Real Men: Cry, Pray and Cook

By Xavier Christopher Gore

My main goal for writing Real Men was to give my own opinion on the deceptive images of men in society. Men in the media and entertainment are portray as robots with no emotions. Insensitive to the feelings of others. We are given negative images as far as our activity and contributions to families. The Mommas Baby, Poppas Maybe syndrome is alive and well. I personally know many single parent men. Men (such as myself) who cook better than women. Men who maintain their house holds by themselves. Men who have put their sons and daughters through college and have worked multiple jobs to accomplish these goals.
There is evidently a problem with crime in my community and all communities now. There is an excessive amount of men (especially Black Men) in the justice system that are there simply due to color and lack of equal representation and money for adequate lawyers to fight their cases. I feel like through my writing I can approach problems head on and direct. I want to do this in a no holds manner. This is just my own personal view point and opinion. Drugs, immorality, deviant sexual practices, lack of self worth, low self image and the basic lack of historical worth has led to many individuals losing respect for themselves and others. I feel we are all role models and have a duty to the youth and others to step up and lead where others wont. Real Men and its upcoming volumes is my personal contribution to Men, Women and ethnicities who have not had a voice for so long. I feel like this could also give others insight on what I go through and possibly educate those who let ignorance be their guide. Music, sports, and acting have been said to be our only ways out of poverty and prison. I feel like education and discipline are the keys. Knowledge of God and Self are essential now more than ever...
Thank You

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499037470

Book preview

Contents

Ch. 1 Anger

Ch. 2 If She Left Him For Me, Won’t She Leave Me For You

Ch. 3 Cry

Ch. 4 If You Believe, So It Shall Be

Ch. 5 To Conquer Negative Habits..Stay Focused On Positivity…God!

Ch. 6 Sex: The Forbidden Subject

Ch. 7 You Do Not Have To Be A Follower

Ch. 8 The God Of My Understanding

Ch. 9 Let Go And Let God Relax, Relate, Release!

Ch. 10 I Pray, Do You?

Ch. 11 Our Father..My Perspective

Ch. 12 The Land Of The Shadow Of Death

Ch. 13 What Is A Husband? How Should He Be???

Ch. 14 Words Of Encouragement

Introduction from the Author

Peace and blessings to you and your families! My people in this everyday struggle called LIFE. Nothing touches me that has not passed through the hands of God. Everything I endure is designed to prepare me for serving God and others more effectively. I originally started this with my brothers in mind. A life long friend G (Guierlmo..what’s up baby) and I were coming out of major marital issues and he wanted some cooking tips to improve his situation and to help his wife more. I went to culinary school and have been cooking for more than 20 yrs if not all my life. He wanted to show her that he was making an effort. Two recipes and a trip to the grocery store later he said, Why don’t you write a cook book for men? I ran with the ideal. Never made time for it in the past. Too many distractions. T hen I got locked up. I saw so many young brothers (white, hispanic, and black) separate! In and out of jail. Dred Scott at its finest. So I decided to try to give some much needed words of encouragement to them. My incarcerated brothers…Not just the ones in cages. Many of us are locked up even with the ideal of not being in jail. Mentally, Emotionally and Spiritually! We will live together or we will die apart. No choices. WE ARE LOSING!! Look around you. Believe and Achieve! I will always try to consider you through this book. I will include mailing Addresses for letters and HOPEFULLY in my next volume be able to include Words from my Brothers in Lockdown, and maybe you Youngstas, OG’s, BG’s, Fathers, Brothers, Sons and Kinfolk will hear us, believe and not want them to be where we are and have been. It is EVERYTHING that you fear it is.

Every dope fiend is Nino Brown here (in jail) and even outside. Believe half of what you see and None of what you hear..I had many promises made to me..Many MEN who said they could help and would help once I got out..In 6 months I met only two that were true to their word..6 months! Youngsta (players f-up too!!! Thanks for the soups and the Dominoes. I miss you most) and Bmore (no Gov’t name) you know who you are.. I am soo appreciative of the words of encouragement you gave me..You do represent the East Coast to the fullest. He (B)gave me his address, number and told me about the wonderful family that he was employed by. Said he would get me on when I got out and he did that. So not EVERYONE is on nonsense and trying to get something for nothing. I even got help from the officers that worked there..Real recognizes Real…Never forget that.

A month after I got there and turned to God for my sanity, I read a book by C.S. Lewis titled Mere Christianity.. I got to a chapter in the Pod which housed 78 hardened criminals mixed with ones like me (misdemeanors and tickets) and the chapter read Being a Christian means Servitude. As children of Christ, God, Allah (A Salaam Alaikum (peace be unto you) Blessings Brien Lawson thank you for Salaat and showing me truth. One love bruh!) It is our duty to serve others and give instead of taking. I Broke

Reviews for Real Men

[hope_h-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good close to the series.

[rosetyper9 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this one, just as much as the other two books in this series. I found that I really liked Eric, finally, in this book. The last two books he has been really pissing me off. I also think Jamie was over reacting a TON in this book. I wanted to smack some sense into him...so I have no idea how Eric held it together when he wasn't throwing punches.

I also teared up on the part when Beth talks to her father. I was so happy she finally spoke to him and that he reacted the way he did (fianlly). I also like this book shows you can still chase your dreams as a fully grown adult. I also thought the dynamic between Beth and Eric was pretty dang hot. The hottest in the trilogy by far. I can't wait to read the next release by Victoria Dahl. Heck, I will read her scribbles...I am already fiending for her next book.

[bookaholiccat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Real Men Will is third and last book in the Donovan Brothers Brewery trilogy by Victoria Dahl.

Since the death of his parents, thirteen years ago, Eric Donovan took the reins of the family and the family business. At twenty-four he became the guardian/parent of his two little siblings. Jamie was sixteen and Tessa fourteen at the time.
Eric had to put his life in standby and quit his dreams to be able to raise his brother and sister and manage the family brewery. He has been successful in both accounts. Now his siblings are grownups; they work at the brewery with him, but everyday there is conflict between them. Eric is feeling out place now that Jamie and Tessa want to have more responsibilities at work and don’t need him as much as before. Also they are moving on with their lives. Tessa has a living-in boyfriend (Good Girls Don’t) and for the first time in his life Jamie is in a serious and stable relationship (Bad Boys Do), and Eric has nothing, just the memory of a steamy night that happened six months ago, a night in which he lied and pretended to be his brother Jamie.
Beth Cantrell is the manager of White Orchid, a high-end erotic boutique. She has a love-hate relationship with her work and a frustrating sex life. Because of her work every man she meets thinks she is a sex goddess who should be into kinky stuff. They couldn’t be more wrong, Beth is completely vanilla or at least she used to be until one night six months ago when she had a one night stand that rocked her world. She hasn’t been able to forget that night with “Jamie”.
Circumstances take her one day to Donovan Brothers Brewery where she discovers that the man she has been dreaming about for months had lied to her. His name wasn’t Jamie, he was Eric; he pretended to be his brother to get her in bed. If she had trust issues before, now…
Eric didn’t want to lie to Beth when he met her. There was a misunderstanding, she thought he was Jamie and he didn’t correct her at the time, he wanted a night without complications where he didn’t have to be the responsible one for the first time in his life. And now that they have seen each other again, hurt feelings or not, they can’t keep their distance.

I had a love/love-not-much relationship with this book. There were things I really like and others I couldn’t digest. One of those is coming from previous books of this series and it’s the siblings’ squabble. I thought many of the family conflicts had been resolved in Bad Boys Do, but boy was I wrong. The fighting between them was a never-ending one, so much that I wanted to skip those parts. We learned the whys of many of Eric reactions but still it was too much, same with Jamie and Tessa. Tessa and her “don’t leave me” issues just grinded my nerves the wrong way.

I liked that we discover the real Eric and what is behind the façade of responsible and composed man. He felt more real thanks to his insecurities and personal issues.

I liked/didn’t liked Beth. I couldn’t connect with her and understand her completely. I know she has demons from her past that haven’t let her be the person she wants to be, but still… I found her a bit weak and confusing.

Eric and Beth relationship was super steamy. And here is where I have another problem with the story; their relationship was based on sex and nothing else, I didn’t feel any other real connection between them apart from the sizzling physical attraction. I wish I could have seen them sharing as a regular couple a bit more than just having sex all the time. I not complaining about the sex scenes because they were great, I just wanted to finish the book having the feeling that they will work as a couple out of the bed too.

I love Jamie, I was happy for him and the development of his new (dream) part of the business, I was also happy that Eric screwed up and now Jamie was not the only one who made mistakes in his family.
I didn’t like Tessa controlling and manipulative ways in previous books nor did I like her in Real Men Will. I know she just wants her family to be together but she was just too much.

This book wasn’t perfect but overall it was a fun and a very steamy read. I could say that Real Men Will have the sexiest scenes I have ever read by Mrs. Dahl.
If you like sexy, witty contemporary romance this book is for you. Real Men Will can be read as a stand-alone but I would recommend you to read before the prequel novella to this series Just One Taste in The Guy Next Door anthology. In Just One Taste it’s where Eric and Beth met for the first time.

[dawn772 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I particularly liked the growth of the main characters in this steamy romance. They were realistic in working through their many issues along with a strong sexual attraction. Six month after their one night stand Beth encounters Eric again and learns he lied about his name.

[mickyfine · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Beth Cantrell is not what anyone would expect. Clean cut and straight-laced, she's also the manager of the White Orchid a store specializing in lingerie and sex toys. While many think this implies she's a sexual savante, Beth is nothing but vanilla. Except for one night with one man. When she bumps into him unexpectedly sparks fly and Beth and Eric discover their one time thing has the promise for much more.One of my co-workers recommended another novel by Victoria Dahl to me (I'm a sucker for romances with librarians in them - shocking) and while I waited for my hold to come in, I picked up another of her books. While the conflicts that move the plot forward seem a bit thin, I still sped through this one. I appreciated the unusual nature of Beth's career and the reasons she worked in that field. If you enjoy a smutty romance novel every once in a while (or all the time), this one isn't a waste of time.

[cynditefft · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Cute ending to the series, though I can't say I liked Eric's character as much as the others. I was impressed with how Dahl varied the love scenes to keep them fresh, though.

[cranberrytarts · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was rather frustrated with Eric in the previous two books. I have to give Dahl a lot if credit for making unlikeable characters sympathetic. Although I didn't expect to, I came to like Eric in the end..and even to champion him.

There were parts of this romance I really enjoyed, but many of the heroine's actions bothered me. Also, the siblings acted like teenagers and it got very old.

While I think Dahl did an excellent job of turning the siblings into likeable characters in their own books, they made it hard to enjoy the other books.

[capnrandm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My favorite of the Donovan series, Eric and Beth's romance is as smoking hot as their origin was in THE GUY NEXT DOOR. There is still more angst than I'm used to for a Dahl book (and I traced that to both hero and heroine having issues to work through, while in most of her prior books, Dahl tended to have at least one partner relatable but confident), but Beth and Eric's anxieties were more palatable to me than Tessa's tension and Jamie's self-loathing. I think it also helped that I was invested in both hero and heroine prior to starting this book, after their stellar debut short story.

Beth and Eric working through their respective crises of confidence with little issue, but it was a little upsetting to see Jamie Donovan back in the antagonist's seat after he was the hero of BAD BOYS DO. But if Rome wasn't built in a day, it makes sense that familial bliss shouldn't be achieved in one book. I got choked up when the brothers finally hugged it out, and it was definitely worth the wait to see this family healing.

REAL MEN WILL is a strong contender to join my list of Victoria Dahl favorites, Beth and Eric's chemistry is outstanding (and may join Molly and her sexy lawman as a regular re-read). Only time will tell, however, if I reach for them or the hilarious courtship of Luke and Tessa when it's time to revisit the Donovans.

Reread #2 (4/13/12): Oh, Eric and Beth, you are just so loveable. As much as I dislike the Kendalls, they're not skippable in REAL MEN DO. I enjoyed this re-read cover to cover, and wish The White Orchid was in my neighborhood.

[librarydanielle_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I still hated Tessa, but this time I also hated Jamie. Victoria Dahl does a decent job making you feel the characters, even if it is dislike.

[mlake_22 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was the perfect weekend read. I did wonder about the premise a little - the would be couple have a one night stand and later she finds out he didn't give her his real name...I have to admit that when I was young I had my share of flings and I honestly don't remember some names so I can't completely get behind the outrage... This is a Harlequin romance and it has its share of sex but it is just smutty enough but not gross...

[kaetrin_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Why I read it: I got an ARC from NetGalley but I'm a fan of Ms. Dahl's books anyway, especially her contemporaries.What it's about: (from Goodreads). It was meant to be a one-night stand. One night of passion. Scorching hot. Then Beth Cantrell and Eric Donovan were supposed to go their separate ways. That’s the only reason he lied about his name, telling her he was really his wild younger brother. Hiding his own identity as the conservative Donovan. The “good” one.But passion has its own logic, and Eric finds he cannot forget the sable-haired beauty with whom he shared one night of passion. When Beth discovers that Eric has lied, however, she knows he cannot be trusted. Her mind tells her to forget the blue-eyed charmer. If only every fiber of her being did not burn to call him back.What worked for me: Eric was a total stud muffin! Who knew he had it in him? Well, I did, because I read the novella first. I really do think you need to read the novella first so that you can completely enjoy the book as the novella is about the one night stand. Seeing things from Eric's point of view does give one a new perspective on the sibling interaction and despite the fact that Eric was an asshat in Bad Boys Do, I felt a lot of sympathy for him in this book I'm pretty sure that Ms. Dahl wanted Eric to come off as an ass in the earlier books just so she could redeem him here - it was a risk but she totally did it. Beth's backstory was heartbreaking and awful - I was so glad when she got her HEA with Eric - they're so good together.What didn't: I got a little frustrated with the fights with Jamie and with Beth near the end. They were got out of control very quickly and I suspect my frustration was more to do with out how realistic (and somewhat irrational) they were - I don't like them in real life either! I wasn't sure what Beth was going to do careerwise. It didn't feel telegraphed (perhaps this is what the author was going for) and in the end I was a bit surprised. Eric's choice was more obvious and it fit but I would have liked a little more about Beth's process.I thought the ending was just a little rushed. Overall, I would have liked just a little more of them happy together with no lies or misunderstandings, but then, I'm greedy that way.What else:I didn't grade the novella as I felt that and this needed to be counted together.Grade: B/B I think Jamie's book was slightly more enjoyable but this one ran a very close second.

[evangelineholland · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My favorite of the series. After I finish Dahl's books I'm always introspective and thoughtful. She really turns the screws on how and why and what insecurities do to our self-esteem, self-worth, and basically how you choose to live your life.

[urbanfan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For those adult contemporary romance fans out there this is a book pick! The writing was smooth, character development great, the flow of the story was a great tempo, and the love scenes were quite steamy! The main thing that sticks out for me is the steamy scenes were not repetitive. I really do not like when the same type of scene is played over and over between two characters in the bedroom. These characters mixed it up and the written attraction was spot on. I haven't read the other books in this series but if this book is an indication of the others, I will reading more of Ms. Dahl.

[jolzyn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the final book in the Donovan Brothers Brewery Series and by far the best among the three book. This time it is the story of the eldest brother; Eric, who is known to be the serious and no nonsense sibling in the family. Being forced into taking the helm of the family at the age of 24, Eric, strived hard to maintain and provide for both his younger brother and sister. Although it was not mentioned in the earlier two books, Eric is actually an adopted son of Michael Donovan and this have make him feel out of place and went out to proved to himself and others that he is worthy and belong to the family.Beth, who have a dark history, is a manager of a sex shop in the village is also struggling to prove to her parent that she is worthy of their love and affection. She kept the secret of her job from her father because she knows that her father will never approve of her job. Both Eric and Beth have a one night stand and neither of them is able to forget that one particular. Worst still, Beth is under the impression that Eric is Jaime, who is Eric's younger brother.I like this book so much.. a good story plot and lovable characters. It make me want to cry to see the conflict that both Eric and Beth and the struggles that both of them putting up just so to convince themselves that the attractions between them is an imagination of theirs. The intensity of their love and affections make one wish that it will happen to them too ;)

[rhonda1111 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Okay this book was uncomfortable for me. Their was way too much sex everywhere for me. Not only love scenes but Beth managed a risque business that had clothes,sex toys. Wrote articles about sex . Even had sex talk classes. So much was revolved around sex.Beth even though she managed the store she was not as free with sex that everybody thought she was. She taught the classes because owner thought it would be good. Her co-workers were willing to talk about their experiences with the subjects of the week. Even took writing some of the articles that were on the wild side.Beth though six months ago had a one night stand that was just supposed to be the one night only. Though she could not stop thinking of him.Erik (Jamie) managed a brewery and since the age of 24 raised his brother & sister and managed a business that he did not want to do. So when beth thought his name was Jamie he did not correct her, because he wanted to be free like his brother.Their two business were close by even though they met at a business conference. Beth found out he used his brothers name and came to his brewery and yelled at him. Jamie was mad at him so was his sister.Erik and Beth started meeting for sex. They both were trying to decide what direction their future career path they wanted. Both had family issues to resolve too.I was given this ebook too read in exchange for honest review.