A romantic novel presented by author Zane, best known for erotic fiction, takes place on Florida A&M’s campus.
Written by Anthony Lamarr, “Our First Love” is about two brothers who fall in love with the same woman.
According to Lamarr, this novel is not as racy and erotic as others published by Zane. It is a more wholesome love story with themes that women can relate to, told from a man’s perspective, he said.
Lamarr began writing short stories, poems and skits at the age of 9. He wrote his first unpublished novel at 21 and even worked as a writing consultant for FAMU’s Writing Resource Center in 2011.
As a native of Perry, Fla., Lamarr grew up as a fan of FAMU.
“I’ve always had ties to FAMU,” Lamarr said. “Most of my African-American grade school and high school teachers were graduates of FAMU. And they made sure [students] knew it.”
Autumn Thomas, a third-year psychology student from St. Petersburg, is interested in reading the novel.
“Being that I’ve read Zane books before, and not just because they were erotic, but because they had really good storylines, I would be interested in reading a new novel published by them,” Thomas said.
In the novel, the main character, Nigel, is a journalism professor at FAMU. The story focuses on Nigel’s relationship with a female FAMU business professor.
Lamarr said he was motivated to write this fictional romance after hearing of a friend who lived vicariously through her children. This was what prompted him to write about brothers living vicariously through each other.
Lamarr believes the novel makes readers reflect on their personal relationships. He has dedicated this unexpected love story to his brothers, whom he calls his “first loves.”
Hanan Saafir, a third-year business-marketing student from Fort Worth, Texas, looks forward to picking up a copy of “Our First Love.”
“I loved the Zane books I’ve read,” Saafir said. “And since this one is set at FAMU, I might be able to relate to the characters and situations, so I’m definitely interested in the flow.”