I’m a little neurotic about checking the Amazon rankings for SWIRLING, mainly because most writers are EXTREMELY neurotic. But I just so happened to look tonight and gawdallmighty SWIRLING got a review by not just a black man, but THE Eric Deggans, reporter for the Tampa Bay Times!

Here’s what he said:

As a black man married to a white woman with biracial kids, I have found this book invaluable, not just for me but for my daughters, who will face their own challenges in deciding who to date and why.

Much as people try to shrug off and deny the impact race difference has in America, there’s one place where we often remain divided: in romance.

But the authors here provide a book which doubles as a how-to manual and pep rally of sorts, encouraging readers that it is okay to consider dating people outside your own race or culture while offering much-needed tips on how to navigate the new ground you’ll be walking.

From thew lists of all the cool places to meet new partners to the author’s own heartfelt and open detailing of their own “swirling” relationships, the book bursts with the kind of thinking which is sorely needed in world where we are growing more diverse every day.

And even though I’m a male, I found much of the tips and stories mirrored my own experiences and gave me new insight. But what really got me, was when my oldest daughter picked up the book and started reading it on her own, drawn to its material in the same way I was.

I just wish a book like this had existed when i first began dating women of different races more than 25 years ago.

Might this review hush the mouths of folks who are trying to paint SWIRLING as some gross betrayal of the race, or some black-man bashing fest? Meh. Not likely, but I just love rubbing it in! 😉