Torn

Review

Torn follows the bittersweet relationship between lovestruck Mo and eternal-playboy Quan. The line between right and wrong in their relationship is hazy because Mo and Quan have invested nearly a decade of love, time and money in each other. Although the fruits of Quan's hustling is visible in the expensive house, cars and clothes, Mo would trade it all for a true bond of love from his heart to hers.

Mo's father and her friends, Quan's mother, and even Mo's own intuition tell her to move on, but her desire for Quan controls her actions. Quan, on the other hand, knows he isn't right, yet explodes at the very thought of Mo possibly being unfaithful. Their relationship is simultaneously passionate and pathetic, keeping you absorbed page after page. While they are saying Yes, yes, yes! , you will be cringing and saying, No, no, no! When you add baby-momma-drama, shady friends and other love interests, Mo and Quan are forced to make life-changing decisions that will test whether or not they are soul mates.

Keisha Ervin's latest spin on love, life and lies is nothing less than incredible. Torn is street literature in its finest form. Keisha Ervin has written a story transcends its environment. Gunshots, crackheads and drug lords have been replaced with the sleepless nights, the phone calls that need to be taken in private and heart-to-heart advice that may hit home for some of the readers. There is even guest appearances by sisters Mina and Meesa, from Keisha Ervins's National Best Selling Novels Mina's Joint and Me & My Boyfriend respectively.

Keisha Ervin's Torn has added on to her remarkable repertoire and is a yet another Best Seller in the making, following Chyna Black, Me & My Boyfriend, Mina's Joint and Hold U Down. If you came across After The Storm in Triple Crown's second anthology Street Love, Torn is the breathtaking expansion on that short story. This is not book for quick consumption like an item off the dollar menu. Instead, this book is full of substance, a tale that you will not mind taking time to read and digest. --Joey Pinkney, Freelance Writer

Product Description

Her female intuition told her he was a dog but yet and still she lent him her soul, gave him her heart and allowed herself to fall in love. Torn between infatuation, lust, denial and playing wifey, the only thing Mo knows for sure is that she's been through hell, survived nine years, three miscarriages, numerous flings, heated arguments and a few knock-down drag-out fights only to realize she is further deep in love and more confused than ever. Come join National Best Selling Author Keisha Ervin as she spins a classic tale about loving someone so much you lose yourself, only to find in the end that what you thought was real love was just a game.

Torn

Keisha Ervin

This is a work of fiction. The authors have invented the charac-ters. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is pure-ly coincidental.

If you have purchased this book with a 'dull' or missing cover-You have possibly purchased an unauthorized or stolen book.

Please immediately contact the publisher advising where, when and how you purchased this book.

Compilation and Introduction copyright (c) 2007 by Triple Crown Publications

PO Box Columbus, Ohio www.TripleCrownPublications.com Library of Congress Control Number: ISBN: 0-9778804-9- ISBN 13: 978-0-9778804-9- Author: Keisha Ervin

Photography: www.TreagenPhotography.com Cover Design/Graphics: www.TreagenPhotography.com Typesetting: Holscher Type and Design Associate Editor: Brett Gill

Editorial Assistant: Elizabeth Zaleski Editor-in-Chief: Mia McPherson

Consulting: Vickie M. Stringer

Copyright (c) 2007 by Keisha Ervin. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except by reviewer who may quote brief pas-sages to be printed in a newspaper or magazine.

First Trade Paperback Edition Printing October 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Printed in the United States of America

Other Titles By Keisha Ervin

Me & My Boyfriend

Chyna Black

Mina's Joint

Hold U Down

Listen carefully to my words; let this be the
consolation you give me. Bear with me while
I speak and after I have spoken, mock on.

As surely as God lives, who has denied me
justice, the Almighty,

Who has made me taste bitterness of soul, as
long as I have life within me,
The breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will
not speak wickedness,

And my tongue will utter no deceit. I will
never admit you are in the right, till
I die, I will not deny my integrity.

I will maintain my righteousness and never
let go of it;

My conscience will not reproach me as long
as I live.

(From the book of Job)

Acknowledgements

First and foremost, to my heavenly Father in which all praises are given to, Lord Jesus I am so in love with you.

Through the good and bad (especially the bad) you have been my rock and shoulder to lean on. Nobody loves me and makes me feel more secure than you. Though there are those who try to throw stones, my enemies will not trespass against me. I now realize that no other man or human being on earth will take care and provide for me the way you have. I am truly humbled. You have blessed me with an abundance of wealth, happiness, joy and success but nothing compares to the fullness that fills my heart every time I think of you.

To TCP and all of the loyal fans of my work, thank you.

Without you all and the man upstairs, I would not be here. I am so grateful that you all have continued to support me. Understand that I mean this from the bottom of my heart. Your continued encouragement is what keeps me motivated even when I'm going through.

For all of you who have stuck by my side from
Me & My
Boyfriend
up until now, this book is for you.

THANK U

Vickie, I never knew how much you had my back until I had to endure hard times. People may speak negatively about you as they've done me but you are one of the most supportive people I know. I pray that we can continue to build a solid business and personal relationship. Thank you.

All my love goes out to my now seven-year-old son Kyrese. He is simply the biggest thing in my itty bitty world. God couldn't have blessed with me with a more precious gift than you. You are the best part of me. Every time I think of you, my heart smiles. Mommy loves you so much!!!

Mama, Daddy and Keon, I love you!!!

To my girls Locia, Monique, Tu-Shonda, Miesha, Janea and Sharissa a.k.a. The Stand Up Chicks. I know that I've that said this before but for real you all are some of the realest, flyest, funniest, most loving, caring and genuine women I know. You all stood by standing firm through some of my darkest days. I love you all dearly!!!

Dedication

Locia, you are not only one of my best friends but also my ear to the streets. Stay fly, ma!!! Hollywood is right around the corner!!!

To all my ladies in bullshit-ass relationships, let it go.

True love is waiting. You just have to be strong enough to know that you're worth it.

'When a person shows you who they are, believe them.'

A Quote from author and poet Maya Angelou

1

I'ma Luv U 4eva

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Mo gazed around her
lavish bedroom and wondered was it all worth it. It was
three o'clock in the morning and she was at home alone for
the second day in a row.
Quan, her boyfriend of nine years, was out in the streets doing God knew what and with whom.

She'd called him over a million times and not once had he bothered to pick up the phone.

She knew he was wit another chick, but without any proof all she could do was go on her woman's intuition. Rolling up a vanilla Dutch, she shook her head in disgust, because she knew no matter how much shit he put her through, she wasn't going anywhere. Mo and Quan had been together since she was fifteen and he was eighteen. He was her man and she was his ride-or-die chick.

The two had weathered the storm more than once, but nine years into their relationship and no ring in sight, Mo was starting to become fed up with the bullshit. She was tired of pretending that she didn't give a fuck if he cheated or lied. She was tired of acting like she didn't give fuck if he left or if he stayed. She was tired of pretending that clothes, money and jewelry would erase the pain of him not being there. Plain and simple, she was sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Nobody knew the ache she felt in her heart every day. They didn't know that she secretly hated herself for loving Quan so much. They didn't know that the thought of him being with another woman tore her up inside. Mo wasn't an angel, either.

She'd cheated on him a couple of times, too, but it was only after years of turning her cheek to Quan's indiscretions.

What was she supposed to do after years of neglect, thoughtlessness and cruelty? With her legs crossed she lit up the cigar filled with weed, parted her pouty lips, placed it up to her mouth and inhaled deeply. Shaken by the reality that her man was up to no good, Mo ran her fingers through her disheveled hair and released clouds of smoke from her lungs.

Smoke rings snaked from in between her lips, slow danced, then evaporated into thin air. With her head down and her eyes closed shut, Mo swayed her head from side to side, but somehow a salty tear still managed to slip through the crease and run down her face. Nina Simone's soulful bass-filled voice echoed throughout the room and voiced every emotion she felt at that moment. Humming along, Mo continued to sway as tears fell onto her nightgown one by one.

You know I can't stand it,

You're runnin' around,

You know better daddy...

The words seemed to reflect her somber mood. Mo hoped that smoking a blunt would help calm her nerves, but so far it seemed to only make matters worse. All at once, her anger grew. All night her phone had been ringing off the hook with prank calls. Nine times out of ten it was Sherry, the girl that Quan had been cheatin' on her with.

A year ago, the two had a heated argument over Quan at Mo's best friend's beauty salon. Sherry had called herself putting Mo on blast in front of everybody, but her plan backfired.

Mo had cussed the skank out, but she couldn't front. Some of the stuff Sherry said did cut deep, especially the part about her not being able to have children. Mo and Quan tried for years to have a baby, but each time she reached two months, she would miscarry. So naturally, once she learned Sherry was three months pregnant with her man's baby, Mo's entire world came crashing down.

Everybody, including her best friend Mina, urged her to leave him alone, but Mo just couldn't gather up enough strength to do so. Quan was her heart and soul and the two of them had been together far too long for her to give up. Plus, the fact that he swore up and down that the baby wasn't his did help some. But deep down inside, Mo knew the truth.

Glancing at the clock, she noticed that it was now 3:55.

She picked up the phone again and tried calling Quan's cell, but was only met with the sound of his voicemail picking up.

"
Yo, this Q, leave a message
." Even more heated that he hadn't picked up the phone yet again, Mo waited for the beep and said, "I hope you enjoying fuckin' that crusty toe bitch, 'cause please believe when you walk yo' retarded lookin' ass in this house it's gon' be World War Three up in this muthafucka!" Pressing the pound sign, she ended the call and hung up.