he took a right on Silver Star and made his way east to the Mc Donald’s. Damn this been a good night. He thought to himself as he entered the fast food establishment. After ordering a number three combo and saying hello to his Auntie Rhonda and her companion; he made his way out onto the patio to enjoy his meal by the beautiful Florida moonlight. Before the door closed behind him, booming gun shots rang out from the double barrels of a sawed off shotgun. Out of the front driver’s window of a black late model Impala leaned Tank taking aim once again at the youngster. With rims still spinning under the blaring lights in the restaurant’s parking lot, Tank pulled the trigger causing fatal wounds to the youngster’s head and face.

~~~

Of course, Ras Cat was soon in the mess of things as cries of family were heard in the streets, combined with police sirens and talk of...revenge... Ras Cat knew it could get worse...quick!

Among all that was to happen, music became a part of it, so here's a little of the major event that Cat brought to life... after...death...

This event named “THE FIRST ANNUAL PINE HILLS DAY - A DAY OF HEALING” by its creator and financer was to be like none other experienced in Pine Hills. The occasion would be part memorial service, part town hall meeting, motivational speaking, and concert. Accumulating into a joyous celebration of the tumultuous yet beautiful community embedded in the heart of Central Florida. Justly coaxed to take part in the event was a minister of Ras Cat’s home church in historic Eatonville Florida, the oldest black municipality in America. Minister Hunter, a long time friend and spiritual supporter of Ras Cat’s small dysfunctional family, was more than happy to speak at such a blissful and positive occasion. It was explained to him that it would be a secular event and there would be a lot of emotion in the air because of the recent tragic events occurring in their beloved Pine Hills. The minister replied. “You know I always go where I’m called to go and the Lord is telling me to come with you to spread this message of forgiveness, peace and love throughout this place that needs it so much right now...

Many beautiful women of all races and ages graced Barnett Park that day adding splendor to the festive fall morning. By 10:00 a.m. the park held more than six thousand people; light R&B played throughout the park from remote speakers. Students working with Ras Cat presented their own works... Then... DJ Chamber played Frankie Beverly and Maze, Earth Wind and Fire and Patty Labelle to the audience’s delight. Ras Cat greeted Reverend Hunter as people continued to pour onto the park grounds.

There's a lot more in this first book, actually it's set into different parts, which focuses on the "retribution" of the individuals in the book... But, as I was working to finish what I'd be sharing about this book, Ras Cat asked one of his former lovers, who was also a music star a number of years ago, if she would sing a song for the memorial part of the day. She was hesitant since she hadn't song publicly for years, but Ras Cat had written a song for the service and he thought when she heard it, she would want to help bring it to the event. Which she did. 

Now, for me, there wasn't a song for me to find...but as soon as I thought about it, another God Incident happened... I hope the following choice, Precious Lord, Take My Hand, will represent Cam's words that needed to be said, and heard, by those mourning the young boy...and moving on from their horrible loss... Besides the one I found by Beyonce, I wanted to also use Aretha...as well as others that are the greats that we all love to hear, don't we?

Gabbie's Thoughts: Spend some time as you listen to the songs presented as a part of the memorial. Book Readers Heaven cries out for all those Black men who are chased down the streets by vigilantes, by corrupt police officers and by those who hate because they are incited to hate... One thing I have realized since I've met so many writers and read their books, we are lucky that the majority of Americans who are not white, not christian, do not rise up like the white "christian" nationalists have done! I have watched and seen that, especially those who are Black have been held down for so long--hundreds of years--that they are, sadly, "almost" acceptive of it. Still it hurts. It enrages all those who follow our goal of loving our neighbors... And even, men who are leaders have not brought about such turmoil as the white nationalists have wrought on our nation. I am ashamed... I pray to God for reparation. (the making of amends for a wrong one has done, by paying money to or otherwise helping those who have been wronged.)

And Then It Hit Me as I was reading about preparations on the 2nd Annual Event...and remembered what had been said about Pine Hills being referred to as "Crime Hill!" Now, that's a location for...Whoopie Goldberg to set her Sister Act III location - PH Block Party! Pine Hills is a widely diversified community that, according to the story, is both a high crime area...but one in which a local non-political individual has pulled the community together to work toward improvement, and, emphasizing the youth living there! In fact, Cam Roscoe has already told the story in Restless for Retribution... including a grand finale such as we saw in Sister Act II 

I meet men creators like Cam, or poets like Manny Moreno, an indigenous citizen and see no anger strong enough to reek of the smell of hate sufficient to go out and murder... Doesn't that tell us something about just "who" is acting politically as opposed to Godly?

In one of the videos from Cam, there was a comment about individuals on Facebook who join groups and/or just speak in a nasty way to whoever and whatever they feel is their right to do. There is no decency, no moral code, no common sense--no feeling of Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You. In fact, this is one of the reasons I stopped doing book reviews, per se. because I have read some of those who share their opinion, without regard to the overall effort of the writer. I would rather share God's Truth, here...and it will be read by those God wants to share it with...

Cam's books I consider in the urban fiction genre. That is important. If you do not know what that means, then you, in my opinion, have no right to "review" these books. The only negative thing I could say is to  highly encourage Cam to get a proofreader... For me, that was the only problem I had with the three books of his I have read, so far. Having worked with hundreds of authors over the years, I know that many find it hard to read their own stories from an editing/proofreading standpoint. Kinda like me, when I read the words of a song, I automatically start singing them... So that, I have been told, when a writer goes back and rereads...it is his final words that are remember and, actually, read, rather than the true content that appears in the page. Yet, many do not have the money to pay for those services. I would not normally even write about this issue these days, except that Cam did a little public feedback for those who have felt the need to negatively respond to his work. 

Frankly I have found the words from Cam Rascoe more real, more open, more sincere than many of the books/public posts I've read. You can certainly tell, when you read as many books as I do, whether the writer is writing to "present" their words to the public, either for political or personal reasons, or whether the writer wants to share his words so much that he will overlook those tedious tasks of ensuring that errors are corrected... And, for some, like Cam, I also overlook them, because I have been captured by what he is saying--and why he is saying them... And, besides, errors can always be corrected...not so, the meaning of words...

And I believe that Cam is a writer that will speak to many of his race. I just wish that more white people would choose to read the words of Black writers... instead of banning those books that speak of the historical and present violence wrought against the Black and other non-white races in America. Thank you Cam, for continuing to speak...and write, even when some will see only errors rather than...words...

God Bless

Gabbie

Held within every problem in life there is an opportunity. Sometimes we focus so much on the troubles that we are going through that we miss the prospect of growth and development that comes attached to it. On the occasion that adversity enters your life, find what greatness you can achieve by overcoming it. A brighter day is on the other side of each storm; we just have to make our way through it. Our most trying tribulations can become our greatest triumphs if we only take the time to recognize the opportunity

--Cam Rascoe

Find him almost daily with words of wisdom and...more...

Coming...more book discussions, individual stories...talking with Cam...!!!