Book Review and Giveaway: Clarence Nero's "Too Much of a Good Thing Ain't Bad"

Clarence Nero is the new urban literary hotness. Maya Angelou has described Nero as "one of our most promising young authors." Beyonce Knowles wished Nero good luck on his book from the set of Dreamgirls. Nero's second novel, Three Sides to Every Story, was a scorching love story with an unapologetic black, gay aesthetic set in fabulous, pre-Katrina New Orleans. Johnny, the college football star whose father is a prominent anti-gay mega-church pastor (sound familiar?), prefers to be discrete. James is unashamedly gay and flamboyant. The unlikely love story of Johnny and James returns for the sequel Too Much of a Good Thing Ain't Bad, which just dropped from Broadway Books. Read a sample chapter here and continue reading the review for your chance to win a free copy of the book.

Too Much of a Good Thing Ain't Bad picks up immediately after Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans. Johnny and his family relocate to Washington D.C. and Johnny attends Wheatley College, "one of the top black schools in the country" and rival to Howard University. James moves into Johnny's apartment, which immediately causes friction because Johnny is pledging his father's fraternity. "I accepted James for who he was and loved everything about him, but sometimes he was just over the top with his fashions and exotic hairstyles. That shit was embarrassing to me. Can you imagine walking down the street with a six foot man sporting pink and blue hair and wearing high platform shoes?"

Add Sheila Doggett to the tension, the "pretty dark skinned sistah with the tight ass body: and Harvard MBA. Sheila was introduced to Johnny by family members who are intent on "turning him on the straight and narrow." Oh and coincidentally she is James'  boss at the school where he works as a teacher's aide, and, intent on getting him fired.

Too Much of a Good Thing Ain't Bad is great summer reading. The characters are captivating. The dialogue, and situations, written from three points of view, is at times laugh out loud funny, other times deep and introspective. It's always fresh and always entertaining. Most of all the subject matter should be intimately familiar to Rod 2.0 readers—bourgeois vs. "hood" culture, homophobia, the anti-gay black church, feminine vs. masculine stereotypes, and HIV/AIDS in the black and black gay communities. Oh and there is a special shout-out to Rod 2.0 and its readers in the book, too.

AFTER THE JUMP: Read our interview with Clarence Nero and win a free copy of Too Much of a Good Thing Ain't Bad.

Clarence Nero is about to begin touring Too Much of a Good Thing Ain't Bad and took a few minutes to speak with us.

Johnny and James are total opposites. In a black gay culture that stresses "homothugs", its refreshing to see characters that don't fit stereotypes. What is the audience reaction to a feminine, flamboyant character? 

It varies. Some people say they wanted two homothugs and don't like a more masculine man coupled with a more flamboyant more. "That’s not realistic", i have been told. Then, I get just the opposite reaction. There are some readers who email me, or even come up to me, and say "thank you" or "I can appreciate that, this is us." But I wanted to show the diversity of experience and our community.

The class dynamic between these two is off the chain. Johnny's family are the Huxtables, James is from the street, but his people are more accepting. 

Isn't it though? I like the fact that Johnny is from a more traditional and middle class background and James is on the opposite end. And then I wanted to turn the homophobic stereotypes on their heads, too. You know, the more educated and wealthy are supposed to be more "accepting"? Well not in Johnny's case.

Absolutely. I've met many upper middle class Jack & Jill types whose families hate the fact they're gay.

Okay! (laughs) I know someone who is very middle class and grew up with a very good family. That family does not accept his sexuality. Just like Johnny's family doesn't want him to be with James. They want him to settle down and marry a nice woman. I thought this would be different and create more conflict.

Johnny likes the fact that James is confident and "real", as he says. But once he moves in, he starts to change him. What happened there?

You noticed that? The time they were apart after Katrina ... Johnny went in an different direction. Katrina tore New Orleans apart, but it also brought families together. It brought Johnny closer to his family. He was always black sheep of family and now he could make amends. By the time, James came to town , Johnny is with his family, hanging out with his brother and trying to pledge his father's fraternity.  But we could do an entire novel around homophobia and black fraternities .

Let's talk about Sheila Doggett. Why did you choose this character and why begin Too Much of a Good Thing Ain't Bad with her?

Sheila is a very successful black women who has it together. She has been hurt by black men and let it down by black men. She is divorced and trying ti find happiness. We all are, you know? But we started with her ... we wanted the book to have a fresh feeling. We needed it to stand alone as a novel. Sometimes, when you write a sequel, you want it to stand alone. We also wanted to build an audience. And we all know that black women are buying books records numbers.

Yes and some black "gay" novels are written more for black straight women than black gay men.

I know what you're talking about. I didn’t force it though and I think all the characters are very compelling. It's an important part of the experience because many men are closeted or coming to terms with their sexuality.

Read a sample chapter here of Too Much of a Good Thing Ain't Bad.

This week and next week, Broadway Books and Rod 2.0 are giving away limited copies of Too Much of a Good Thing Ain't Bad. Leave your comments on Clarence Nero and the issues raised in his new novel. What do you think of the sample chapter? Do you think black gay men are too infatuated with "thug" culture and ignore feminine men? Would you ever date a closeted man from a religious family?

You May Enjoy ...
A Conversation with Clarence Nero [R20]
Review: "Three Sides to Every Story" by Clarence Nero [R20]

Comments

[Bourbon Street]

WOW. Rod, I loved "Three Sides to Every Story." My family is from New Orleans and the characters came alive to me. And yes, I could see the sass and the lil ole Southern queen James ... that was me years ago. Or maybe still am, lol.

I love these stories about black gay men, homophobia and religion. It's part of our social fabric. We have to learn how to deal with it.

Thank you for the great review and interview.

[Franklyn S]

exactly what i need, some good beach reading for the vacay. but i've already ordered it, lol.

congratulations mr. nero!

[TheRevKev]

BRAVO ROD!

I really love the support to bring to the table of authors (myself included) and I just ordered Nero's new work, even though I'm working on my own!

WE HAVE SUPPORT EACH OTHER! Thanks for shining the light, using your amazing format.

Blessed of luck, Clarence! I hope its doubles the sales of the last ones! Much love!

[Diva1961]

I really enjoyed that excerpt. A lot of my friends speak like Miss Thing, and I do also "on occasion". Lol. When someone steps to your man you really need to think before you act, and Miss Thing seems more like an act, then think kinda girl.

I do feel that black gay men are too infactuated with thug culture. It is too "you gotta be a thug if you want this". And the girls are putting on the costumes also and playing a version of thug to get some thug boys. This will evolve into whatever the next tend in clothing and culture will be, but until then, the idea that being unable to complete an coherent sentence is sexy escapes me. I'm surrounded by the thug culture, so I think of it as a interesting experiment to see or guess who is gay and who is not. I have gotten rather good at it. Thug culture and DL culture are intersections, and hard to seperate. Fem boys are ignored till the sun goes down, then whats done (or who's done) in the dark........well.

I would like to say I would never date a closeted man from a religious family, but love is a strong potion that few can turn from. I have dated closeted men before, but I don't recommend it.

I'm more spiritual than religious, so if the man was into his spirituality more so than the dogma of religion, I would most likely date him. If he was into dogma, and a dogma that told him to hate himself, then I would not.

[Dameion]

i'm very impressed with clarence nero. i didn't read his first book, but picked up "Three Sides" after the review and interview here. what can i say? the characters came alive and i actually identify with some especialy James Santiago.

the homothug novels are become like formulas, too much slang and too many ballers and entertainment industry fantasies. this is much more belivable.

[D. Askew]

I'd love to get a copy of this new book. Johnny was my favorite character from before, so sexy, strong and giving. Will make a good husband, that type of man. I don't have one so might as well read about him lol

[C.L.]

i loved the excerpt from the book! I had seen the ad for the book on the side of your blog and looked it up on Borders.com and planned on purchasing it. After reading the excerpt, I absolutely need to read this book!

I feel that the black gay community is heavily focused on the "thug" lifestyle and I find it odd that we would idolize a culture that hates us. It makes no sense. I spoke with some female friends of mine about something like this recently. I heard them talking about their men and how their men done them wrong and how their men ain't no good and blah blah blah. Then, one of the women's sons came up and they were saying things like, "Look at him. He so fine! You gonna play all the women, ain't you? You gonna get all they money ain't you?"

After the child left, I asked the women why they were turning their child into the man that they hate. They didn't understand what I was saying to them. I found it interesting.

Another thing that I noticed about the "fem" men was that they are not hurting for attention. Sadly, the attention that they are getting is from "straight" men who can't deal with a "thug". These men feel that they can maintain their masculinity if they are the "butcher" of the two and as long as no one knows about their proclivities.

Lastly, I don't know if I could see myself dating a closeted men from a religious family. I think that I fought too much, too long and too hard to be comfortable with myself to date someone who would require that I be closeted. Though I am not "clockable", I do not go out of my way to hide who I am. I have nothing to be ashamed of.

I come from a religious family and I tend to those values that I learned growing up. So, the religious asspect doesn't bother me. There are family members who take issue with my life and the way that I live it, but I let it remain their problem. It is not my responsibility to make them comfortable with me.

[Dominick]

I love when our blessed and positive black brothers get their shine.

I ordered the book last week from the ad in sidebar. It just arrived today and I am hooked already. Clarence Nero is smart, intelligent and a very good writer. He is also handsome! And omg he credited and thanked Rod 2.0. Werk!

Thank you for this book, Mr. Nero. I will read it and hope to be finished by the weekend. And thank you Rod, we love your voice and when will you have a novel?

[Mocha Delight]

The thing is, yes I would date a thug. Our culture, gay, is obsessed with thugs because they are straight and everyone wants to have what they can't get. I also found that the sample chapter didn't quite delve into the complexities of the homothug obsession. Then again, it can get into that later!

[Mike]

Thanks for shedding light on this talented author. I must say before reading the interview I had never heard of him, but this has really peaked my interest, and I would love a chance to get a copy of the book.

I must agree that black gay men as a whole esp. in the south are too caught up in the "I want a thug" mentality. When you could be missing out on something life-changing in a not so thuggish package. Personally I don't want a "thug" and am attracted to a man with a little femininity. Yet, I could not date a closeted religious type. Being close friends with one, and listening to his on-going mentally and physical battle with himself/love I would not put my self in the line of fire for sure heartbreak.

-Mike

[robert]

I read Mr Nero's first book. He can write and the characters seem very real. I think we are more into thug culture because of our own ideas about masculinity. I have dated a closeted man from a religious family and it was hard.I was wondering how I would qualify for the giveaway of his second book