Solomon Harris is a high-profile attorney based in Los Angeles who makes a decent living representing the stars of Hollywood. He’s never met his father, an equally high-profile pastor based in Charlotte, North Carolina. So, when his father summons him from his sickbed in the hospital, Solomon isn’t so sure he wants to meet him—or his half siblings who lived the life he might have known if his father had claimed him almost three decades ago. Encouraged by his mother, Solomon finally agrees to fly to Charlotte. The visit prompts a predictable fallout with the family, along with plenty of unexpected results. Never did Solomon expect to represent his father in a court of law, or to find a love interest in a longtime friend of the family. But will the newfound love, of both his father and of a woman, be enough to break through the bitterness he’s harbored all his life?
Few states have as colorful a political history as Alabama, especially in the post-World War II era. During the past six decades, the state played a central role in the civil rights movement, largely moved away from its earlier farm-based economy and culture, and transitioned from a relatively moderate-progressive Democratic Party politics to today's hard-core conservative Republican Party domination. Moving onto and off Alabama's electoral stage during all these transformations have been some of the most interesting figures in 20th-century American government and politics. Swirling around these elected officials in the Heart of Dixie are stories, legends, and jokes that are told and retold by political insiders, journalists, and scholars who follow the goings-on in Washington and Montgomery. In Alabama, it seems, politics is not only a blood sport but high entertainment. There could be no better guide to this colorful history than political columnist and commentator Steve Flowers.
"In this collection of three novellas, the Morrison family saga continues, featuring Joel's three sons: the preacher, Isaiah, weathers a divorce and wonders what the future has in store; the politician, Eric, must deal with a blackmailer threatening to derail his gubernatorial campaign; and the playboy, Shawn, finds himself a suspect in the death of an ex-lover"--
Two girls’ lives are irrevocably intertwined the summer of 1985 in the streets of Brooklyn, New York, and neither will ever be the same in this coming-of-age story that spans decades. In the summer of 1985, Lisa Whitaker is a church kid headed to college on a scholarship while her best friend, Dana, is floundering in the wake of her mother’s latest eviction. Though Lisa tries to help, their paths diverge. Fifteen years later, Lisa has a beautiful family and is stepping into her dream job as the director for a social services organization. Everything is going right—until her future is snatched away by identity theft. Her life begins to unravel, and Lisa wants nothing more than to see the woman responsible pay for her crimes. When she was a teenager, Dana Jones always felt alone in this world. Her mother was addicted to drugs, her boyfriend was entering a life of crime, and it seemed Dana, too, was heading down the wrong path. The only bright light was her friendship with Lisa. Now, in the new millennium, Dana finally gives herself permission to dream—to believe she is stepping into better days. But when the betrayal of their friendship comes to light, it will take a lifetime to forgive the destruction that youthful summer in Bed-Stuy set in motion. In this latest story from beloved author Vanessa Miller, two girls from the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, find that their paths have been woven together by the love of community and a friendship that is tested by time, betrayal, and unforgiveness. Inspirational Christian fiction Stand-alone novel Perfect for fans of Tara M. Stringfellow, Terry McMillan, and Kimberla Lawson Roby Book length: approximately 85,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs
Most of the major black literary and cultural movements of the twentieth century have been understood and interpreted as secular, secularizing and, at times, profane. In this book, Josef Sorett demonstrates that religion was actually a formidable force within these movements, animating and organizing African American literary visions throughout the years between the New Negro Renaissance of the 1920s and the Black Arts movement of the 1960s. Sorett unveils the contours of a literary history that remained preoccupied with religion even as it was typically understood by authors, readers, and critics alike to be modern and, therefore, secular. Spirit in the Dark offers an account of the ways in which religion, especially Afro-Protestantism, remained pivotal to the ideas and aspirations of African American literature across much of the twentieth century. From the dawn of the New Negro Renaissance until the ascendance of the Black Arts movement, black writers developed a spiritual grammar for discussing race and art by drawing on terms such as "church" and "spirit" that were part of the landscape and lexicon of American religious history. Sorett demonstrates that religion and spirituality have been key categories for identifying and interpreting what was (or was not) perceived to constitute or contribute to black literature and culture. By examining figures and movements that have typically been cast as "secular," he offers theoretical insights that trouble the boundaries of what counts as "sacred" in scholarship on African American religion and culture. Ultimately, Spirit in the Dark reveals religion to be an essential ingredient, albeit one that was always questioned and contested, in the forging of an African American literary tradition.
A film legend recalls his remarkable life of nearly eight decades—a heralded actor who's played the roles he wanted, from Brian’s Song to Lando in the Star Wars universe—unchecked by the racism and typecasting so rife in the mostly all-white industry in which he triumphed. “The story of a legend, written by the legend himself! Impressive, inspiring, entertaining and endearing.” —J. J. Abrams Billy Dee Williams was born in Harlem in 1937 and grew up in a household of love and sophistication. As a young boy, he made his stage debut working with Lotte Lenya in an Ira Gershwin/Kurt Weill production where Williams ended up feeding Lenya her lines. He studied painting, first at the High School of Music and Art, with fellow student Diahann Carroll, and then at the National Academy of Fine Art, before setting out to pursue acting with Herbert Berghoff, Stella Adler, and Sidney Poitier. His first film role was in The Last Angry Man, the great Paul Muni’s final film. It was Muni who gave Billy the advice that sent him soaring as an actor, “You can play any character you want to play no matter who you are, no matter the way you look or the color of your skin.” And Williams writes, “I wanted to be anyone I wanted to be.” He writes of landing the role of a lifetime: co-starring alongside James Caan in Brian’s Song, the made-for-television movie that was watched by an audience of more than fifty million people. Williams says it was “the kind of interracial love story America needed.” And when, as the first Black character in the Star Wars universe, he became a true pop culture icon, playing Lando Calrissian in George Lucas’s The Empire Strikes Back (“What I presented on the screen people didn’t expect to see”). It was a role he reprised in the final film of the original trilogy, The Return of the Jedi, and in the recent sequel The Rise of Skywalker. A legendary actor, in his own words, on all that has sustained and carried him through a lifetime of dreams and adventure.
When three women find their lives inextricably linked after a terrible mistake, they must work together to make the most of their futures. Alexis Marshall never meant to cause the accident that left Jon-Jon Robinson paralyzed—but though guilt plagues her, her husband hopes to put the past behind them. After all, he’s in the middle of selling a tech business—and if Alexis admits to texting while driving, the deal could collapse and cost them millions. Meanwhile, Alexis’s life is not as shiny and perfect as it may seem from the outside. She has secrets of her own. As she becomes consumed with thoughts of the young man she hit, can she reconcile her mistake with her husband’s expectations? Trish Robinson is just trying to hold it together after the accident that left Jon-Jon dependent and depressed. As the bills pile up, Trish and her husband, Dwayne, find themselves at odds. Trish wants to forgive and move on, but Dwayne is filled with rage toward the entitled woman who altered their lives forever. Trish can’t see how anything good can come from so much hate and strife, so she determines to pray until God intervenes. Then one afternoon Marquita Lewis rings their doorbell with a baby in her arms and changes everything. Vanessa Miller’s latest inspirational novel reminds readers that differences may separate us, but if we cling to each other, God can bring something good out of our very worst moments. Praise for Something Good: “This real-to-life story doesn't shy away from some hard issues of the modern world, but Miller is a master storyteller, who brings healing and redemption to her characters, and thus the reader, through the power of love and faith. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.” —Rachel Hauck, New York Times bestselling author Inspiring contemporary fiction Stand-alone novel Includes discussion questions for book clubs
What is the meaning of life? The question has been asked by the brightest philosophical minds for centuries. Still to this day answers vary greatly depending on the worldview. Solomon, the wisest king in Israel's history, set all his energies to search for the ultimate meaning of life under the sun. His conclusions may shock and surprise you--vanity, chasing after the wind, absurdity, vanishing smoke. Are these the musings of a genius or of a mad man? If you are looking for a candy-coated appraisal of life then go ahead and put this book down. However, if you are looking for a no-frills, brutally honest, ragged-edged assessment of reality, then you have discovered an indispensable volume. In Journal of a Mad Man, pastor and author Derrick McCarson will carefully guide readers verse by verse through Solomon's meditations recorded in the Old Testament book of wisdom--Ecclesiastes. Not only will readers attempt to plumb the depths of some of mankind's most vexing questions, but they will also discover Solomon's secrets for wise living in a warped world.
Another storm is on the horizon for the Reynolds women. And the only way out is to go through it. Good things never happen in November—at least not for the Reynolds women. It was the month they lost their patriarch. And the month when fourteen-year-old Trinity went missing during a tropical storm. So Hope Reynolds isn’t surprised when it becomes the month she walks in on her boyfriend kissing another woman. Or when she receives a panicked call from her mother about a mistake that could cost the family their treasured beach house. Meanwhile, Faith Reynolds-Phillips is facing her own financial struggles. She’s also looking down the barrel of divorce and raising a daughter who reminds her so much of her younger sister, Trinity, that sometimes it physically hurts. The last place Hope and Faith want to be is in Hallelujah, South Carolina, during hurricane season. Going home will force them to confront the secrets that have torn their family apart. But if they can survive another storm, they’ll have a chance to rebuild on a new foundation—the truth. In the latest novel from prolific writer Vanessa Miller, three women must find the strength to endure the storm and the faith to believe in a miracle. “A heartwarming, page-turning, beautiful story about family secrets, mother-daughter relationships, forgiveness, and restored faith.” —Kimberla Lawson Roby, New York Times bestselling author Inspiring contemporary fiction Stand-alone novel Includes discussion questions for book clubs Other books by Vanessa Miller: Something Good
