LBrent said:

XxAxX said:

i dunno about assault. forgive her, yes. but i sure wouldn't let her close if i were M1. M2 also went to CJ to spill the beans following the dissolution of her marriage to P... just wouldn't trust her if i were M1. remember that dig on "wives"? "you better catch up"

[Edited 4/8/17 5:50am]

CJ? Seriously?

So, as a Pstan, M2 never heard the history of the damned song BJB???

She's unbeleivable.

CJ wrote an article at the time: C.J. 'Billy Jack Bitch' & Mani - Pen Pals?

http://prince.org/msg/5/198231

[Edited 4/8/17 7:00am]

XxAxX said:

sonshine said:

LBrent said:

i dunno about assault. forgive her, yes. but i sure wouldn't let her close if i were M1. M2 also went to CJ to spill the beans following the dissolution of her marriage to P... just wouldn't trust her if i were M1. remember that dig on "wives"? "you better catch up"

[Edited 4/8/17 5:50am]

I lost all respect for M2 upon learning she was the other woman. Shame on P too. Those gorgeous love songs he wrote to M1 on Emancipation and The One ring hollow now.

[Edited 4/8/17 6:27am]

finished listening to the audio book. great story, very interesting for a longtime fan like me.

i will likely buy the hard copy now, just because it's an an important piece of collectible for someone who wants a complete picture. i guess that makes me a Mayte fan too but, imo she is well worth 'famming' over; very strong and beautiful person.

i would never have survived what she has endured over the years and come out still smiling.

and if i'd written a book about my experience, i would have been more snarky, bitter and mean. but that's me and Mayte doesn't seem to have that in her.

total respect to her for not sinking to a trashy, tell-all level. this was beautifully done.

so ten out of ten, and kudos to Mayte for doing this. i know she is/will be taking a lot of heat from angry fans and the media, but it is her story from start to finish and she tells it very well.

kudos to her ghostwriter as well for doing such a bang-up job of capturing the essence of the story so succinctly. that would not have been an easy assignment....

LoriJ said:

Chapter Three

I don't think I'm the only one who enjoyed living vicariously through Mayte being told he wanted to meet her after viewing the tape, calling her, having her over etc.

This chapter was a lot of fun to read!

I've read through chapter 5 so far. I've laughed out loud and gotten choked up as well.

No one's asked yet, but I would name Chapter 3 ' Doorway to Destiny'

Love the Chapter Title!

XxAxX said:

finished listening to the audio book. great story, very interesting for a longtime fan like me.

i will likely buy the hard copy now, just because it's an an important piece of collectible for someone who wants a complete picture. i guess that makes me a Mayte fan too but, imo she is well worth 'famming' over; very strong and beautiful person.

i would never have survived what she has endured over the years and come out still smiling.

and if i'd written a book about my experience, i would have been more snarky, bitter and mean. but that's me and Mayte doesn't seem to have that in her.

total respect to her for not sinking to a trashy, tell-all level. this was beautifully done.

so ten out of ten, and kudos to Mayte for doing this. i know she is/will be taking a lot of heat from angry fans and the media, but it is her story from start to finish and she tells it very well.

kudos to her ghostwriter as well for doing such a bang-up job of capturing the essence of the story so succinctly. that would not have been an easy assignment....

Exactly.

I was holding my breath waiting for her to go IN on P, but she really didn't.

And I loved her acknowledging him being "protective Papa Bear". 2 days before he showered??? Damn, P was committed to being there. That made me so proud of him.

Got my copy yesterday......I haven't read the whole thing. I kinda started in the middle.

Let me just say, I never liked or disliked Mayte. I kind of took her as being just, I don't know, part of the whole Prince experience at the time. I always thought they were good together though, and I didn't mind when he married her. I thought that she was good for him.

Mani, on the other hand, always seemed like a snake to me. I always gave her the side eye. Now, after reading how it all went down.....I really can't stand that bitch! Mayte is waaay to nice and forgiving. I would never be friends with her!!!!!! And Larry???? Eff his ass too. I always thought that he entered P's life at a time when he was most vunerable. Most of my family is JW. I know how they operate. As soon as someone dies, they hit you with the "you can see them again when they are ressurected to paradise on earth." Sever eye roll at the whole saga. Kudos to Mayte for being so strong at such a young age to resist the indoctrination.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news sonshine, but your 730 pixel-long post is illegally flouting the unwritten length law for posts in this thread. Kindly delete it with respect. Right DD55?

I finished the book a few days ago and am now listening to it. Listening to her voice as she narrates the book has my emotions everywhere. As I said the other day, this booked moved my soul in a wierd way. Maybe because I can relate to Mayte in some ways? I don't know. They had such a deep bond and love for each other. I truly believe Prince didn't let anyone else in the way he let Mayte in. Not many people experience this kind of love and I can understand why she waited for him and never really moved on. He was it...the one. While we will never know how he felt, I believe he carried her in his heart tucked away. I am glad she wrote this book and hope it helps her to heal her broken heart. She went through alot and the fact she can smile at the end of the day says alot about her.

phatphuk said:

So this book is BEYOND my expectations...simply outstanding...an effortless read! I just got home from taking my husband 2 work, but before we left, I breezed through chapters 5, 6, and 7.

A couple of thoughts:

First, that Diamonds and Pearls Tour had a whole lotta drama goin' on, seriously!

Second, I'm glad told Mayte that she was beautiful when she was pregnant.

206Michelle said:

annalizer said:

Just to refresh everyone, Chapter Two ends with this:

Summer of 1990 – Instead of going to Egypt, the Garcia family takes a camping trip in Spain. The family has to choose between a Celia Cruz and Tito Puente concert or a Prince concert. Mama reads in the newspaper that Prince’s tour is called the Nude Tour, and decides that the family is going to see Prince.

.......

Chapter Three Timeline

This chapter covers a shorter period of time than the previous 2 chapters, so there are fewer timepoints and more detail per timepoint. (As such, the chapter three timeline is really more of a summary.)

..

Summer of 1990 – Mayte is 16 years old. The Garcias (all 4 of them) drive from Frankfurt to Barcelona. Daddy rents an RV from the military. The family sees a myriad of cities, towns, and sites. They stay in an RV park south of Barcelona, and enjoy the camaraderie of the other campers. Mayte is nervous about attending the Prince concert because of her memories of a near-death experience while attending a Michael Jackson concert on the Bad World Tour.

..

July 25, 1990 – The family heads to the Estadi Olimpic de Monjuic on the day of the Prince concert, eats a picnic lunch, and are able to access a barricaded area near the stage. Daddy bonds with one of the backup dancers who has military tattoos due to the shared military backgrounds of the two men. The family enjoys an electrifying Prince concert. Mayte’s parents urge her to dance to some Middle Eastern-style music when it plays at the concert so that Prince can see her dancing, but Mayte resists.

..

Summer of 1990 – While driving back to Wiesbaden from Barcelona, Mayte’s hatches a plan to send Prince a videotape of Mayte dancing, hoping that Mayte might be able to appear in one of Prince’s music videos.

..

August 7, 1990 – Mayte creates a videotape of herself belly dancing with the intent of giving it to Prince at his Mannheim, Germany concert on August 8, 1990.

..

August 8, 1990 – Mayte, Jan, and Mama drive to Mannheim for the concert. While waiting for the concert at the Maimarkthalle, Prince’s tourbus passes by the Garcias. Mayte recalls that, years later, when Prince saw Mayte standing there with Mama and Jan, Prince jokingly told Rosie Gaines, “There’s my future wife.” One of the dancers recognizes the Garcias from the Barcelona concert and takes them to an area in front of the stage. Mama tries to bypass Prince’s security in order to give Prince the tape of Mayte, but she is unsuccessful. Jan, wearing an ankle brace, starts playing basketball with some members of Prince’s crew. Mama sees one of Prince’s dancers, Kirk, gives him the tape of Mayte, and asks Kirk to give the tape to Prince. Prince takes the tape. A short while later, a bodyguard comes to tell Mayte that Prince wants to meet her. Mayte and Prince meet briefly. He offers her better seats at the concert and asks for Mayte’s phone number. Thanks to Prince, the Garcias sit in the VIP section. After the show, a bodyguard takes Mayte’s phone number. Anticipating a phone call from Prince, Mama drives the three of them home as fast as she can.

..

August 8, 1990 – Mayte, Jan, and Mama arrive home after the concert. (Daddy stayed home). Prince calls the Garcia home in Wiesbaden, and speaks with Mayte. He invites her to come hang out with him in Frankfurt. He offers to send a limo, but Mayte declines, and Mama drives instead. Mama, Jan, and Mayte drive to Frankfurt so that Mayte can meet Prince. The Garcias arrive at a hotel where Prince is staying in Frankfurt and she brings more tapes of her dancing. Prince talks with Mama, Jan, and Mayte, then asks to spend time with Mayte so that they can connect as artists. He assures Mama that someone will give Mayte a ride home. In the late hours of the night and wee hours of the morning, Prince and Mayte eat popcorn in his hotel room, watch tapes of her dancing, and converse. Mayte and Prince begin developing a friendship.

~~~~~~~

Michelle’s note: I’m trying to be as objective and straightforward as possible with the timeline. That said, I understand that Prince was Prince…he was kind of a big deal. However, Mayte’s parents took a big risk letting 16-year-old Mayte hang out alone with a 30-something-year-old Prince, a man twice her age. Seriously, she had been molested as a child. And I don’t know how Prince thought it was appropriate for him to spend time alone in a hotel room with a 16-year-old who was half his age and not yet an adult. Obviously, he kept it classy. It just goes to show how big of a rockstar he was that he could just have the whole world at his fingertips like that, where he could just strike up a friendship with a female of his choosing and have someone transport her to and from his given location. It’s clear that Mayte kept detailed journals of her time with Prince and cherishes the memories of the beginning of their relationship (with relationship being a broad and all-encompassing term in this context, not just referring to a romantic partnership). (Now back to the timeline/summary.)

~~~~~~~

Morning of August 9, 1990 – At the direction of Prince, Mayte receives a ride home to Wiesbaden in a Mercedes. A few hours later, a car picks Mayte up at home to take her back to Frankfurt to see Prince before he leaves Frankfurt. A man named Earl, part of Prince’s entourage, does Mayte’s hair. Prince and Mayte spend more time together and after they part ways, he continues to call her and they talk on the phone several times per week. He also sends her cassette tapes, letters, and drawings.

..

At the end of the chapter, Mayte mentions that she has many, but not all, of the tapes, letters, and drawings that Prince gave her. She states that he destroyed some of these items years later, along with everything that was hers or reminded him or her or their son. She also notes that she did not witness when he destroyed these items.

dreamer218 said:

I agree with this... I def think that her parents were 100% focused on Prince helping her career. Mayte's dancing wasn't a hobby. She was making serious money. I think her follks thought P could take her to the next level. I don't believe that they initially thought anything romantic would happen. I wonder now if her parents would make a different choice if they had to do it all over again. (knowing what they know now) Mayte basically gave up her dancing career (in Europe) when she was clearly going somewhere. I'm also curious why she didn't go back to Europe and try to restart her belly dancing career. Maybe being 26 was too old??

DD55 said:

Chapter 3

“I’ve seen the future, and it will be…”

She is mesmerized by his performance! She remembers every last detail.

.

I’m beginning think the parents wanted her to star in some of his music videos to become a dancing star (in movies and music videos dancing) and never dreamed of how the turn of events would play out, change, and shape their lives. IDK, what do you all think?

dreamer218, I more or less came to the same conclusion, that meeting Prince would be helpful for Mayte's career. Still, it was very risky on their part to let her, a 16-year-old, spend time alone with Prince, a man twice her age.

XxAxX said:

sonshine said:

LBrent said:

i dunno about assault. forgive her, yes. but i sure wouldn't let her close if i were M1. M2 also went to CJ to spill the beans following the dissolution of her marriage to P... just wouldn't trust her if i were M1. remember that dig on "wives"? "you better catch up"

[Edited 4/8/17 5:50am]

XxAxX, I'm still getting over a cold and my mind is full of fog, so I'll blame this question on that. Who is CJ?

XxAxX said:

finished listening to the audio book. great story, very interesting for a longtime fan like me.

i will likely buy the hard copy now, just because it's an an important piece of collectible for someone who wants a complete picture. i guess that makes me a Mayte fan too but, imo she is well worth 'famming' over; very strong and beautiful person.

i would never have survived what she has endured over the years and come out still smiling.

and if i'd written a book about my experience, i would have been more snarky, bitter and mean. but that's me and Mayte doesn't seem to have that in her.

total respect to her for not sinking to a trashy, tell-all level. this was beautifully done.

so ten out of ten, and kudos to Mayte for doing this. i know she is/will be taking a lot of heat from angry fans and the media, but it is her story from start to finish and she tells it very well.

kudos to her ghostwriter as well for doing such a bang-up job of capturing the essence of the story so succinctly. that would not have been an easy assignment....

Regarding the "total respect for her....beautifully done" comment, .

206Michelle said:

XxAxX said:

i dunno about assault. forgive her, yes. but i sure wouldn't let her close if i were M1. M2 also went to CJ to spill the beans following the dissolution of her marriage to P... just wouldn't trust her if i were M1. remember that dig on "wives"? "you better catch up"

[Edited 4/8/17 5:50am]

XxAxX, I'm still getting over a cold and my mind is full of fog, so I'll blame this question on that. Who is CJ?

this link explains it all
CJ wrote an article at the time: C.J. 'Billy Jack Bitch' & Mani - Pen Pals?

http://prince.org/msg/5/198231

to avoid off-topic discourse, see orgnote

[Edited 4/8/17 13:47pm]

illimack said:

Got my copy yesterday......I haven't read the whole thing. I kinda started in the middle.

Let me just say, I never liked or disliked Mayte. I kind of took her as being just, I don't know, part of the whole Prince experience at the time. I always thought they were good together though, and I didn't mind when he married her. I thought that she was good for him.

Mani, on the other hand, always seemed like a snake to me. I always gave her the side eye. Now, after reading how it all went down.....I really can't stand that bitch! Mayte is waaay to nice and forgiving. I would never be friends with her!!!!!!

This is what I thought, too. Mayte was too nice about M2's azz.

CMSantos71 said:

morningsong said:

Ok, who actually read the foreward?

I think we're waiting until the end to discusss the foreward becuse it really is 'the end'.

~DD55

NotACleverName said:

CMSantos71 said:

I finished the book a few days ago and am now listening to it. Listening to her voice as she narrates the book has my emotions everywhere. As I said the other day, this booked moved my soul in a wierd way. Maybe because I can relate to Mayte in some ways? I don't know. They had such a deep bond and love for each other. I truly believe Prince didn't let anyone else in the way he let Mayte in. Not many people experience this kind of love and I can understand why she waited for him and never really moved on. He was it...the one. While we will never know how he felt, I believe he carried her in his heart tucked away. I am glad she wrote this book and hope it helps her to heal her broken heart. She went through alot and the fact she can smile at the end of the day says alot about her.

A few people have mentioned that the tape is pretty emotional. I just might have to get that; although, I would then have the tape, the hard cover book and the Kindle version! Oh well, it does benefit her rescue and Gia so worth it, to me. I agree with your sentiments, CMSantos71. They started by developing a friendship, three years as friends, before it grew into love. I always think about this statement Prince made about Mayte from an interview (link: content://com.sec.android...2943.mhtml ) during the Emancipation era: When I met Mayte, I looked at my situation and wondered what I was running from. Am I lonely? Is that why I surround myself with so many friends? "I don't think I knew the answer until I got married and made the commitment: 'I will take care of you forever.' When she walked down the aisle, and I looked into the eyes of this woman-child, I could see our future and the eyes of our child. At moments like that, you are floating. There is no ego." Kind of says it all, doesn't it? He adored her and I believe if they would have had a child survive, they might still be together. She truly was "The One" for him. EDIT: Wanted to include this quote as well (also found in the linked article above). Prince speaks to her character and knew her heart: "She was my friend and my sister for years, the one person who never showed any malice toward anyone." [Edited 4/8/17 14:23pm]

Yup, I agree to all of this.

Also, the way she describes P during the entire saga about Amiir...P was no joke as a father.

Hearing her read the book was the best part to me.

LoriJ said:

annalizer said:

Lol. We do understand. That's why she remembers it, but most likely never told him.😉

We DO understand. It was my favorite part of that chapter. It showed how hard he was trying to behave. No problemun intended.

That part made me laugh, especially when he then got her out of there pretty quickly. Lol

As a grown man I think he thought he could handle it...until his body challenged him and he had to rethink a bit.

Aw, that's a nice memory.

I've always thought she was pretty, but not in a fake Hollywood way. And she's aging well.

I'm glad it looks like she left her boobs alone. I think they're just the right size for her body.

Where was the book signing?

^^That is a nice pic, I always thought she was a beautiful woman. Glad to hear you all are enjoying the book. I may give it a read someday. It is clear she never got over Prince though and still loved him after all these years. It is hard enough being in the public eye and then having what seemed like a fairytale romance, marriage, then losing two babies and the breakup does not end well. That would take a toll on anyone! Hopefully this book can give her some healing and peace.

[Edited 4/8/17 15:06pm]

That's cool. Did she say anything else about the book?

bsprout said:

I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right place- please move, if so. I met Mayte today at her book signing. She read from Chapter 2 and then answered questions. She is beautiful, and couldn't have been more lovely and gracious with the crowd. She is exactly as I expected she would be, a genuinely sweet and caring person. She told some nice Prince tidbits. When asked what her favorite Prince song is, she said it was hard because there are so many, but after some thought she said she would have to pick 'Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother, Wife', because he wrote it for their wedding and it was their wedding song (I love this song!)

LBrent said: