One morning, Josh Hara found himself staring at the blank side of his empty coffee cup. In his other hand was a pen. He brought the two together, and the first of hundreds of comic-covered cups found its way onto the internet. Years later, the coffee cups had taken on a life of their own, with jokes, seasonal greetings and social commentary – ranging from Game of Thrones memes to statements on the US presidential election – being shared around the world, as Hara overcame the perils of sketching on a curved surface while highly caffeinated. With hundreds of cups now created, All the Coffee Cups collects and preserves a particular moment in history – one where pop culture and caffeine came together to create art.
If You Lived Here You'd Be Famous by Now is an insider’s collection of funny and warmhearted stories about coming of age in the Los Angeles suburb famed for birthing the Kardashian-Jenners and the Bling Ring For Via Bleidner, transferring to Calabasas High from the private Catholic school she’s attended since second grade is a culture shock, not to mention absolutely lonely. Suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar world of celebrities, affluenza, and McMansions, Via takes a page from Cameron Crowe and pretends she’s on a journalism assignment, taking notes on her classmates and jotting down bits of overheard gossip. Getting through high school in Calabasas is something else—from Kim Kardashian endorsing the students’ favorite hidden lunch spot, to the theater program hiring a famous dog to play Elle Woods' Chihuahua in its production of Legally Blonde, and Kanye trying to take control of your school to make it the very first YEEZY institution. But instead of floating through high school detached from her peers, Via finds that putting herself out there—for her writing, of course—just might have been exactly what she needed. She unexpectedly finds an eclectic group of friends to call her own, including a multi-multi-millionaire, a wild-card throwback intent on going viral, a former Disney actor, and a doughnut-dealing madman. With wit, candor, and sharp observations, twenty-one-year-old Via grounds the surreal glamour of Calabasas with reflections on her own coming-of-age, sharing her teenage misadventures as she struggles to fit in, faces crushing social pressure, and eventually makes her own way.
Trenae' has sass, beauty and brains. She has everything she wants except a loving relationship, one that involves more than just sex. Jamal, an old flame, continues to burn very brightly in her life until she meets Korry. Korry is the perfect man and her ideal soul mate. Everything seems fine until Trenae's life is turned upside down, and she is forced to pick the man best suited for her life. Her best friend and family provide support and humor as she deals with love's battlefield.
The last thing Kristen Carleo expected when she left work was for the building to explode. That is, until she found out her no-good brother claimed she owned the building and now owes over a half million dollars to people he’d swindled. With only a few months to raise the money, Kristen is doing all she can to stay out of jail and hide from the people after her. Wasting time on men isn’t on her schedule. Wondering why he can’t catch the eye of Kristen, Martino Mancini finally gets his chance when he’s called in for a rescue of a delicate nature. He’s puzzled though because the closer they seem to get, the further away she pulls. Blaze knows she’s hiding something, but he doesn’t know what. All he wants is to help her, all she wants is to protect those she loves. Sparks fly, flames rage, can their relationship stand the heat?
Prepare to be swept off your feet by The Royally Series Collection– three sexy, swoony, modern royal romances that will capture your heart, and satisfy your desire for a breathtaking happily ever after. Royally Screwed– By order of the Queen, Crown Prince Nicholas Pembrook has five months to choose a suitable bride. Then one snowy night, in New York City, he meets spirited and beautiful waitress, Olivia Hammond. Their whirlwind romance makes Nicholas question everything—who he is and who he wants to be—a King…or the man who gets to love Olivia forever. Royally Matched– Responsibility has never been Prince Henry Pembrook’s strong suit. So when an unexpected heap of it is dropped in his regal lap, he reacts accordingly—by secretly signing up for a reality TV dating show. Henry plans on partying his worries away. What he doesn’t plan on…is Lady Sarah Von Titebottum…the quiet, stunning, shy, librarian hiding behind a book. As Henry and Sarah grow closer, old words take on new meanings for the irresponsible royal. Words like Duty, Honor and most of all—Love. Royally Endowed– For years, broody royal bodyguard Logan St. James has watched over—and wanted—perfect, perky, beautiful Ellie Hammond, the younger sister of Princess Olivia. But he’s bound by loyalty to the crown and, of course, the golden bodyguard rule: Never lose focus, never let them out of your sight, and never, ever fall in love. But Logan and Ellie are about to learn that when it comes to passion and pleasure, rules were definitely made to be broken. Royally Raised— This sweetest of short stories focuses on Henry and Sarah, 20 years after the conclusion of Royally Matched.
In Back Where He Started, Chris Thayer finds himself packing up the last pieces of a quietly extraordinary life. After twenty-three years of marriage to Zack Ronan—and after raising the widower’s three kids—Chris finds himself facing an uncertain second act. Seeking refuge in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Chris has to come to terms with his own empty nest and challenge himself to move forward with a new relationship. This is a subtle depiction of the meaning of family and motherhood, and of the search for your true soul. Jay Quinn’s Lambda-nominated novels transcend traditional gay fiction, exploring universal issues of marriage, aging parents, addiction, and attraction, all while presenting unique characters and page-turning drama. Don’t miss any of Quinn’s novels: Metes and Bounds, Back Where He Started, The Good Neighbor, The Beloved Son, and The Boomerang Kid.
In this lively, accessible, and provocative collection, Aph and Syl Ko provide new theoretical frameworks on race, advocacy for nonhuman animals, and feminism. Using popular culture as a point of reference for their critiques, the Ko sisters engage in groundbreaking analysis of the compartmentalized nature of contemporary social movements, present new ways of understanding interconnected oppressions, and offer conceptual ways of moving forward expressive of Afrofuturism and black veganism. Book jacket.
“” A successful African American woman in a small urban community fights falling in love with a well-known successful businessman. Both must fight society's expectations, unexpected prejudice, and community loyalties to succumb to everlasting love. Small-town girl Shantre Moore has grown up kicking and fighting for every inch of success she could get. She is the pride and joy of her community and destined to save her community brick by brick. When her big break presents itself and she will finally be able to put her name on the who's who list by saving her community's sports/fitness center, she jumps at the opportunity. However, things change, plans changes, and the rules have shifted when Yancy Bates stomps on her parade. Yancy has no interest in saving a small-town fitness center, but he couldn't resist the challenge of bringing yet another company back to life. He would just swoop in, stamp his name on the project, and voila, another well-known corporation is born. Being around beautiful women is an understatement, but never has he been so intrigued by the beautiful and smart Shantre. She could be the best challenge he's had to conquer in his entire life.
An analysis of sex and gender in music videos, covering everyone from Beyonce to Madonna, Nine Inch Nails to Mykki Blanco. In Justify My Love, Ryann Donnelly explores sex and gender in one of the most widely consumed art forms of our age -- the music video. Through an autobiographical reckoning with the author's life in a band and collaboration with past lovers, and a close analysis of the erotic iconography of music videos, Justify My Love tells the subversive history of this medium, from the inception of MTV in 1981 through to the 2010s. Covering everything from Lady Gaga and Beyonce to Nine Inch Nails and George Michael, Justify My Love shows how subversion became mainstream, and how marginalized voices shaped some of the biggest music videos of the last thirty years.
