Introducing the first volume in an exciting new annual anthology featuring the year's most outstanding fiction by some of today's finest African American writers.From stories that depict black life in times gone by to those that address contemporary issues, this inaugural volume gathers the very best recent African American fiction. Created during a period of electrifying political dialogue and cultural, social, and economic change that is sure to captivate the imaginations of writers and readers for years to come, these short stories and novel excerpts explore a rich variety of subjects. But most of all, they represent exceptional artistry.Here you'll find work by both established names and up-and-comers, ranging from Walter Dean Myers to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Mat Johnson, and Junot Díaz. They write about subjects as diverse as the complexities of black middle-class life and the challenges of interracial relationships, a modern-day lynching in the South... Views: 62
When kilted caber-tosser Scott MacPherson tosses Leslie Livingston over his shoulder to rescue her from two armed thieves trying to steal her priceless amulet, they are thrust into a deadly but sexy adventure. Though Leslie already has a lukewarm, uninterested boyfriend, her attraction to Scott is white-hot and undeniable. She wants to lick this tall, muscular alpha male all over and explore the depths of eroticism with him. But will he want anything more than one night once the danger is behind them? Views: 62
Sunderland, 1940, and the women go to the shipyards to do their bit for the war effort.Polly never dreamed she would be able to work in the shipyards like the men in her family but times are tough and her new job ends up giving her more than she ever expected when she meets enigmatic dock diver Tommy Watts.During the day, head welder Rosie teaches her fledgling flock of trainees their new trade, but at night she hides a secret life.And mother hen Gloria signs up to escape her brutal husband, but finds she cannot run from her problems.The Shipyard Girls start off as strangers - but end up forging an unbreakable bond of friendship in the most difficult times. Views: 62
Noah Thorpe is spending the school term in George River, in Quebec's Far North, where his dad is an English teacher in the Inuit community. Noah's not too keen about living in the middle of nowhere, but getting away from Montreal has one big advantage: he gets a break from the bully at his old school. But Noah learns that problems have a way of following you — no matter how far you travel. To the Inuit kids, Noah is a qallunaaq—a southerner, someone ignorant of the customs of the North. Noah thinks the Inuit have a strange way of looking at the world, plus they eat raw meat and seal blubber. Most have never left George River — a town that doesn't even have its own doctor, let alone a McDonald's. But Noah's views change when he goes winter camping and realizes he will have to learn a few lessons from his Inuit buddies if he wants to make it home. Views: 62
This historical novel set at Old Fort Snelling in the 1830s is a rich and romantic re-creation of the early settlement period in Minnesota's history. Maud Hart Lovelace's careful research into the documents of the Historical Society, combined with her knowledge of the actual setting, enabled her to write a story that conveys a sense of time and place both accurate and compelling for young adults as well as general readers. Views: 62
A girl from the wrong side of the tracks finds out the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Views: 62
Winter didn't ask to be the guardian of the wood, but when her dad inexplicably vanishes, she's the one who must protect travelers who accidentally slip through the wood's portals. The wood is poisoned, changing into something more sinister. Once brightly colored leaves are now bubbling inky black. Vicious creatures that live in the shadows are becoming bolder, torturing lost travelers. Winter must now put her trust in Henry—a young man from eighteenth century England who knows more than he should about the wood—in order to find the truth and those they've lost. Bobulski's eerie debut is filled with friendship, family, and the responsibilities we choose and those we do not. Views: 62
SUMMARY: When death shatters the serenity of the exclusive moneyed enclave of Tuxedo Park, New York, Eliza Blake, cohost of the country's premier morning television show KEY to America, is on the scene. While attending a lavish gala at her friends' newly renovated estate, Pentimento, Eliza's host is found dead-a grotesque suicide that is the first act in a macabre and intricately conceived plan to expose the sins of the past involving some of the town's most revered citizens.Determined to find out the truth, Eliza and her KEY News colleagues-producer Annabelle Murphy, cameraman B.J. D'Elia, and psychiatrist Margo Gonzalez-discover that Pentimento holds the key. Nestled in the park's sprawling architectural masterpieces, picturesque gardeners' cottages, and lush, rolling landscape, the glorious mansion is actually a giant "puzzle house," filled with ingenious clues hidden in its fireplaces, fountains, and frescoes that lead them from one suspicious locale to another-and, one by one, to the victims of a fiendish killer.As Pentimento gives up its secrets, it becomes clear that no amount of wealth or privilege will keep the residents of Tuxedo Park safe. But just when Eliza unearths one final surprise, she comes face-to-face with a murderer who believes that some puzzles should never be solved. Views: 62
A pimp, a killer, a playa, and a drug dealer struggle to get their game right in a sizzling novel where leaving the life and trying to go straight is a deadly option. Tavon, better known as "Sweet," would pimp his own mother -- and he does. Convinced that the prostitution game chose him, Sweet loves his high-rolling life. But when he unexpectedly becomes a father, will Sweet be able to choose between the family trade and his grown, not-so-innocent daughter? EDITORIAL REVIEW: **A pimp, a killer, a playa, and a drug dealer struggle to get their game right in a sizzling novel where leaving the life and trying to go straight is a deadly option.** **Tavon,** better known as "Sweet," would pimp his own mother -- and he does. Convinced that the prostitution game chose him, Sweet loves his high-rolling life. But when he unexpectedly becomes a father, will Sweet be able to choose between the family trade and his grown, not-so-innocent daughter? After ten years in prison, the drive-by **Demarcus** committed still haunts him. Determined to stay above the law, he's found Allah, promised to change his ways forever, and finally do right by his girl, Zoey. But when an opportunity arises that will set him and Zoey right for life, Demarcus may have more faith in his killah reputation than the Koran.... **Kaseem** runs every single drug going in and out of Bentley Manor. His empire provides clothes, cash, and his satisfaction of his wifey, Quilla -- along with the company of other ladies, of course. But when Kaseem's crew becomes more violent, will he be able to escape the life -- and the gangsters -- he created? The best playa on the block, **Rhakmon** can get a woman to do anything he wants. His latest girlfriend, Shaterica, lets him steal, lie, and cheat -- smitten to be under his spell. But when Rhakmon's devious deeds are finally brought to light, the revenge Shaterica plans may ultimately be more horrible than anything he could have imagined.... From the ladies who brought you *Desperate Hoodwives* and *Shameless Hoodwives,* the streets of Atlanta are hotter than ever with drama, sex, and danger -- profilin' four men desperate for anything *but* their hood life. Views: 62
Ten-year-old Rosario Ramirez and her family are political refugees from Mexico, trying to make a new life in Canada. After being teased at school, Rosario vows not to speak English again until she can speak with an accent that's one hundred percent Canadian. Since she and her parents plan to spend the whole summer working on BC fruit farms, she will be surrounded by Spanish speakers again. But when her family's closest friend Jose gets terribly sick, Rosario's plans start to unravel. Neither Jose nor Rosario's parents speak English well enough to get him the help he needs. Like it or not, Rosario must face her fears about letting her voice be heard. Views: 62
