May 2012′s Bestselling African American Books

Here are the upcoming bestsellers for African American books (from Amazon.com).

1. The Reverend’s Wife (A Reverend Curtis Black Novel) by Kimberla Lawson Roby
   (Grand Central Publishing, 2012-05-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   From New York Times bestselling author Kimberla Lawson Roby comes the ninth installment in her award-winning Reverend Curtis Black series. It’s been months since Reverend Curtis learned that his wife Charlotte had affairs with two different men, and for now, he continues to be cordial and respectful to her. But he’s also made it clear that once their son Matthew graduates high school, he will be filing for divorce. Charlotte, on the other hand, continues to do everything possible to make amends in hopes of saving their marriage. Unfortunately, Curtis is ready to move on and is being propositioned by a woman who desperately wants to become the next Mrs. Curtis Black. When the situation heads down a path that is frighteningly shocking, could it be the final blow to this once blessed union?

    

2. Home by Toni Morrison
   (Knopf, 2012-05-08, Hardcover)
   

   America’s most celebrated novelist, Nobel Prize-winner Toni Morrison extends her profound take on our history with this twentieth-century tale of redemption: a taut and tortured story about one man’s desperate search for himself in a world disfigured by war.Frank Money is an angry, self-loathing veteran of the Korean War who, after traumatic experiences on the front lines, finds himself back in racist America with more than just physical scars. His home may seem alien to him, but he is shocked out of his crippling apathy by the need to rescue his medically abused younger sister and take her back to the small Georgia town they come from and that he’s hated all his life. As Frank revisits his memories from childhood and the war that have left him questioning his sense of self, he discovers a profound courage he had thought he could never possess again. A deeply moving novel about an apparently defeated man finding his manhood—and his home.

    

3. Dopeman: Memoirs of a Snitch: Part 3 of Dopeman’s Trilogy by JaQuavis Coleman
   (Urban Books, 2012-05-01, Paperback)
   

    

4. Boss Bitch (Bitch Series) by Deja King
   (A King Production, 2012-05-15, Paperback)
   

   Precious Cummings and her daughter Aaliyah Mills Carter must protect the family empire as an unknown enemy tries to step in and take the throne. Can mother and daughter get past their differences and unite as one or will they stay at odds and risk having their loved ones torn apart? The saga continues to unfold in Boss Bitch.

    

5. God Don’t Make No Mistakes (God Don’t Like Ugly) by Mary Monroe
   (Kensington Books, 2012-05-29, Kindle Edition)
   

   In the sparkling conclusion to Mary Monroe’s bestselling God series, two forever friends face their biggest betrayals yet and learn the hard way that putting your trust in the wrong hands can change your life forever…These days, Annette Goode Davis has a pretty full plate–literally and figuratively. Although she’s trying to reconcile with her husband, Pee Wee, she’s still seeing other men on the side. A woman’s got to cover her bases, right? With her love life hopping, Annette should be as pleased as punch. Instead, the stress has her eating everything in sight and packing on the pounds along the way. Meanwhile, Annette’s best friend, Rhoda O’Toole, has her hands full–as usual–dealing with her wild child daughter. Jade has always been a cross to bear, but when her antics almost cost Rhoda her man, Rhoda throws Jade out on the street. But Jade soon finds a way to make Rhoda regret her choice…. Privately, Annette thanks her lucky stars that her daughter, Charlotte, has her head on straight. And she’s been doubly blessed to have a strait-laced neighbor look after Charlotte when she’s caught up in Pee Wee and Rhoda’s many problems. But when Annette’s world is rocked by a terrible revelation, she’ll discover that appearances can be very, very deceiving–and she’ll have to summon every ounce of strength she has to protect the ones she loves. “Monroe is a masterful storyteller.” –Philadelphia Inquirer

    

6. Seduced by a Stallion (Kimani Romance) by Deborah Fletcher Mello
   (Kimani Romance, 2012-05-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   Wealthy Texas scion Matthew Stallion is the playboy of the Western world. In the courtroom, he’s unbeatable. On a horse, he’s unstoppable. And in bed…he’s irresistible. But it may be time for the second eldest Stallion son to hang up his Stetson when he clashes with single mother Katrina Broomes. The widowed judge is the epitome of judicial calm and old-fashioned tradition. Until Matthew unleashes her wild passion.The charismatic, eye-catchingly gorgeous attorney is six feet plus of potent masculinity. Katrina doesn’t stand a chance against Matthew’s sensual onslaught. From the chic boulevards of Paris to the sprawling Stallion family ranch, she’s getting a lesson in seduction—Texan style. Because when it comes to love out West…the sky’s the limit!

    

7. Always in My Heart (Kimani Romance) by Kayla Perrin
   (Kimani Romance, 2012-05-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   The oldest of three adopted daughters, Callie Hart has always loved being the protector of the family. But now she is all grown up—with a young son of her own to protect. Callie can’t wait to show him off when she reunites with her two sisters in Ohio. But that also means coming face-to-face with the lover she left behind. Nigel Williams is even more irresistibly attractive than ever. But what will he do when he learns about the secret she kept hidden from him for ten years?Nigel has never forgiven Callie for fleeing Ohio—and the passion they shared. And when she shows up on his doorstep asking for forgiveness, the Cleveland cop is furious at her deception. But how can he deny the feelings Callie reawakens in him? Blindsided once again by the heat of desire, Nigel vows to fight for his future with the woman he has always loved.

    

8. Natural Born Liar by Noire
   (Dafina, 2012-05-01, Paperback)
   

   What happens when beautiful, twenty-year-old petty thief and ex-stripper Mink LaRue finds out she’s a dead ringer for the age-progressed photo of the missing oil heiress Sable Dominion?Harlem-born Mink LaRue makes a beeline to Dallas, Texas, pretending to be the Dominion’s long-lost daughter, Sable. She knows she’s hit the jackpot when she and her super ghetto partner in crime, Bowlegged Bunni, are admitted into the Dominion’s 20-room mansion, complete with all the trimmings of a luxurious family estate. But it’s not long before Mink’s newfound siblings grow suspicious of the ghetto princess, who has a rap sheet a mile long. If Mink is to worm her way into their pockets and get her hands on their dough, then she must tell enough lies to convince everyone that she really is the precious daughter who was stolen from their fold. But with a DNA test standing between her and a hefty inheritance, how long can Mink’s bag of lies keep her rolling in the Dominion’s riches? “Urban Erotica has never been hotter!” –Nikki Turner”Noire is Dickens for the age of dojah, donuts and dawgs.” –Publishers Weekly

    

9. Lost Without You (Kimani Romance) by Yahrah St. John
   (Kimani Romance, 2012-05-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   As the creative genius behind Georgia’s most fabled cosmetics dynasty, Shane Adams has a legacy to live up to. The freewheeling Atlanta bachelor also knows how to romance a woman, wining and dining the city’s most eligible beauties. Only Gabrielle Burton seems immune to his legendary charms. Yet Shane has never been able to forget his stunning rival, whose sweet desire is like a lingering perfume.…The hunky Adams Cosmetics VP has always held Gabby spellbound. But the workaholic perfumer never thought she could attract the sexy playboy’s attention. Until she undergoes a major makeover. Suddenly she’s on everyone’s A-list…including Shane’s. As intrigue swirls around the company, is the sensual scent of passion leading Gabby and Shane to love?

    

10. Aloha Fantasy (Kimani Romance) by Devon Vaughn Archer
    (Kimani Romance, 2012-05-01, Kindle Edition)
    

    Award-winning photographer Danica Austin is the essence of urban chic. But with her love life going nowhere fast, she’s more than ready to swap houses for a month in Hawaii. The minute her plane touches down on exotic Hilo, Danica can’t wait to check out the social scene and catch some breathtaking sunsets. Until gorgeous real estate investor Boyd Reed comes into the picture to stake his claim on the house…and her heart!If this stunning stranger thinks she can just move into Boyd’s jointly owned waterfront property, she can think again! Although he must admit: his temporary tenant is one irresistible woman. Sharing passion under tropical skies is making Boyd believe in the power of love. But Danica’s not sure she wants to make Hawaii her home. If only he can just persuade her to spend the rest of her days and nights with him in their one-of-a-kind island paradise.…

     

11. The Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Reader by Henry Louis Gates Jr.
    (Basic Civitas Books, 2012-05-01, Hardcover)
    

    Educator, writer, critic, intellectual, film-maker—Henry Louis Gates, Jr., has been widely praised as being one of America’s most prominent and prolific scholars. In what will be an essential volume, The Henry Louis Gates Reader collects three decades of writings from his many fields of interest and expertise.From his earliest work of literary-historical excavation in 1982, through his current writings on the history and science of African American genealogy, the essays collected here follow his path as historian, theorist, canon-builder, and cultural critic, revealing a thinker of uncommon breadth whose work is uniformly guided by the drive to uncover and restore a history that has for too long been buried and denied.An invaluable reference, The Henry Louis Gates Reader will be a singular reflection of one of our most gifted minds.

     

12. The Block by Treasure Hernandez
    (Kensington, 2012-05-01, Paperback)
    

     

13. Samurai among Panthers: Richard Aoki on Race, Resistance, and a Paradoxical Life (Critical American Studies) by Diane C. Fujino
    (Univ Of Minnesota Press, 2012-05-02, Paperback)
    

    An iconic figure of the Asian American movement, Richard Aoki (1938–2009) was also, as the most prominent non-Black member of the Black Panther Party, a key architect of Afro-Asian solidarity in the 1960s and ’70s. His life story exposes the personal side of political activism as it illuminates the history of ethnic nationalism and radical internationalism in America.A reflection of this interconnection, Samurai among Panthers weaves together two narratives: Aoki’s dramatic first-person chronicle and an interpretive history by a leading scholar of the Asian American movement, Diane C. Fujino. Aoki’s candid account of himself takes us from his early years in Japanese American internment camps to his political education on the streets of Oakland, to his emergence in the Black Panther Party. As his story unfolds, we see how his parents’ separation inside the camps and his father’s illegal activities shaped the development of Aoki’s politics. Fujino situates his life within the context of twentieth-century history—World War II, the Cold War, and the protests of the 1960s. She demonstrates how activism is both an accidental and an intentional endeavor and how a militant activist practice can also promote participatory democracy and social service.The result of these parallel voices and analysis in Samurai among Panthers is a complex—and sometimes contradictory—portrait of a singularly extraordinary activist and an expansion and deepening of our understanding of the history he lived.

     

14. From Slave Ship to Harvard: Yarrow Mamout and the History of an African American Family by James H. Johnston
    (Fordham University Press, 2012-05-14, Hardcover)
    

    From Slave Ship to Harvard is the true story of an African American family in Maryland over six generations. The author has reconstructed a unique narrative of black struggle and achievement from paintings, photographs, books, diaries, court records, legal documents, and oral histories. From Slave Ship to Harvard traces the family from the colonial period and the American Revolution through the Civil War to Harvard and finally today. Yarrow Mamout, the first of the family in America, was an educated Muslim from Guinea. He was brought to Maryland on the slave ship Elijah and gained his freedom forty-four years later. By then, Yarrow had become so well known in the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C., that he attracted the attention of the eminent American portrait painter Charles Willson Peale, who captured Yarrow’s visage in the painting that appears on the cover of this book. The author here reveals that Yarrow’s immediate relatives-his sister, niece, wife, and son-were notable in their own right. His son married into the neighboring Turner family, and the farm community in western Maryland called Yarrowsburg was named for Yarrow Mamout’s daughter-in-law, Mary “Polly” Turner Yarrow. The Turner line ultimately produced Robert Turner Ford, who graduated from Harvard University in 1927. Just as Peale painted the portrait of Yarrow, James H. Johnston’s new book puts a face on slavery and paints the history of race in Maryland. It is a different picture from what most of us imagine. Relationships between blacks and whites were far more complex, and the races more dependent on each other. Fortunately, as this one family’s experience shows, individuals of both races repeatedly stepped forward to lessen divisions and to move America toward the diverse society of today.

     

15. It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership by Colin Powell
    (Harper, 2012-05-22, Hardcover)
    

    It Worked for Me is filled with vivid experiences and lessons learned that have shaped the legendary public service career of the four-star general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell. At its heart are Powell’s “Thirteen Rules”—notes he gathered over the years and that now form the basis of his leadership presentations given throughout the world. Powell’s short but sweet rules—among them, “Get mad, then get over it” and “Share credit”—are illustrated by revealing personal stories that introduce and expand upon his principles for effective leadership: conviction, hard work, and, above all, respect for others. In work and in life, Powell writes, “it’s about how we touch and are touched by the people we meet. It’s all about the people.” A natural storyteller, Powell offers warm and engaging parables with wise advice on succeeding in the workplace and beyond. “Trust your people,” he counsels as he delegates presidential briefing responsibilities to two junior State Department desk officers. “Do your best—someone is watching,” he advises those just starting out, recalling his own teenage summer job mopping floors in a soda-bottling factory. Powell combines the insights he has gained serving in the top ranks of the military and in four presidential administrations with the lessons he’s learned from his immigrant-family upbringing in the Bronx, his training in the ROTC, and his growth as an Army officer. The result is a powerful portrait of a leader who is reflective, self-effacing, and grateful for the contributions of everyone he works with. Colin Powell’s It Worked for Me is bound to inspire, move, and surprise readers. Thoughtful and revealing, it is a brilliant and original blueprint for leadership.

     

16. The Beautiful Ones (Arabesque) by Adrianne Byrd
    (Harlequin Kimani, 2012-05-22, Mass Market Paperback)
    

    In a sequel to Unforgettable, successful businesswoman Ophelia Missler has never had time to look for Mr. Right—much less find him. Now she’s engaged to wealthy businessman Jonas Hinton and is about to have the wedding of her dreams. But for some reason, she can’t stop thinking about her longtime best friend, Solomon Bassett. She never suspected that Solomon has secretly adored her for years, and has been unable to tell her how he really feels. Now, with their friendship and future in the balance, Solomon and Ophelia will have to listen to their hearts and dare to follow, if they are ever going to discover an everlasting love.

     

17. Kehinde Wiley by Thelma Golden, Robert Hobbs, Sarah E. Lewis and Brian Keith Jackson
    (Rizzoli, 2012-05-15, Hardcover)
    

    Known for his oversize paintings of contemporary African-Americans in heroic poses inspired by the great history and portrait painters of the past, Kehinde Wiley’s clever and ironic “reversals” have provided rich commentary on the nature of race and power in our society. His work began primarily from photographs he took of young men on the street in Harlem that he remixed with a fusion of historic painting styles, including elements of the French rococo. As rich visually as it is conceptually, Wiley’s work has drawn attention since his earliest shows in 2001. In the last decade, he has become one of the most important artists of the moment, with work as relevant and resonant to the hip-hop generation as it is to high-end collectors and major museums.This volume—the only comprehensive monograph on Wiley’s work—offers an in-depth understanding of this important artist’s work. It chronicles both the earliest paintings and photographs and his recent forays into sculpture—bust portraits in bronze in the manner of Renaissance artists.

     

18. Mistress, Inc. by Niobia Bryant
    (Kensington Books, 2012-05-29, Kindle Edition)
    

    From the author of Mistress No More comes a sexy, exciting novel about an ex-mistress who’s doing her best to give up her bad-girl ways…When Jessa Bell revealed she was having an affair with one of her best friends’ husbands, no one would have predicted she’d soon be playing the part of the reformed mistress–least of all Jessa. But her experience–and ensuing remorse–has landed her on all the national talk shows and scored her a major book deal. Now that she’s pregnant with her ex-lover’s baby, Jessa’s determined to cash in on all the attention. Trouble is, she isn’t feeling much genuine regret. Shunned by her former friends, Jessa is still being propositioned by married men–and decides to start a business to help wives catch their cheating husbands. But when more secrets about her past are exposed, it’s going to be tough for her to stay on the straight and narrow–even if it spells disaster for her future…”Bryant is an author who definitely knows how to tell a story.” –APOOO Book Club Raves for Niobia Bryant’s Message From a Mistress”Grabs your attention from the first page.” –The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers”This novel is packed with unbelievable drama that will capture readers from page one.” –Books2Mention Magazine”…a fast-paced, sexy romp that is entertaining from start to finish.” –APOOO Book Club

     

19. Hanging Off Jefferson’s Nose: Growing Up On Mount Rushmore by Tina Nichols Coury
    (Dial, 2012-05-10, Hardcover)
    

    Growing up in the shadow of Mount RushmoreLincoln Borglum was a young boy when his father, the great sculptor Gutzon Borglum, suggested to a group of South Dakota businessmen that he should carve the faces of four presidents into a side of a mountain as an attraction for tourists. But Mount Rushmore would never be finished by Gutzon. It would be his son who would complete the fourteen-year task and present America with one of its most iconic symbols.

     

20. Reckless by Cydney Rax
    (Dafina, 2012-05-01, Paperback)
    

    Desire raises the stakes–and the danger. . .Desperate Housewife by Cydney RaxCarmen Foster thinks she has it all–a perfect house, kids, and marriage. Until she stumbles upon racy texts from her husband, Forrest, to his baby mama, Toni–who desperately wants Forrest back. Carmen is devastated and decides she can forgive Forrest if she just has an affair of her own. But when a scheming Toni gets involved and threatens to reveal Carmen’s secret, revenge takes an unexpected and explosive turn…Sinful by Niobia BryantA psychologist specializing in addiction, Brie Bailey is surprised to find that her work is affecting her personal life in unexpected ways. For the first time, she has something to hide. And when her impulsive actions lead her into a web of danger, Brie finds herself losing control of everything. . .L.A. Confidential by Grace OctaviaStevie Silver, Black Hollywood’s sitcom sweetheart, is in for a run of very bad luck. Her conniving assistant, Kristine, has her sights on Stevie’s career–and on her T.V. producer husband. Kristine will do whatever it takes to win, from blackmail to seduction. But when a series of lies and betrayals comes to a head in the canyons behind the Hollywood sign, more than stardom is at stake. . .

     

Onyxcon 4 in Atlanta, August 17-18

ONYXCON celebrates the impact, contributions, and presence of The African Diaspora in the Popular Arts. Popular Arts meaning comic books/graphic novels, video games/interactive arts, TV/Film, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Action/Adventure, and all related genres.

Time: August 17, 2012 to August 18, 2012
Location: Atlanta, GA
Website: http://www.onyxcon.com

Author Marian L Thomas

2012′s Bestselling African American Audio Books

Here are 2012′s bestselling African American audiobooks.

1. How to Be Black (Enhanced Edition) by Baratunde Thurston
   (HarperCollins ebooks, 01/31/12, Kindle Edition with Audio/Video)
   

   How To Be Black, the enhanced e-book edition, contains 14 author-conducted video interviews with individuals who exemplify “how to be black,” an audio clip of the author delivering an essay to a live audience, links to a companion website with content created specifically for the enhanced e-book edition, and exclusive photos. Also, all instances of the color black have been rendered in an enhanced extra-black version just for this edition. Have you ever been called “too black” or “not black enough”? Have you ever befriended or worked with a black person? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this book is for you. Raised by a pro-black, Pan-Afrikan single mother during the crack years of 1980s Washington, DC, and educated at Sidwell Friends School and Harvard University, Baratunde Thurston has over thirty years’ experience being black. Now, through stories of his politically inspired Nigerian name, the heroics of his hippie mother, the murder of his drug-abusing father, and other revelatory black details, he shares with readers of all colors his wisdom and expertise in how to be black. Beyond memoir, this guidebook offers practical advice on everything from “How to Be The Black Friend” to “How to Be The (Next) Black President” to “How to Celebrate Black History Month.” To provide additional perspective, Baratunde assembled an award-winning Black Panel—three black women, three black men, and one white man (Christian Lander of Stuff White People Like)—and asked them such revealing questions as: “When Did You First Realize You Were Black?” “How Black Are You?” “Can You Swim?” The result is a humorous, intelligent, and audacious guide that challenges and satirizes the so-called experts, purists, and racists who purport to speak for all black people. With honest storytelling and biting wit, Baratunde plots a path not just to blackness, but one open to anyone interested in simply “how to be.” Please note that due to the large file size of these special features this enhanced e-book may take longer to download then a standard e-book.

    

2. In Dangers Way by L. Allen Stovey
   (Whispers Publishing, 01/04/12, Kindle Edition)
   

   Suspense and tension start at a high level and build form there in this action packed thriller. In Danger’s Way is a real page turner.

    

3. The Tales Of Tarzan : The Collection Adventure Story of Tarzan and Jane ( 8 Titles ), The Timeless African’s Jungle Novel (Annotated) WITH FREE AUDIOBOOK LINK by Edgar Rice Burroughs
   (unsecretbooks.com, 01/31/12, Kindle Edition)
   

   The Tales Of Tarzan is the collection adventure novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Begun with Tarzan of the Apes, the first in a series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published in the pulp magazine All-Story Magazine in October, 1912; the first book edition was published in 1914. The character was so popular that Burroughs continued the series into the 1940s with two dozen sequels. In this book contains:1. Tarzan of the Apes (1912) FREE Audiobook link2. The Return of Tarzan (1913) FREE Audiobook link3. The Beasts of Tarzan (1914) FREE Audiobook link4. The Son of Tarzan (1914) FREE Audiobook link5. Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar (1916) FREE Audiobook link6. Jungle Tales of Tarzan (1916, 1917) FREE Audiobook link7. Tarzan the Untamed (1919, 1921) No Audiobook link8. Tarzan the Terrible (1921) No Audiobook linkIn this version also contains : Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Biography, Colour’s cover for each title, Who is Tarzan and Jane?, more story about Tarzan and FREE Audiobook link( 6 Titles ).

    

4. King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village by Peggielene Bartels
   (Random House Audio, 02/21/12, Audio CD)
   

   The charming real-life fairy tale of an American secretary who discovers she has been chosen king of an impoverished fishing village on the west coast of Africa. King Peggy has the sweetness and quirkiness of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series and the hopeful sense of possibility of Half the Sky.  King Peggy chronicles the astonishing journey of an American secretary who suddenly finds herself king to a town of 7,000 souls on Ghana’s central coast, half a world away. Upon arriving for her crowning ceremony in beautiful Otuam, she discovers the dire reality: there’s no running water, no doctor, and no high school, and many of the village elders are stealing the town’s funds. To make matters worse, her uncle (the late king) sits in a morgue awaiting a proper funeral in the royal palace, which is in ruins. The longer she waits to bury him, the more she risks incurring the wrath of her ancestors. Peggy’s first two years as king of Otuam unfold in a way that is stranger than fiction. In the end, a deeply traditional African town has been uplifted by the ambitions of its headstrong, decidedly modern female king. And in changing Otuam, Peggy is herself transformed, from an ordinary secretary to the heart and hope of her community.

    

5. All I Did Was Shoot My Man (Leonid Mcgill Mystery) by Walter Mosley
   (Penguin Audio, 01/24/12, Audio CD)
   

   Unabridged, 7 CDs, 8 1/2 hoursRead by Mirron WillisIn the latest and most surprising novel in the bestselling Leonid McGill series, Leonid finds himself caught between his sins of the past and an all-too-vivid present.

    

6. The Reverend’s Wife (A Reverend Curtis Black Novel) by Kimberla Lawson Roby
   (Hachette Audio, 05/01/12, Audio CD)
   

   From New York Times bestselling author Kimberla Lawson Roby comes the ninth installment in her award-winning Reverend Curtis Black series. It’s been months since Reverend Curtis learned that his wife Charlotte had affairs with two different men, and for now, he continues to be cordial and respectful to her. But he’s also made it clear that once their son Matthew graduates high school, he will be filing for divorce. Charlotte, on the other hand, continues to do everything possible to make amends in hopes of saving their marriage. Unfortunately, Curtis is ready to move on and is being propositioned by a woman who desperately wants to become the next Mrs. Curtis Black. When the situation heads down a path that is frighteningly shocking, could it be the final blow to this once blessed union?

    

7. Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times (Kindle AV Edition) by Thomas Hauser
   (Open Road, 02/14/12, Kindle Edition with Audio/Video)
   

   A sweeping biography of one of the greatest and most provocative athletes of all time Decades after his final fight, Muhammad Ali remains larger than life in the imagination of hundreds of millions of people around the world. He won the heavyweight championship at age twenty-two by conquering Sonny Liston in dramatic fashion. The political establishment stripped him of his prize when he refused induction into the United States Army during the height of the war in Vietnam. Ultimately, Ali returned to reclaim his crown, prevailing in epic fights against the likes of Joe Frazier and George Foreman. His talent and charisma—and above all, his adherence to principle—made him a cultural icon and one of the most beloved sporting figures of all time. But that is only half the tale. Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times is also the story of Ali, the man. Author Thomas Hauser got closer to Ali than any previous biographer. His work—told in Ali’s own words and those of hundreds of family members, friends, rivals, and others who interacted with “The Greatest” over the decades—reveals a deeply spiritual, complex man, who gave new meaning to the word courage and changed forever our conception of what makes a champion.This enhanced ebook includes rare video footage, audio clips, and photos authorized by Muhammad Ali Enterprises.

    

8. The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
   (Listening Library (Audio), 01/24/12, Audio CD)
   

   We are a family on a journey to a place called wonderful is the motto of Deza Malone’s family. Deza is the smartest girl in her class in Gary, Indiana, singled out by teachers for a special path in life. But the Great Depression hit Gary hard, and there are no jobs for black men. When her beloved father leaves to find work, Deza, Mother, and her older brother Jimmie go in search of him, and end up in a Hooverville outside Flint, Michigan. Jimmie’s beautiful voice inspires him to leave the camp to be a performer, while Deza and Mother find a new home, and cling to the hope that they will find Father. The twists and turns of their story reveal the devastation of the Depression and prove that Deza truly is the Mighty Miss Malone.From the Hardcover edition.

    

9. Forge (Chains Series) by Laurie Halse Anderson
   (Brilliance Audio on CD Value Priced, 04/24/12, Audio CD)
   

   The young soldiers at Valley Forge are suffering from hunger, cold, and the threat of the British army. Their newly forged bonds of friendship might be enough to help them survive. But the chains of Curzon’s past threaten to shackle him again. Surrounded by the fires of ignorance, mistrust, and greed, Curzon can’t risk sharing his deadly secrets with anyone. Does he have the mettle to hold on to his freedom? To claim his rightful place as an American? Is he strong enough to find the answer to the hardest question of all: Is Isabel still alive? Acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson continues the thrilling adventure started in her bestselling, award-winning novel Chains. Ride along on a gallop that will take you from battling the British at Saratoga to fighting the elements at Valley Forge to rebelling against merciless tyranny. Discover what the fight for freedom was really all about.

    

10. Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America by Melissa V. Harris-Perry
    (Tantor Media, 03/19/12, Audio CD)
    

    Jezebel’s sexual lasciviousness, Mammy’s devotion, and Sapphire’s outspoken anger-these are among the most persistent stereotypes that black women encounter in contemporary American life. Hurtful and dishonest, such representations force African American women to navigate a virtual crooked room that shames them and shapes their experiences as citizens. Many respond by assuming a mantle of strength that may convince others, and even themselves, that they do not need help. But as a result, the unique political issues of black women are often ignored and marginalized.In this groundbreaking book, Melissa V. Harris-Perry uses multiple methods of inquiry, including literary analysis, political theory, focus groups, surveys, and experimental research, to understand more deeply black women’s political and emotional responses to pervasive negative race and gender images. Not a traditional political science work concerned with office-seeking, voting, or ideology, Sister Citizen is an examination of how African American women understand themselves as citizens and what they expect from political organizing. Harris-Perry shows that the shared struggle to preserve an authentic self and secure recognition as citizens links together black women in America, from the anonymous survivors of Hurricane Katrina to the current First Lady of the United States.

     

11. Freedom’s Teacher, Enhanced E-book by Katherine Mellen Charron
    (The University of North Carolina Press, 03/15/12, Kindle Edition with Audio/Video)
    

    Civil rights activist Septima Poinsette Clark (1898-1987) developed a citizenship education program that enabled tens of thousands of African Americans to register to vote and to link the power of the ballot to concrete strategies for individual and communal empowerment. Clark, who began her own teaching career in 1916, grounded her approach in the philosophy and practice of southern black activist educators in the decades leading up to the 1950s and 1960s, and then trained a committed cadre of grassroots black women to lead this literacy revolution in community stores, beauty shops, and churches throughout the South. In this engaging biography, Katherine Charron tells the story of Clark, from her coming of age in the South Carolina lowcountry to her activism with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in the movement’s heyday. The enhanced electronic version of the book draws from archives, libraries, and the author’s personal collection and includes nearly 100 letters, documents, photographs, newspaper articles, and interview excerpts, embedding each in the text where it will be most meaningful. Featuring more than 60 audio clips (more than three hours total) from oral history interviews with 15 individuals, including Clark herself, the enhanced e-book redefines the idea of the “talking book.”

     

12. Waking with Enemies (Gideon Series) by Eric Jerome Dickey
    (Brilliance Audio on CD Value Priced, 03/15/12, Audio CD)
    

    New York Times bestselling author Eric Jerome Dickey sizzles in this rapid-fire sequel to Sleeping with Strangers, which finds international hit man Gideon waking up with his past haunting him and danger knocking at his door. After a heated encounter inside a London hotel room – where he was pursued by three very different women – Gideon finds himself living in a world where there’s no one to trust. Someone has taken out a hit on the hit man – but who? Could it be the man he left alive in Tampa, the woman who taught him to kill, the scorned woman he still desires, or some other unseen enemy? The clock is ticking as Gideon struggles to find out who from his past may have ordered the hit, while attempting to outsmart the assassin who was sent to kill him – a cold-blooded killer who isn’t afraid to harm any woman involved with Gideon and is determined to make his reputation off Gideon’s death. As the hunter becomes the hunted, Gideon’s hedonistic lifestyle turns into a deadly game of cat and mouse. He will need to find his friends – and also depend on his enemies – to get out of the game alive.

     

13. What it Was (Derek Strange) by George Pelecanos
    (AudioGO, 03/13/12, Audio CD)
    

    Washington, D.C., 1972. Derek Strange has left the police department and set up shop as a private investigator. His former partner, Frank “Hound Dog” Vaughn, is still on the force. When a young woman comes to Strange asking for his help recovering a cheap ring she claims has sentimental value, the case leads him onto Vaughn’s turf, where a local drug addict’s been murdered, shot point–blank in his apartment. Soon both men are on the trail of a ruthless killer: Red Fury, so called for his looks and the car his girlfriend drives, but a name that fits his personality all too well. Red Fury doesn’t have a retirement plan, as Vaughn points out—he doesn’t care who he has to cross, or kill, to get what he wants. As the violence escalates and the stakes get higher, Strange and Vaughn know the only way to catch their man is to do it their own way. Rich with details of place and time—the cars, the music, the clothes—and fueled by non–stop action, this is Pelecanos writing in the hard–boiled noir style that won him his earliest fans and placed him firmly in the ranks of the top crime writers in America.

     

14. Another Country by James Baldwin
    (AudioGO, 02/14/12, Audio CD)
    

    Published in 1962, this is an emotionally intense novel of love, hatred, race, and liberal America in the 1960s. Set in Greenwich Village, Harlem, and France, Another Country tells the story of the suicide of jazz–musician Rufus Scott and the friends who search for an understanding of his life and death, discovering uncomfortable truths about themselves along the way.

     

15. Home by Toni Morrison
    (Random House Audio, 05/08/12, Audio CD)
    

    America’s most celebrated novelist, Nobel Prize-winner Toni Morrison extends her profound take on our history with this twentieth-century tale of redemption: a taut and tortured story about one man’s desperate search for himself in a world disfigured by war.Frank Money is an angry, self-loathing veteran of the Korean War who, after traumatic experiences on the front lines, finds himself back in racist America with more than just physical scars. His home may seem alien to him, but he is shocked out of his crippling apathy by the need to rescue his medically abused younger sister and take her back to the small Georgia town they come from and that he’s hated all his life. As Frank revisits his memories from childhood and the war that have left him questioning his sense of self, he discovers a profound courage he had thought he could never possess again. A deeply moving novel about an apparently defeated man finding his manhood—and his home.

     

16. Come August, Come Freedom: The Bellows, The Gallows, and The Black General Gabriel by Gigi Amateau
    (Candlewick on Brilliance Audio, 09/11/12, Audio CD)
    

    In a time of post-Revolutionary fervor in Richmond, Virginia, an imposing twenty-five-year-old slave named Gabriel-known for his courage and intellect-plotted a rebellion involving thousands of African- American freedom seekers armed with refashioned pitchforks and other implements of Gabriel’s blacksmith trade. The revolt would be thwarted by a confluence of fierce weather and human betrayal, but Gabriel retained his dignity to the end. History knows little of Gabriel’s early life-but here, author Gigi Amateau imagines a childhood shaped by a mothers devotion, a father’s passion for liberation, and a friendship with a white master’s son who later proved cowardly and cruel. She gives vibrant life to Gabriel’s love for his wife-to-be, Nanny, a slave women whose freedom he worked tirelessly, and futilely, to buy. Interwoven with original documents, this poignant, illuminating novel gives a personal face to a remarkable moment in history.

     

17. Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
    (Brilliance Audio on MP3-CD, 02/02/12, Audio CD)
    

    When Lonnie Collins Motion was seven years old, his life changed forever. Now Lonnie is eleven and his life is about to change again. His teacher, Ms. Marcus, is showing him ways to put his jumbled feelings on paper. And suddenly, Lonnie has a whole new way to tell the world about his life, his friends, his little sister, Lili, and even his foster mom, Miss Edna, who started out crabby but isn’t so bad after all. Award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson’s lyrical voice captures Lonnie’s thoughtful perspectives of the world and his determination to one day put a family together again.

     

18. White Lines II: Sunny; a Novel (White Lines Novels, Book 2) by Tracy Brown
    (Blackstone Audio, Inc., and Buck 50 Productions, LLC, 04/24/12, Audio CD)
    

    In her most stunning, riveting, unstoppable novel yet, bestselling and critically acclaimed author Tracy Brown delivers the unforgettable sequel to White Lines. On the surface, it appears that Sunny has got it all: looks, money, a beautiful home, a healthy daughter, and friends who love her. But Sunny has a secret–something she hasn’t even told her best friend. The truth is Sunny is unhappy. She still misses her beloved Dorian and worries that no other man will ever captivate her the way he did. She’s dated some very powerful and successful men since Dorian’s death, but will she ever find love again? It’s not long before Sunny is chasing those white lines, but when the truth finally explodes, will she be able to put her life back together again?

     

19. Chasing Destiny by Eric Jerome Dickey
    (Brilliance Audio on CD Value Priced, 01/15/12, Audio CD)
    

    Billie (aka “Ducati”) is known as much for her extraordinary beauty as for the sexy yellow Ducati motorcycle she rides through the mean streets of Los Angeles. Tough, talented, and self-assured, Billie’s used to doing things her way – but that was before love threw an oil slick in the road and spun her life into chaos. Billie’s first problem is simple: She’s pregnant. Her second problem is that her lover, Keith, is still married. Keith has some “things” to deal with, and the people in his life are dark and duplicitous enough to take matters into their own hands, determined to keep Billie from having her baby. Billie suddenly finds herself confronted, attacked, run off highways, threatened, and shadowed. Keith still has ties to his manipulative wife, Carmen, and he adores his fifteen-year-old daughter, Destiny. Will he do the right thing by his new family, or stand by his old one? Soon all eyes shift as everyone finds themselves desperately chasing Destiny, a troubled and deceptive girl dancing on the edge of womanhood. When the rubber meets the road, all the madness with Billie, Carmen, and Keith comes to a head. Everyone’s fighting dirty for what they want . . . and they’re all willing to destroy their enemy or go down in flames to get it.

     

20. Sleeping with Strangers (Gideon Series) by Eric Jerome Dickey
    Brilliance Audio on CD Value Priced, February 15, 2012, Audio CD)
    

    A powerful hit man, Gideon is the master of the game in a jet-setting world dominated by money, women, and violence. Living off the grid, making love on the run, he makes his living as a contract killer by enacting the revenge of the brokenhearted…for a price. One woman taught him to kill, another motivates him to succeed in the business of revenge. If he can amass a million dollars, the woman he desires has promised to run away with him. For her sake, Gideon takes a high-profile job that earns him dangerous enemies, and hops a plane to London hoping to escape the aftermath. On the plane he meets two mysterious women – have they been sent to bring him down? Have his past transgressions caught up with him at last? Or will one of these strangers help him choose a life of love over a life of violence? In this underworld of grifters and killers, brokenhearted squares and streetwalkers, loyal fans will spot some familiar faces from Dickey’s previous books. A thrilling ride through extremes of love and danger, Sleeping with Strangers thrives on the darker passions of revenge and desire. Don’t miss the sequel: Waking with Enemies

     

Author Ni’cola Mitchell

Striving to inject her unique flair into the realm of contemporary fiction, Award-Winning, Best-Selling author Ni’cola Mitchell enter the literary scene with one main objective: To Stimulate Your Mind, One Word at a Time.

Through her independent publishing company NCM Publishing, Ni’cola published numerous titles which have been featured on various best-selling lists throughout the country. Much of her work revolves around complex relationship issues and Mitchell’s compulsive desire to see women overcome challenges.

Over and Over Again was featured in the top ten by EDC Creations Recommended Reading List for the 2009 fall season under Mainstream Fiction and Women’s Fiction. Ni’cola was nominated Self-Published Author of the Year with the African-American Literary Award Show for 2010 and 2011. Her short story “The Forbidden Rain” was featured in the Between the Sheets anthology which won 2011 Anthology of the Year with the African-American Literary Award Show. Recently Twisted won Book of the Year for 2011 with the African American on the Move Book Club.

Because of her outstanding representation of Las Vegas’ African American community, Ni’cola Mitchell was featured in the second edition of Who’s Who in Black Las Vegas. Ni’cola was also included in the fourth volume of the I Am Royalty: Profiles in Black History series. She is also a motivational speaker and literary consultant. Currently, she is touring across the country, speaking about the importance of going after your dreams and overcoming obstacles, and how to self-publish your book successfully.

When she isn’t writing, Mitchell loves to spend time with her family and volunteers as a mentor or youth activities. Originally from Kingston, Jamaica, she currently resides in North Las Vegas, Nevada with her two daughters Destani and Diamond. Co-Founder of the Baltimore Urban Book Festival, Ni’cola holds a Bachelors degree of Science in Business Management and is currently pursuing a Master’s of Business Administration in Small Business.

• A Cold Piece by Ni’cola Mitchell
  (NCM Publishing, 2012-04-17, Paperback)
  

  Lisa Oliver had it all. A beautiful home, luxury cars, a lavish lifestyle, and a wonderful husband Anthony who loved and adored her until…. That dreaded morning when her perfect life spiraled into extinction, right before her eyes. After hiring a private investigator, Anthony learns about her dark hidden secrets, and comes up with a plan to get away from this evil seductress.Serving her with divorce papers after a passionate morning sex-capade, Lisa is on wits end because Anthony would not give her a reason and shut her out of his life completely. Solitude makes Lisa go crazy and is on a rampage to get her man back… at any cost. After two years Anthony has gone on with his life, but everything changes when everyone around him comes up missing, hurt, or dead.From the pen of award winning, bestselling author Ni’cola Mitchell comes a cold, gritty tale that takes you into the mind of a woman that has lost everything and there is only one to blame. This suspenseful thriller will remind you of a cross between Obsessed, Single White Female and The Hand that Rocks the Cradle.

   

• Twisted by Ni’cola Mitchell
  (NCM Publishing, 2011-02-05, Kindle Edition)
  

  “I have to do what’s best for me” has been Dionni’s motto since the horrible night she found her finance Dale entangled between the legs of her best friend Eva. Enraged and torn, Dionni goes on a hiatus from Las Vegas to clear her mind and get her heart back in order. Dionni’s much needed vacation is interrupted once she is informed that Tiana, her other best friend was found raped, beaten and now in a coma. Without any family around, Dionni has to return home to face her past while trying to put the shattered pieces of her life back together.Will the demons of Dionni’s past allow her to be free or continue to keep her twisted?Twisted is the highly anticipated sequel to Over and Over Again.

  Kindle: Paperback:

   

• The Appetizer When You’re Not His Main Course by Ni’cola Mitchell
  (NCM Publishing, 2010-02-07, Kindle Edition)
  

  Three girlfriends with three totally different lives, or they think……..Yazmin and Trey have been together for five years. Enjoying her life as a stay at home wifey, the couple is expecting a set of twins. Their life could not have been any more picture perfect, until the day that Yazmin was involved in a hit and run accident. Scared for the life of her babies, Yazmin damn near goes into shock after she attempts to call Trey only to be greeted by his wife of the past ten years……Monae and Malik have had a drama free long distance relationship for the last two years. Malik is a Marine, and is stationed in San Diego. They both have an understanding that once Monae graduates from UCLA, they will have their dream wedding. Planning an intimate surprise party just for two in his apartment, Monae discovers that she is not the only woman waiting for “her” man to come home……Knowing that Devaugn is in a relationship, Nia simply don’t care. He is the ideal man, and Nia is convinced that if she works hard enough, she can show him that she is all the woman that he needs. Stephanie will be a thing of the past and Devaugn can start taking care of Nia and her three children full time. Or will he…….These three friends all have one thing in common; they are really their man’s chick on the side. What happens when a woman find’s out that she is not her man’s main course, she is only the appetizer…..

   

• Over and Over Again by Ni’cola Mitchell
  (NCM Publishing, 2009-07-09, Paperback)
  

  At first glance, 27-year-old Dionni Stone, owner of Whatever You Like Entertainment seems to have what all black women desire: natural beauty, a successful business, and a beautiful black man on her side. Until…. Dionni has found the love of her life – once again – in a compromising situation. For Dionni, this is the final heart break. With the love and support of her family and friends, she concentrates on her business, and it’s there she meets new client, Xavier “Zay” Grey, an investment banker that hires her to plan a surprise graduation party for his baby sister. Timidly, Dionni begins to think she might have found “the one” for her, but a devastating secret finds her world once again shaken. It also finds her back in the arms of an unlikely man, and even more pain than even she could imagine. Over and Over Again is a funny and sensual tale that weaves between lies and love, deceit and truth, teaching Dionni the ultimate meaning of what is honesty, passion, and friendship.

   

April 2012′s Bestselling African American Books

Here are the upcoming bestsellers for African American books (from Amazon.com).

1. A Wish and a Prayer: A Blessings Novel by Beverly Jenkins
   (William Morrow Paperbacks, 2012-04-10, Kindle Edition)
   

   Anyone worried that living in a small town could be boring certainly hasn’t lived in Henry Adams, Kansas. From the wealthy divorcÉe who saved this historic town founded by freed slaves to the romantic entanglements that have set tongues wagging and hearts fluttering (and everything in between), there’s plenty to keep the lovably eccentric townsfolk busy.Preston Miles is happy living with his foster parents, but an e-mail from his maternal grandmother is about to change all that. . . . Riley Curry, the former town mayor, is convinced his pet hog, Cletus, acted in self-defense when he sat on—and killed—a man. Now Riley just has to prove it in a court of law. . . . And as for Rocky, she has already had a lifetime of hurt. Will she risk opening her heart—and her life—to Jack? Warm, funny, poignant, and unforgettable, Beverly Jenkins’s latest excursion to Henry Adams is a true delight—a welcome return to a place that always feels like home.

    

2. Sultry Nights (Kimani Romance) by Donna Hill
   (Kimani Romance, 2012-04-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   Her RulesDominique Lawson lives life on her terms, making up the rules along the way. This beautiful Lawson twin and heiress to a glittering Louisiana dynasty goes after what she wants—and usually gets it. But Trevor Jackson seems immune to her charms. That’s until Dominique plots her all-out sensual assault on the blatantly sexy contractor, who’s as cool as they come. Now passion is heating up the Southern sky.…His PassionDominique may be his boss, but Trevor plans to show the pampered princess what desire is really about. Never mind that they clash on just about everything—it’s only a matter of time before the blue-blooded beauty is his. Can he convince Dominique that they belong together, now and for all the sensual nights to come?

    

3. RedBone by T. Styles
   (Urban Books, 2012-04-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   Where, oh where, have Farah’s roommates all gone?When Farah Cotton places a classified ad stating, “Cute redbone female looking to share a luxury apartment with another redbone female,” many women apply. One look at the lush apartment in Washington, D.C., and every fly girl around wants a chance to call Platinum Lofts her new home. The moment Farah lays eyes on Lesa Carmine, a pretty young woman with an active lifestyle and a sunny disposition, she knows she’s found the perfect girl for her ultimate plan. The two become fast friends—until Farah becomes intrusive and then her siblings move in, violating Lesa’s privacy. Farah seems dangerous when she’s around them, and Lesa attempts to sever ties without paying rent. Feeling overcome with blinding rage, Farah finds all kinds of ways to seek revenge. From poisoning to spreading vicious lies, she makes it known that she doesn’t take Lesa’s brush-off lightly. When Lesa snoops around in Farah’s past and discovers who she really is, she makes a grave mistake, one that could jeopardize her life. Brace yourselves, because just when you think you have it figured out, you’ll realize you don’t.

    

4. Payback Ain’t Enough by Wahida Clark
   (Cash Money Content, 2012-04-24, Kindle Edition)
   

   Picking up where the suspenseful ending of Payback With Ya Life left off, we’re plunged back into the hip hop drama, where the men are hot and dangerous, the women know their shoes from their Choos, and will stop at nothing to get what they want. In a game of power and intrigue where the stakes are high and the rewards are dazzling, the losers are gonna discover – there’s always a price to pay.

    

5. Pleasure Rush (Kimani Romance) by Farrah Rochon
   (Kimani Romance, 2012-04-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   In Hawaii for her birthday, Manhattan restaurateur Deirdre Smallwood has one mission to accomplish. She’s going to shed her humdrum image and do something totally out of character: seduce Thelonius Stokes, the gorgeous ex-linebacker for the New York Sabers.Theo is shocked by the sensual, uninhibited lover warming his bed. The pro-footballer-turned-TV-sports-analyst had Deirdre pegged for a girl-next-door type of woman. But she’s making his blood run hot and giving him a rush of pleasure he’s never felt before. This time around, Theo vows to score a touchdown on the only playing field that counts: the arena of love.

    

6. Diamond Dreams (Kimani Romance) by Zuri Day
   (Kimani Romance, 2012-04-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   As the only daughter of Southern California’s most famous wine dynasty, Diamond Drake devotes all her waking hours to the family business. Burned by love, she’s not sure she ever wants to fall in love again. But construction millionaire Jackson Wright is sweeping her up in a whirlwind romance. Is he the real thing? Or will the sinfully sexy bachelor prove to be all flash and no substance?From the moment he sees her, Jackson is dazzled by the stunning, sultry Diamond. He knows it’s dangerous to mix business with pleasure. If only Diamond will say yes to a future glittering with their passion and love.…

    

7. Taking Care of Business by Lutishia Lovely
   (Dafina, 2012-04-01, Paperback)
   

   Lutishia Lovely cooks up a riveting portrait of a trailblazing family expanding their booming soul food dynasty. . .After a long bout of misfortune, betrayal, and broken hearts, the Livingstons and their soul food empire are thriving. Toussaint Livingston is the Food Network darling, Malcolm Livingston’s BBQ Soul Smoker is still the toast of QVC, and Bianca Livingston’s brainchild TOSTS–Taste Of Soul Tapas Style–is a sizzling sensation on L.A.’s Sunset Strip. It seems that nothing can stop the progress of this third generation–until a dish called trouble gets added to the menu. Jefferson Livingston is the only sibling who feels he hasn’t made his mark, a fact for which he partly blames Toussaint. But with a recent promotion and a sexy new assistant, Jefferson is ready to show his cousin just how big a mistake he made. Then a fire breaks out, an old enemy rears his ugly head, and a stranger threatens the family’s legacy. Jefferson and Toussaint must now work together to keep the dynasty from falling apart. Can they put their differences aside long enough to take care of business? There’s only one way to find out. . . .”A great new taste in the literary world.” –Carl Weber

    

8. To Love You More (Kimani Romance) by Wayne Jordan
   (Kimani Romance, 2012-04-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   George Simpson has never had a problem wooing women. The sexy-as-sin attorney is as commanding in the courtroom as he is in his candlelit bedroom. He’s always told the truth and nothing but the truth about his personal life: flings with no strings attached. That way, no one gets hurt. Least of all him. Because George has been there, done that—and has vowed to never fall in love again.Rachel Davis can’t believe the playboy her first love, George, has become. When he broke her heart years ago, the accomplished lawyer wanted nothing more than to run away from Barbados—and from George. She knows there’s no place like home—and seeing George again sends her heart into overdrive. But Rachel has a secret that may destroy their passionate reunion. Will her confessions of the past lead to a trial by fire…or a verdict of intimate seduction?

    

9. Detroit: A Biography by Scott Martelle
   (Chicago Review Press, 2012-04-01, Hardcover)
   

   Detroit was established as a French settlement three-quarters of a century before the founding of this nation. A remote outpost built to protect trapping interests, it grew as agriculture expanded on the new frontier. Its industry took a great leap forward with the completion of the Erie Canal, which opened up the Great Lakes to the East Coast. Surrounded by untapped natural resources, Detroit turned iron from the Mesabi Range into stoves and railcars, and eventually cars by the millions. This vibrant commercial hub attracted businessmen and labor organizers, European immigrants and African Americans from the rural South. At its mid-20th-century heyday, one in six American jobs were connected to the auto industry, its epicenter in Detroit. And then the bottom fell out.            Detroit: A Biography takes a long, unflinching look at the evolution of one of America’s great cities, and one of the nation’s greatest urban failures. It tells how the city grew to become the heart of American industry and how its utter collapse—from 1.8 million residents in 1950 to 714,000 only six decades later—resulted from a confluence of public policies, private industry decisions, and deep, thick seams of racism. And it raises the question: when we look at modern-day Detroit, are we looking at the ghost of America’s industrial past or its future?

    

10. White Lines II: Sunny: A Novel by Tracy Brown
    (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2012-04-24, Paperback)
    

    In her most stunning, riveting, unstoppable novel yet, bestselling and critically acclaimed author, Tracy Brown delivers the not-to-be-missed sequel to WHITE LINES On the surface, it appears that Sunny has got it all–looks, money, a beautiful home, a healthy daughter, and friends who love her. But Sunny has a secret—something she hasn’t even told her best friend. The truth is Sunny is unhappy. She still misses her beloved Dorian, and worries that no other man will evercaptivate her the way he did. She dated some very powerful and successful men since Dorian’s death. But will she ever find love again?It’s not long before Sunny is chasing those white lines again. And, when the truth finally explodes, willSunny abe able to put her life back together again?

     

11. No Citizen Left Behind by Meira Levinson
    (Harvard University Press, 2012-04-23, Hardcover)
    

    While teaching at an all-Black middle school in Atlanta, Levinson realized that her students’ individual self-improvement would not necessarily enable them to overcome their historical marginalization. In order to overcome their civic empowerment gap, students must learn how to reshape power relationships through public political and civic action.

     

12. Sweet Giselle by Karen Williams
    (Urban Books, 2012-04-01, Paperback)
    

    Giselle thinks she has the perfect life. Her fine and sexy husband, Giovanni, is obsessed with his perfect wife and gives her whatever her heart desires. Giselle thinks her husband can do no wrong. What she doesn’t know is that his lucrative adult film company is not as legit as it seems, and Giovanni’s seedy dealings put his precious wife in danger. Giselle is kidnapped by a vicious drug dealer named Bryce, who is hell bent on revenge after his sister comes up missing and he believes Giovanni is responsible. Bryce takes the thing he knows Giovanni treasures most. He plans to torture Giselle, but instead he finds himself falling in love with her. He reveals the truth about Giovanni and the news pushes her right into Bryce’s arms.  Giovanni wages a war against Bryce and anyone close to him, leaving several dead bodies in his wake. Now that he has his wife back, Giovanni thinks things can return to the way they were. Giselle, however, can’t get Bryce out of her system, and continues to see him behind Giovanni’s back. As the war between these two men heats up again, Giselle has to decide if being with the man she loves is worth risking her life.

     

13. World Right Side Up: Investing Across Six Continents (Agora Series) by Christopher W. Mayer
    (Wiley, 2012-04-10, Hardcover)
    

    Invaluable insights into finding diverse investment opportunities in the emergent global economyFrom Brazilian farmlands to Colombian gold fields, from Chinese shopping malls to Indian hotels, from South African wine country to the boom/bust souks of Dubai, this around-the-world investing field trip explores the nooks and crannies for hidden investment opportunities. World Right Side Up: Investing Across Six Continents is packed with ideas to power your portfolio in the years ahead while teaching you a little fascinating history along the way. Fact is, the world’s markets have changed in a big way. For the first time since before the Industrial Revolution, the emerging markets now contribute as much to the global economy as their more well-developed peers. Far from being an anomaly, this state of affairs is more in line with the bulk of human experience. For centuries, China and India were the world’s largest economies. And so the world is turning…right side up.This change creates a wealth of opportunities for investors, in both the emerging markets and developed markets. World Right Side Up is your guide on how to take full advantage of this shift.Provides an entertaining view of various regions visited by the author, including South America, Asia, Africa, North America, and the Middle EastExplores specific investment ideas and themes, including opportunities in agriculture, water, energy, infrastructure and much moreIncludes five key takeaways from each region, an invaluable feature, offering resources to consult for more information and guidanceWhile some people fear the changes happening now, the reality is that for the forward-thinking investor, these sizable new markets will create extraordinary new opportunities.

     

14. Bill Veeck: Baseball’s Greatest Maverick by Paul Dickson
    (Walker & Company, 2012-04-24, Hardcover)
    

    Relying on primary sources, including more than a hundred interviews, Paul Dickson has crafted a richly detailed portrait of an American original: baseball impresario and innovator, independent spirit and unflinching advocate of racial equality, Bill Veeck. Veeck (1914–1986) was born into baseball. His sportswriter father became president of the Chicago Cubs, and Bill later worked for owner Phil Wrigley, rebuilding Wrigley Field to achieve the famed ambience that exists today. In his late twenties, he bought into his first team, the American Association Milwaukee Brewers. As World War II intensified, Veeck volunteered for combat duty, enduring a leg injury that led to a lifetime of amputations and silent suffering. On returning, he bought the Cleveland Indians in 1946—the first of four midwestern teams he would own, preceding the hapless St. Louis Browns (1951–53) and the Chicago White Sox (twice, 1959–61 and 1975–81). Though foiled in an earlier plan to bring Negro League players to the majors, in the summer of 1947, Veeck integrated his team on field and off, signing Larry Doby, the American League’s first black player, and hiring the first black public relations officer, trainer, and scout. A year later, he signed the legendary black pitcher Satchel Paige, who helped win the 1948 World Series—Cleveland’s last championship to this day. His promotional genius was second to none, endearing him to fans in every city, while his feel for the game led him to propose innovations way ahead of their time. Veeck’s deep sense of fairness helped usher in free agency, breaking the stranglehold owners had on players; indeed, he was the only owner to testify in support of Curt Flood during his landmark reserve clause challenge. Bill Veeck brings fully to life a transformational, visionary figure who spent a lifetime challenging baseball’s and society’s well-entrenched status quo. It is essential reading for any fan and anyone with a fascination for twentieth-century America.

     

15. Alibi II: Nard’s Revenge by Teri Woods
    (Grand Central Publishing, 2012-04-24, Paperback)
    

    ALIBI II picks up where ALIBI left off. The year is 2006 and Diane Praeliou is happily married and living on a horse ranch in Arizona when she receives a letter that threatens her entire world. Someone knows her true identity.In 1986, Daisy was given a second chance at life when she received a new identity and a fresh start as a college student in Arizona courtesy of the witness protection program. Nard wasn’t so lucky. He was sentenced to twenty years to life in a western Pennsylvania facility and has endured things that no man should ever have to endure. All Nard can think about is Daisy’s testimony and how much he wants revenge. Diane goes on living life, finding love, and getting married until things slowly begin to spiral out of control. What makes matters worse is now Nard is out on parole and Diane is afraid for herself and her family. Feigning innocence, Diane can only turn to one person for help. But if she doesn’t come clean about her past secrets, her entire world can come crashing down and there will be no one to protect her.

     

16. Ran Away (Benjamin January Mysteries) by Barbara Hambly
    (Severn House Digital, 2012-04-01, Kindle Edition)
    

    A Benjamin January mystery – RAN AWAY. So began a score of advertisements every week in the New Orleans newspapers, advertising for slaves who’d fled their masters. But the Turk, Huseyin Pasha, posted no such advertisement when his two lovely concubines disappeared. And when a witness proclaimed he’d seen the ‘devilish infidel’ hurl their dead bodies out of a window, everyone was willing to believe him the murderer. Only Benjamin January, who knows the Turk of old, is willing to seek for the true culprit, endangering his own life in the process . . .

     

17. Scandals by Sasha Campbell
    (Dafina, 2012-04-01, Paperback)
    

    Learning to trust can be the hardest lesson of all. . .Newly divorced single mom Monica Houston needs to find a job. When her best friend suggests she answer an ad seeking exotic dancers, they both laugh. But with no work in sight, it’s no joke. Soon, Monica is dancing at Scandalous, and the money is flowing. But to hold on to her children, and her heart, she’ll have to keep it a secret from both her ex and her new man. Too bad someone in her life has other ideas. The baddest dancer at Scandalous, Robin Wright a.k.a. Treasure lives for herself and trusts no one. The last thing she wants is to take in her estranged sister Deandra’s little boy, Kyle. But with Deandra arrested for murder, she has no choice. There’s just one condition: Kyle’s hot “big brother” Lance has to babysit. With a man and a child in her life, Treasure’s heart opens. Soon she’s in love–and determined to prove Deandra’s innocence–though it means the greatest risk of all. “These characters leap off the page and make you want to join in.” –Lutishia Lovely on Confessions”Drama, drama and more drama!. . .It’s a good juicy read you won’t want to put down.” –Romantic Times on Confessions “This novel will heat your seat!” –Brenda Hampton, author of the Naughty series, on Suspicions”Keep your eyes on Sasha Campbell!” –Brenda Hampton, author of the Naughty series

     

18. The Peninsula Campaign and the Necessity of Emancipation: African Americans and the Fight for Freedom (Civil War America) by Glenn David Brasher
    (The University of North Carolina Press, 2012-04-02, Hardcover)
    

    In the Peninsula Campaign of spring 1862, Union general George B. McClellan failed in his plan to capture the Confederate capital and bring a quick end to the conflict. But the campaign saw something new in the war–the participation of African Americans in ways that were critical to the Union offensive. Ultimately, that participation influenced Lincoln’s decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation at the end of that year. Glenn David Brasher’s unique narrative history delves into African American involvement in this pivotal military event, demonstrating that blacks contributed essential manpower and provided intelligence that shaped the campaign’s military tactics and strategy and that their activities helped to convince many Northerners that emancipation was a military necessity.Drawing on the voices of Northern soldiers, civilians, politicians, and abolitionists as well as Southern soldiers, slaveholders, and the enslaved, Brasher focuses on the slaves themselves, whose actions showed that they understood from the outset that the war was about their freedom. As Brasher convincingly shows, the Peninsula Campaign was more important in affecting the decision for emancipation than the Battle of Antietam.

     

19. Abraham Lincoln and White America by Brian R. Dirck
    (Univ Pr of Kansas, 2012-04-19, Hardcover)
    

    As “Savior of the Union” and the “Great Emancipator,” Abraham Lincoln has been lauded for his courage, wisdom, and moral fiber. Yet Frederick Douglass’s assertion that Lincoln was the “white man’s president” has been used by some detractors as proof of his fundamentally racist character. Viewed objectively, Lincoln was a white man’s president by virtue of his own whiteness and that of the culture that produced him. Until now, however, historians have rarely explored just what this means for our understanding of the man and his actions. Writing at the vanguard of “whiteness studies,” Brian Dirck considers Lincoln as a typical American white man of his time who bore the multiple assumptions, prejudices, and limitations of his own racial identity. He shows us a Lincoln less willing or able to transcend those limitations than his more heroic persona might suggest but also contends that Lincoln’s understanding and approach to racial bigotry was more enlightened than those of most of his white contemporaries.Blazing a new trail in Lincoln studies, Dirck reveals that Lincoln was well aware of and sympathetic to white fears, especially that of descending into “white trash,” a notion that gnawed at a man eager to distance himself from his own coarse origins. But he also shows that after Lincoln crossed the Rubicon of black emancipation, he continued to grow beyond such cultural constraints, as seen in his seven recorded encounters with nonwhites. Dirck probes more deeply into what “white” meant in Lincoln’s time and what it meant to Lincoln himself, and from this perspective he proposes a new understanding of how Lincoln viewed whiteness as a distinct racial category that influenced his policies. As Dirck ably demonstrates, Lincoln rose far enough above the confines of his culture to accomplish deeds still worthy of our admiration, and he calls for a more critically informed admiration of Lincoln that allows us to celebrate his considerable accomplishments while simultaneously recognizing his limitations.When Douglass observed that Lincoln was the white man’s president, he may not have intended it as a serious analytical category. But, as Dirck shows, perhaps we should do so—the better to understand not just the Lincoln presidency, but the man himself.

     

A Cold Piece by Ni’cola Mitchell

Leimert Park Village Book Fair, June 30

Leimert Park Village Book Fair (LPVBF) is proud to celebrate another year of bringing a world-class literary event to the City of Los Angeles on Saturday, June 25. Thousands book lovers, families, and fans of all ages will have the opportunity to enjoy over 150 celebrity readings, book signings, writing workshops, panel discussions, poetry readings, stage performances and musical acts during this day-long celebration of the written word.

Leimert Park Village Book Fair has hosted some of the national’s top authors and artists including Nikki Govanni, Ishmael Reed, Pulizer Prize Winner Douglass A. Blackmon, California Poet Laureate Emeritus Al Young, Antwone Fisher, Hill Harper, and Synthia Saint James, just to name a few. LPVBF also annually distributes more than 1,500 free books to fair attendees, including over 300 books to local foster care children.

The 2012 line-up of authors, panel discussions, celebrity guest speakers and entertainment promises to be the best year in the 5 year history. Visit this website frequently to view announcement of confirmed guests for the book fair. Also follow the LPVBF on Twitter and become a Facebook Fan for exciting , late breaking news updates.

2012 AAMBC Literary Awards Nominees

Winners will be announced live at the Baltimore Urban Book Festival on May 6th — www.baltimoreurbanbookfestival.com

Voting link is here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEp4M25ZN2xRQks1ZlJuajJUNTM4M3c6MQ.

AAMBC Author of the Year

WINKK

Gregg Burton

Monique D. Mensah

Cheryl Faye

Christian Cashelle

Tiffany Ashley

Indie Book Store of the Year

The Literary Joint

Urban Knowledge

Horizon Books

Deja vu Book Lounge

Cartel Books

Breakout Author of the Year

David Weaver

ChaBella Don

Ondrea Davis

Chris Renee

Kai Storm

Magazine of the Year

Juicy

VIBE

Essence

Black Literature Magazine

Urbania

Book Club of the Year

OOSA

Divas Divine

AALBC

Sistahs on the Reading Edge

ARC

Indie Publisher of the Year

Life Changing Books

Wahida Clack Presents

Cartel Publications

G Street Chronicles

Street Lit Writer of the Year

Ashley Antoinette

K’Wan

JaQuavis Coleman

Erick S. Gray

Treasure E. Blue

Reviewer of the Year

Rawsistaz

Joey Pinkney

Cheryl Francis

ARC

Urban Reviews

Poet of the Year

Julia Press Simmons

Archuleta Chisolm

GPA

Imani Wisdom

Male Author of the Year

Eyone Williams

June Miller

RM Johnson

JaQuavis Coleman

Booker T. Mattison

Romance Author of the Year

Donna Hill

Francis Ray

Lutishia Lovely

Cheris Hodges

Brenda Joyce

Female Author of the Year

T. Styles

Traci Brown

Traci Bee

Envy Red

Wahida Clark

Christian Fiction Author of the Year

Victoria Christopher Murray

Vanessa Miller

Kimberla Lawson Roby

Vanessa Davis Griggs

Readers Choice Award

Jessica Miller-Epps

Joyce Oscar

Shewanda Pugh

Shampriest Bevel

DH Brooks

Sultry Nights (Kimani Romance) by Donna Hill