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Nothing Simple or Easy
Was it Jules' fault he was nearly six-foot-two-inches tall and two hundred pounds of dark chocolate and unafraid to walk down the most dangerous streets in Chicago?
He never looked for trouble. He couldn't help being big. That was genetics. Unlucky in love and destined to wile away his life just working and hanging out with his friends it was sheer luck and one of hist best friends, Max, who took him to a pop-up club on Lower Wacker Drive to help Jules get over a girl. At the club, Jules meets and falls for a streetwise stunner name Bethany. Little does Jules know the chance meeting will lead to a series of events which will test him and make Jules question the need for love and his desire to guard his heart.
He never looked for trouble. He couldn't help being big. That was genetics. Unlucky in love and destined to wile away his life just working and hanging out with his friends it was sheer luck and one of hist best friends, Max, who took him to a pop-up club on Lower Wacker Drive to help Jules get over a girl. At the club, Jules meets and falls for a streetwise stunner name Bethany. Little does Jules know the chance meeting will lead to a series of events which will test him and make Jules question the need for love and his desire to guard his heart.
233 pages, Paperback
Published November 13, 2020
About the author
Mark T. Sneed
19 books27 followersBorn. Living. Learning. Writing. Born in the south, raised in Chicago and educated at the University of California, at Berkeley. Played collegiate football and rugby. First fell in love with comics. Have always read. Always writing. Became an English major. Took that major to Los Angeles and began teaching. Taught English to middle school and high school and junior college. Was a debate and chess coach. Continue to challenge myself.
Love Shakespeare. Wish to further the amazing writing experiences of those that I have read and read through an African American male lens. My desire is to write with passion and desire a varied style of genres with the hopes of being one of the heralded African American authors that others read and enjoy.
Love Shakespeare. Wish to further the amazing writing experiences of those that I have read and read through an African American male lens. My desire is to write with passion and desire a varied style of genres with the hopes of being one of the heralded African American authors that others read and enjoy.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 4, 2021
You know figuring out who we are takes a lifetime…. “What happens in between that figuring is what we call life.”
This was an ambitious contemporary fiction about a man finding himself and ultimately love. The author uses descriptive imagery to bring the reader into Jule's, the protagonist, experiences. I think the novel has the potential to be a solid read provided the 3 C's - clarity, conciseness, continuity- are addressed. That being said I can appreciate the author's creativity when it comes to storytelling.
This was an ambitious contemporary fiction about a man finding himself and ultimately love. The author uses descriptive imagery to bring the reader into Jule's, the protagonist, experiences. I think the novel has the potential to be a solid read provided the 3 C's - clarity, conciseness, continuity- are addressed. That being said I can appreciate the author's creativity when it comes to storytelling.
May 5, 2021
“Nothing Simple or Easy” by Mark T. Sneed is a heartwarming story of how love can be found even in the least expected places and thrive against all odds. Jules Temple was raised by a single mother in the streets of Chicago. He lived in a rough neighborhood where people were killed for even the flimsiest reasons, and shootouts were common. Jules kept well out of crime despite having several friends who were members of gangs.
He attended Elmhurst College on an athletic scholarship, graduates, and gets hired by Chicago Tribunal in the technology department. Jules had neither had a keen interest in girls nor a knack for long-term relationships. These circumstances change when he meets the beautiful Bethany, at a club. This chance encounter makes him a target by the ringleader of one of the most dreaded gangs in Rogers Park, Diamond Martin, who was romantically involved with Bethany, conditionally. Was Jules willing to take a chance on the beautiful Bethany? Was he willing to confront Diamond and his gang and be ready for whatever implications that would have on him or would he choose to give up and go back to Logan Square where he lived?
It takes a writer’s natural talent to immerse a reader into a story to an extent they feel they are part of the story. This book does just that. It was hard to imagine the story as fiction. The author uses flashbacks to usher the reader into Jules’s life. The author did a great job interweaving backstories and present events in a captivating manner such as the scene where Jules recounts the circumstances that led to him being thrown in the Chicago River by Diamond’s gang. I commend the author for his good descriptions of events and surroundings.
My favorite quote from the book was from Kenneth Parker as he was reassuring Jules: “The greatest thing any of us possess is hope. Hope is the thing that gets us out of bed every day.” At first, the lead character was displayed as perfect, however, as the plot developed, he became more relatable and less invincible. Fans of contemporary romance who love a fast-paced plot that is easy to follow will enjoy this “Nothing Simple or Easy” by Mark T. Sneed.
He attended Elmhurst College on an athletic scholarship, graduates, and gets hired by Chicago Tribunal in the technology department. Jules had neither had a keen interest in girls nor a knack for long-term relationships. These circumstances change when he meets the beautiful Bethany, at a club. This chance encounter makes him a target by the ringleader of one of the most dreaded gangs in Rogers Park, Diamond Martin, who was romantically involved with Bethany, conditionally. Was Jules willing to take a chance on the beautiful Bethany? Was he willing to confront Diamond and his gang and be ready for whatever implications that would have on him or would he choose to give up and go back to Logan Square where he lived?
It takes a writer’s natural talent to immerse a reader into a story to an extent they feel they are part of the story. This book does just that. It was hard to imagine the story as fiction. The author uses flashbacks to usher the reader into Jules’s life. The author did a great job interweaving backstories and present events in a captivating manner such as the scene where Jules recounts the circumstances that led to him being thrown in the Chicago River by Diamond’s gang. I commend the author for his good descriptions of events and surroundings.
My favorite quote from the book was from Kenneth Parker as he was reassuring Jules: “The greatest thing any of us possess is hope. Hope is the thing that gets us out of bed every day.” At first, the lead character was displayed as perfect, however, as the plot developed, he became more relatable and less invincible. Fans of contemporary romance who love a fast-paced plot that is easy to follow will enjoy this “Nothing Simple or Easy” by Mark T. Sneed.
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March 11, 2021"How will I know if she's worth it?"
"When you know your "Why" then you'll know your "How,"" the old man laughed.
"But how do I figure that out," Jules asked.
"Hell, kid, I suppose that's something inside you that talks to you."
Love the relationships in this story. I wrote this for all those unlucky lovers who don't know if they are with the right person. It is a tender story set in the mean streets of life.
"When you know your "Why" then you'll know your "How,"" the old man laughed.
"But how do I figure that out," Jules asked.
"Hell, kid, I suppose that's something inside you that talks to you."
Love the relationships in this story. I wrote this for all those unlucky lovers who don't know if they are with the right person. It is a tender story set in the mean streets of life.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews