By Tiffany Morgan

Read any good books lately? Looking for that new novel to completely blow you away? If you have been waiting for that really good thriller that you can’t put down, City Chick recommends the edge of your seat page-turner Butta’ and the Tower of Bling by first time author Corey Burkes.

Right out of the gate, Corey Burkes, published through Skyelight Literature of Sag Harbor, New York, may just have the most original direction an urban novel has taken these days in a market saturated by over-sexed, ghetto, hood and crook stories. Butta follows the lead female character on a personal quest to avenge the murder of her family by to-be global diamond conglomerate Lingo Stein when she was nine-years-old. She grows up to be an able and efficient thief in order to finance her plans, working with a small crew of trusted friends to pull off the most daring diamond heist this reviewer, up until now, has yet to read.

Burkes has an uncanny knack, considering this is his first book, to make you turn the pages. The characters are identifiable and clearly living, breathing individuals. Most importantly, you care and have an interest in them, resulting in a little sadness when the story is over (the good news, as you will read in our interview with the author, more is to come!) From Cover to cover, Butta is the refreshing new genre in Urban Literature that’s not the tired baby mama dramas nor the prison-to-street struggles trying to make readers believe that’s the sum and total of the Latin-American or African-American lifestyle. Butta is a fun adventure worthy of a Mission Impossible or Bourne Ultimatum-level quality—featuring a strong cast of black characters.

City Chick had a chance to sit down with Corey and tell us more about Butta, the ‘urban lit’ market and future stories.

City Chick: Who is Butta to you? Why did you create a lead female character?

Corey: The original story was a script I wrote years back called ‘Experthieves’ and featured a male as the lead character. Butta was a character that would have shown up later in the series, but as times changed and the need for more women in these kinds of roles were evident, it made more sense to make the switch to a female. Butta is a little bit of me, my mother and other women I’ve known over time.

City Chick: What’s your definition of Urban Lit and Street lit? Are they the same?

Corey: (Laughing) This is where I get myself in trouble. Urban Literature, to me, are stories that deal with living in a city and how being in the city affects their lives. I mean, what does ‘urban’ mean? A city or town location. Street lit is exactly what the name implies, too. Stories that deal with ‘street-level’ themes. Crime stories, drug dealing, prostitution, that sort of thing. There’s a fine line between the two … depending on the story and the message being delivered. A romance drama about people in the city could be called ‘urban’, but why would we? Why can’t we just call it a ‘romance drama’? But because there are black people in it, it has to be ‘urban’ and I think that’s wrong.

City Chick: What would you classify Butta?

Corey: Butta is a action thriller. However, Butta takes place primarily in a city, so by definition, she’s an Urban thriller. So should the Bourne Identity series as well, by the same definition, and in his stories he travels to multiple cities, but god forbid you ever call Robert Ludlam or Eric Van Lustbader novels urban thrillers. Urban is too ingrained as being associated with being ‘black’.

City Chick: The title really smacks of ‘street’, though. ‘Butta’ or the use of the word ‘bling’. If you’re trying to be different, why title it so?

Corey: Because I loved the title. I thought it was funny … more in the line of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom-like adventure titles, with a black-spin. Notice I didn’t say urban-spin (laughing) . Seriously, I figured if my first book was going to be the last book I ever write, it would be the way I wanted it, so the title stuck. I did think of dropping the ‘tower of bling’ portion once, but my wife encouraged me to keep it and here we are. The title may be a lot of things to many people, but I am confident the story levels the playing field. So far, people of various cultures have loved Butta, I think because she’s easily identified by how she is as a person.

City Chick: Will there be a Butta series? What’s in the future for Butta and her friends?

Corey: Butta has twelve stories in mind with a story arch that could allow her to go on as, say, James Bond would. After book twelve, it’s anyone else’s guess and writing talents. The next book Butta novel comes out next year Summer or Fall and we really get into the characters more … and of course Stein Industry has a severe beef with Butta.

City Chick: Are there any other books you’re working on?

Corey: Oh sure! In the back of the book are two bonus stories. The Shyster Club, a relationship comedy based on an audio play podcast I produced. The podcast was a success, so I thought it was time for the book. The other story is Alone, a psychological suspense story about a group therapy session that takes place over the course of a year, studying why people feel alone and the death of one of the group members. Later next year, another thriller called ‘Sleight of …’. I’m really happy that I’ve been given this opportunity to entertain an audience of readers. Most times, I feel this is all I’ve been born to do … tell and develop original stories, featuring African-American characters in stories different than usual is the added bonus.

You can find Butta’ and the Tower of Bling at amazon.com, barnes and noble.com and at major bookstores near you. Visit skyelightbooks.com for more information and book signing tours.