The Aura Of Love
Kathy Marsh
BlackDiva Publishing
ISBN: 0977495000
Reviewed By Taylor Perry
Official Apex Reviews Rating: 
Racial prejudice, animosity, conflicts, violent confrontations, enslavement - sounds like American History, right?
Short answer: yes. Long answer: not exactly.
In The Aura Of Love,
standout debut author Kathy Marsh presents an amazing microcosm of all
the great and terrible things humans have come to be known for - only
not by using humans…
The Auralites, dark-skinned beings
resembling humans, were the original inhabitants of the North American
continent. Drawing their name from the luminescent energy fields
surrounding them, they retreated to an area known as The Island as
explorers and settlers began to populate the New World. The reason:
with their mystical ability to disappear from sight at will, they
feared that their powers would be discovered by the humans and that, in
turn, they would be destroyed.
As time progressed, though, the
Auralites learned to maintain the secret nature of their powers while
at the same time infiltrating every level of human society. This
freedom of movement also gave them the freedom to influence human
affairs for their benefit.
Every race of creatures has its
inherent societal problems, though, and the case is no different with
the Auralites: they are divided into two distinct classes, the blues
& the purples, and over time a natural friction develops between
the two groups that ultimately becomes an all-out violent conflict.
After countless battles, the gruesome slaying of innocents, and
increasingly higher body counts, the two sides reach a new peace - but
tensions still linger throughout the years.
This tension is
suddenly flared as a result of a burgeoning love affair between Jace
Williams, a blue Auralite, and Remy Renee, a purple. Refusing to kowtow
to the rules of conformity, Jace and Remy embrace their mutual
affection for one another, causing their respective clans to unite in
defiance of the "mixed coventry" of inter-Auralite bonding. What
follows is the typical story of race/class war - but with a secret
twist that threatens to shatter the stability of the de facto order…
The Aura Of Love
is an enjoyable debut. Kathy Marsh has done a commendable job of
masking clever commentary on human nature within the construct of
seemingly unrelated fantasy. Both her keen insight and masterful use of
dialogue frame the timeless debate of equality for the benefit of a
post-civil rights generation that may have lost sight of its true
value. An outstanding first effort, and one that leaves the reader in
not-so-sweet anticipation of what's yet to come from this impressive
young talent.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Kathy Marsh (The Aura Of Love)
Apex Reviews: Kathy, thanks for joining us for this interview. We greatly appreciate having this opportunity to learn more about your book.
Kathy Marsh: And thanks to you for giving me the opportunity to share more about my book.
AR: Where did the idea for The Aura Of Love come from?
KM: The idea came from an article I read in Essence Magazine that stated more and more black women were beginning to date outside of the race and wanted to read more stories about themselves. So, since I'm just a little bit weird, I decided to create my own beings, which meant I had to give them a visual difference, like our skin color. Out of that, came Auralites and their blue and purple auras.
AR: Our reviewer commented that the plot structure is a clever commentary on human nature, particular race/class conflicts. Has anyone else mentioned that observation to you? If so, how did they respond to it?
KM: Yes, almost everybody who reads it makes that observation. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and that has come from non African Americans as well as African Americans. It's been interesting because, though everyone thinks the book is a great social commentary on intolerance, they view the conflict differently. Some see it as racial intolerance, while others see a clash between light- and dark-skinned black people, and still others see a class war. I find it fascinating that people can read the same book and come away with such different ideas.
AR: Why do you think it's so difficult for people to set aside their differences for the common causes of love, harmony, solidarity, etc.?
KM: I wish I had an answer to that question. It's baffling and frustrating that people become so entrenched in their way of thinking that they seem unable to step back and look at a situation from another's point of view, even for the greater good.
AR: There are many lessons to be learned from reading The Aura Of Love. Have you considered pitching the book to college English, History, and Philosophy departments?
KM: Yes, as a matter of fact, my book's first reviewer suggested that. She thought since the characters aren't black and white, classroom discussion could take place without anyone feeling attacked. So, I'm in the process of pitching the book to that audience. And anybody who knows any professors you think would be interested, please, feel free to mention The Aura of Love.
AR: Likewise, have you considered turning the book into a stage play or movie?
KM: I would love for that to happen, though I haven't done anything to make it a reality. Promoting this book, writing the next book and working has left me with no time at all. Again, anyone who knows somebody who might be interested in turning the book into either, please, feel free to mention.
AR: The Aura Of Love has generated an incredible amount of acclaim since its release, including winning an IPPY Award (congratulations!). Has all the fanfare sunk in yet?
KM: It's been wonderful!! It's so very gratifying to be recognized by those in the industry. I'm not sure if it's sunk in, yet. All I can say is, I'm still grinning. I've considered doing a couple of back flips, but I don't want to hurt anything.
AR: What's the overall message you want people to take from the book?
KM: There are two things I want people to take from this book. Firstly, slavery, though it occurred in our past, still has such a detrimental effect on not only our race, but our society as a whole, and I don't think we, as Americans, are going to be able to remove the tension and distrust in our country until we deal with it. Secondly, don't let others dictate your life choices. If you're happy and not hurting anyone, I think your choices should be your own.
AR: With all the great success you've achieved, what can you possibly have planned for an encore?
KM: My next book, Suddenly Younger, is about a middle-aged woman who finds that she's suddenly getting younger. As she tries to figure out what's happening with her, and why, I explore feminine ageism. When she gets involved with a much younger man, who just happens to be her doctor, I once again explore secrets and the dynamic between an older woman and a younger man. The fact that she's chronologically older, but physically younger, adds a new twist. Because I've gotten so many requests (thank you, readers), I plan to write a sequel to The Aura of Love, once I've written Suddenly Younger.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
KM: I really appreciate my readers and their voices because without them, I'd be writing in a void. Thank you all. And again, thank you Apex Reviews, for doing what you do to help us.
AR: Thanks again, Kathy, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!