February’s Bestselling African American Books for the Kindle

1. Unrequited Love by Yvonne A Weems
   (Romanic Persuasions Publishing, 2012-01-09, Kindle Edition)
   

   Shavon and Tracy share a love no one can deny, and they are surely destined to spend the rest of their lives together. Tracy, an up and coming writer at Classic Magazine, wants to provide for his future with Shavon which means accepting a promotion and moving from Detroit to New York. With success comes sacrifice and unfortunately his family and friends–especially Shavon–get the short end of the stick. So consumed with work and getting his writing career off the ground, he is unaware of the wedge that he has driven between them.Shavon loves Tracy completely and continues to fulfill her promise of love no matter how bad things seem to be. They had gone through changes before and survived, but this time was different. She needed him now more than ever. In her darkest hour, she faces her pain without him. Will Shavon find it in her heart to forgive and forget? Will Tracy be able to penetrate her unrequited love?

    

2. Private Arrangements (Kimani Romance) by Brenda Jackson
   (Kimani Romance, 2012-02-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   No man has ever tempted her like this…Nikki Cartwright can’t believe Jonas Steele—the Jonas Steele—has chosen her for a high-profile marketing venture. It could make her career. But when she remembers the kiss they once shared, a kiss so intimate it sent their desire skyrocketing from simmering to blazing, Nikki knows she must guard her heart against the seductive Phoenix playboy as if her life depends on it.Jonas has no problem making their professional relationship personal. With the beautiful and talented photographer within his reach, he can erase her from his system once and for all. From a whirlwind Las Vegas affair to jet-setting across four continents, this Steele discovers getting Nikki out of his system is easier said than done, and now he wants her to belong to him heart and soul—as the woman of his most passionate fantasies.…

    

3. After the Storm by Jewel Moore
   (ShadesOfGrey Publishing, 2012-01-26, Kindle Edition)
   

   This is the 1st in a 3-part story.Natalie Harding can’t believe that someone as absolutely gorgeous as her work colleague Stephano Romano would want to date her. But after one unexpected, totally hot Friday evening encounter on her office desk of all places, she’s convinced that maybe, just maybe he returns the feeling she’s harboured for him in the fifteen months they have worked together.Her bubble of euphoria doesn’t last for long, though. The very next Monday she watches in shock as he kisses the young woman who drops him off to work at the office before sauntering in looking as though someone had kept him up all night.Is there an innocent explanation for the kiss and Stephano’s bleary-eyed appearance? Did his father suffer chest pains and have to be rushed to the hospital where the doctors kept him in all night for close monitoring? Or is it just an excuse Stephano’s using to cover his night of pleasure with another woman.

    

4. Nothing Else Matters by Leslie DuBois
   (Little Prince Publishing, 2012-01-18, Kindle Edition)
   

   When racism tears a school apart, can love put it back together?As the senior star quarterback of Charleston Preparatory school in South Carolina, Scott Kincaid is poised for a spectacular professional career in sports. Though he and Reyna Lewis have been best friends for six years, between leading Charleston Prep to victory week after week, and seeking the approval of his tyrannical, racist mother, he doesn’t have time to develop anything more with her. But when his once perfect, healthy body is attacked by a debilitating disease, he reevaluates what is important in life. Just when he finally realizes he’s in love with his half black, half Puerto Rican best friend Reyna, a presidential election throws their small private school into racial turmoil. Now it’s up to Scott and Reyna to unify their school and their city. But it just might cost them their newfound relationship.

    

5. A Seductive Kiss (Grayson Friends) by Francis Ray
   (St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 2012-01-31, Kindle Edition)
   

   Bestselling author Francis Ray celebrates the lifelong bonds between the Grayson family and their friends—with a heartwarming love story years in the making…Dianna Harrington is known throughout the world as “The Face”—the stunningly beautiful spokesmodel for her family’s fashion empire. She could probably have her pick of any man she wants. But Dianna would rather kick back and relax with a good friend— namely Alex Stewart, who she’s known, and harbored a crush on, her whole life…Ever since they were kids, Alex has been Dianna’s protector and pal, a shoulder to cry on. But as the brother of her best friend, Alex always seemed untouchable. Now a handsome, successful New York lawyer, Alex never realized how lonely Dianna’s life has been—or how innocent she is in the ways of love. Alex wants more than anything to reach out to her, to heal her heart. But is his desire worth the risk? After a lifetime of longing building up between them, something’s gotta give. Maybe all it takes is just one kiss…

    

6. Diluted Desire by Desiree Day
   (2012-01-09, Kindle Edition)
   

   When Violet Murphy suspects her husband of seven years is cheating, she takes matters into her own hands and devises a plot to catch him red handed.Violet places a posting on the Internet. Will the posting harm or strengthen Violet’s marriage? Will the players realize that by engaging in a deadly game of the heart there is bound to be some casualties?

    

7. These Arms of Mine (Kimani Romance) by Judy Lynn Hubbard
   (Kimani Romance, 2012-02-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   When Alesha Robinson ended her torrid affair with Derrick Chandler, she gave up the love of her life. Now fate’s giving them a second chance. But when Alesha asks Derrick to save her brother, she never dreams what the scorned multimillionaire will demand in exchange: becoming his wife—in name only.Even after Alesha shattered his trust, Derrick never stopped loving her. His strings-attached proposition was supposed to be strictly business: revenge for her cruel betrayal as he rebuilds his public image. Until desire reignites—hotter than ever.As the ex-lovers give in to their passion, a marriage of convenience is about to become inconvenient. And Derrick realizes just how far he’ll go to keep Alesha in his bed, in his arms, in his heart—forever.

    

8. Inferno (The Wolf Pack Series) by Maureen Smith
   (Wordsmith Enterprises, 2012-01-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   Will their love withstand the inferno…?High school sweethearts Stan and Prissy Wolf have been happily married for fifteen years. They have everything they could ever want—a beautiful home, five children that they absolutely adore, rewarding careers, and a sizzling chemistry that hasn’t diminished over the years. But, lately, Prissy has noticed a change in her sexy firefighter husband. She doesn’t want to believe the worst—that he’s having an affair. But his recent behavior is too suspicious to ignore. As a silent chasm grows between them, she fears that Stan’s secret will soon destroy the life they have built together….

    

9. Sinful Seduction (Kimani Romance) by Ann Christopher
   (Kimani Romance, 2012-02-01, Kindle Edition)
   

   Skylar Lawrence isn’t looking for romance when she arrives at the Davies’ sumptuous Hamptons estate. But when Skylar meets her ex-fiancé’s twin brother, their chemistry is as tumultuous as the storm brewing outside. Sinfully handsome Alessandro Davies exudes the kind of animal magnetism that’s impossible to resist…and hazardous to a woman’s heart.Sandro desires Skylar from the minute the stunning veterinarian turns up at his door, but his honor forbids him from pursuing a relationship. But his plan backfires when he starts falling for the forbidden seductress. Until a shocking discovery threatens to tear Skylar from his arms and force Sandro to give up the woman he needs.…

    

10. A Hustler’s Promise: Some Promises Won’t Be Broken by Jackie Chanel
    (Books by J.C Publishing, 2012-01-07, Kindle Edition)
    

    Money is the root of all evilOr so they say…Two street hustlers, bound together by a simple promise, have to make a choice…The Streets Are Calling.

     

11. Schooling Carmen by Kathleen Cross
    (WilliamBlue Publishing, 2012-01-06, Kindle Edition)
    

    Desperate to stand out in a family of overachievers, beautiful, bigoted, and bitchy Carmen DuPrè will do anything to leave the “hellhole” high school she works in—even if it means getting groped by a geezer who’s promised her a promotion. She’s not worried about things getting out of hand though—if there’s one thing Carmen knows, it’s how use her looks to get what she wants—including courtside Lakers seats and diamond jewelry—from attentive men she cares nothing about.But when a devastating medical diagnosis threatens to permanently knock her off her pedestal, Carmen might have to trade her looks for her life—and she’s not sure a life without beauty is worth living—which is why she’s risking hers by ignoring her doctor’s advice.Is it coincidence or divine intervention when a sexy stranger walks into her world insisting there’s a whole lot more to Carmen DuPrè than what’s on the surface? If it’s not too late for her to turn things around, her mysterious guardian angel wants to dish out some serious schooling in a few subjects Carmen knows little about—like faith, hope…and love.

     

12. Sinners & Saints by ReShonda Tate Billingsley
    (Touchstone, 2012-01-10, Kindle Edition)
    

    TEAM JASMINE or TEAM RACHEL? Bestselling and award-winning novelists Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley bring their favorite heroines together in a novel that will delight their legions of fans. Jasmine Larson Bush and Rachel Jackson Adams are not your typical first ladies. But they’ve overcome their scandalous and drama-filled pasts to stand firmly by their husbands’ sides. When a coveted position opens up—president of the American Baptist Coalition— both women think their husbands are perfect for the job. And winning the position may require both women to get down and dirty and revert to their old tricks. Just when Jasmine and Rachel think they’re going to have to fight to the finish, the current first lady of the coalition steps in . . . a woman bigger, badder, and more devious than either of them. Double the fun with a message of faith, Sinners & Saints will delight readers with two of their favorite characters from two of their favorite authors.

     

13. A Love Story 2 by David Weaver
    (SBR Publications, 2012-01-30, Kindle Edition)
    

    An absolute tearjerker. Take this erotic emotional journey with Jamal after he gets betrayed while in prison. Upon release, he is thirsty for payback and will climb over whoever he has to in order to get his vengeance.But he forgot one thing… the person you climb over to get to the top is the person you have to see when you climb back down.*Warning* Intense erotic scenes, no fillers; all meaning.*Double Warning* Get the Kleenex out before you start reading.Written in the same poetic metaphorical style as the first entry of this series, this title will definitely not disappoint. If you’ve ever read a book by David Weaver before, then you should already know what to expect… the unexpected.

     

14. Long Distance Lover (Arabesque) by Donna Hill
    (Kimani Arabesque, 2012-02-01, Kindle Edition)
    

    World-class sprinter Kelly Maxwell doesn’t have time for romance. But when she suffers an injury on the track, she begins to reevaluate her life. Facing a difficult recovery at a physical rehab facility in New York, Kelly must decide whether she really loves the sport. But after meeting with her physical therapist, Dr. Alex Hutchinson, she faces yet another hurdle.Alex Hutchinson has fallen in love with the wrong woman before—another athlete just like Kelly. Now, years later, he doesn’t want to make the same mistake twice. He tries to back off, but the attraction is too strong. And when he realizes that Kelly’s coach has his own agenda, Alex tries to protect her even more. But is he ready to heal his broken heart?

     

15. Billionaire’s Retreat by EDDIE JOHNSON
    (Rare Jewels Publishing Company, 2012-01-13, Kindle Edition)
    

    Billionaire’s Retreat is a Titillating Romance, Murder Mystery, and Suspense Thriller. The main character Sarah Giltry’s husband Jared Jones goes missing after retiring from a local fire department. She offers a quarter of a million dollars to anyone that can find him. Jared’s Mother Rachelle is convinced that she is linked to his disappearance. Fraud charges fly rampant as one of Sarah’s government contracts comes into question. Also, she is accused of having an affair with the City Councilman that is alleged to have taken the bribe. The desire to have more and more seems to be her sole motivation. Rachelle hires Private Investigator Daniels Burks to locate her son.

     

16. DUTCH AND GINA: A SCANDAL IS BORN (The President’s Girlfriend Series) by Mallory Monroe
    (Austin Brook Publishing, 2012-01-08, Kindle Edition)
    

    President Walter “Dutch” Harber and his African-American wife Gina thought the birth of their child and the exposure of those seeking to bring their marriage to its knees would have meant blissful times ahead for the interracial couple. But they quickly discover that their enemies have other plans, and blissfulness is the last thing they are about to experience. It all begins when the couple refuses to parade their child in front of cameras or release any photos in a concerted effort to keep him out of the limelight. A scandal erupts where Dutch’s paternity is called into question and where Gina is accused of not only engaging in illicit affairs inside the White House, but of criminal wrongdoing as well. Their marriage, once rock solid, begins to feel the strain of too many battles, too many lies and innuendo, too many people seeking to tear apart a couple that refuses to play political games or live by anybody else’s compass. And when the bombardment becomes too much, when Gina is castigated for simply being herself and is hauled before Congress to give answer to scurrilous attacks on her character, Dutch takes matters into his own hands. And when all is said and done, none of them, not Dutch, not Gina, not even their baby boy, will ever be the same again.In the third installment of the President’s Girlfriend series, the strong-willed couple is confronted by enemies from within and without that not only strains their marriage to the breaking point, but causes their own child to get caught in the blowback.

     

17. Pleasure After Hours (Kimani Romance) by AlTonya Washington
    (Kimani Romance, 2012-01-01, Kindle Edition)
    

    Working for powerhouse shipping owner Mataeo North is a dream job for Temple Grahame. The jet-setting bachelor depends on her for everything. But there’s just one thing: he has no idea that Temple’s been in love with him since college. Or so she thinks…until the night her studly boss takes her in his arms and uncovers her passionate secret.Mataeo doesn’t make a move without consulting the savvy South Carolina beauty. Now, on the verge of closing a major deal, he needs Temple more than ever. And not just as his right-hand woman and best friend. What will it take to convince this sensual, independent woman that once they’ve crossed the line from friends to lovers, there’s no turning back?

     

18. Sweet Revenge by Samone Watkins
    (JSTAR Publishing, 2012-01-01, Kindle Edition)
    

    Confident, intelligent, sexy, Chanel Taylor gets what she wants whenshe wants it. Emotionally unattached and sexually free she plays men likea chess game while never considering the consequences of her actions.Until one man rips her soul apart leaving her begging for redemption andthirsty for revenge. As Chanel fights to piece her life back together she can’thelp but open up and finally let someone in. But is her urge for paybackmore important than her happiness? Emotional and physically drainedChanel finds herself struggling against the inevitable to even the score.Sweet Revenge takes you on a journey of betrayal, sacrifice, andvulnerability as Chanel seeks to accomplish the ultimate sweet revengeagainst her enemies.

     

“Love & Regrets” by Sheryl Mallory-Johnson

Someday (I’m A Good Woman) by Jae Henderson

Vacation Interrupted by Tina Martin

Rasheed Clark’s Cold Summer Afternoon and Stories I Wouldn’t Tell Nobody But God

Question of the Month: What are you looking to give this season?

Bestselling Basketball Books in 2011

1. Shaq Uncut: My Story by Shaquille O’Neal
   (Grand Central Publishing, 2011-11-15, Hardcover)
   

   Superman. Diesel. The Big Aristotle. Shaq Fu. The Big Daddy. The Big Shaqtus. Wilt Chamberneezy. The Real Deal. The Big Shamrock. Shaq. You know him by any number of names, and chances are you know all about his legendary basketball career: Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal is a four-time NBA champion and a three-time NBA Finals MVP. After being an All-American at Louisiana State University, he was the overall number one draft pick in the NBA in 1992. In his 19-year career, Shaq racked up 28,596 career points (including 5,935 free throws!), 13,099 rebounds, 3,026 assists, 2,732 blocks, and 15 All-Star appearances. These are statistics that are almost as massive as the man himself. His presence-both physically and psychologically-made him a dominant force in the game for two decades.But if you follow the game, you also know that there’s a lot more to Shaquille O’Neal than just basketball. Shaq is famous for his playful, and at times, provocative personality. He is, literally, outsize in both scale and persona. Whether rapping on any of his five albums, challenging celebrities on his hit television show “Shaq Vs.,” studying for his PhD or serving as a reserve police officer, there’s no question that Shaq has led a unique and multi-dimensional life. And in this rollicking new autobiography, Shaq discusses his remarkable journey, including his candid thoughts on teammates and coaches like Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Phil Jackson, and Pat Riley. From growing up in difficult circumstances and getting cut from his high school basketball team to his larger-than-life basketball career, Shaq lays it all out in SHAQ UNCUT: MY STORY.

    

2. West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life by Jerry West
   (Little, Brown and Company, 2011-10-19, Hardcover)
   

   He is one of basketball’s towering figures: “Mr. Clutch,” who mesmerized his opponents and fans. The coach who began the Lakers’ resurgence in the 1970s. The general manager who helped bring “Showtime” to Los Angeles, creating a championship-winning force that continues to this day. Now, for the first time, the legendary Jerry West tells his story-from his tough childhood in West Virginia, to his unbelievable college success at West Virginia University, his 40-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and his relationships with NBA legends like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant. Unsparing in its self-assessment and honesty, WEST BY WEST is far more than a sports memoir: it is a profound confession and a magnificent inspiration.

    

3. Basketball Junkie: A Memoir by Chris Herren
   (St. Martin’s Press, 2011-05-10, Hardcover)
   

   I was dead for thirty seconds.That’s what the cop in Fall River told me.  When the EMTs found me, there was a needle in my arm and a packet of heroin in the front seat.At basketball-crazy Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts, junior guard Chris Herren carried his family’s and the city’s dreams on his skinny frame. His grandfather, father, and older brother had created their own sports legends in a declining city; he was the last, best hope for a career beyond the shuttered mills and factories. Herren was heavily recruited by major universities, chosen as a McDonald’s All-American, featured in a Sports Illustrated cover story, and at just seventeen years old became the central figure in Fall River Dreams, an acclaimed book about the 1994 Durfee team’s quest for the state championship.  Leaving Fall River for college, Herren starred on Jerry Tarkanian’s Fresno State Bulldogs team of talented misfits, which included future NBA players as well as future convicted felons. His gritty, tattooed, hip-hop persona drew the ire of rival fans and more national attention: Rolling Stone profiled him, 60 Minutes interviewed him, and the Denver Nuggets drafted him. When the Boston Celtics acquired his contract, he lived the dream of every Massachusetts kid—but off the court Herren was secretly crumbling, as his alcohol and drug use escalated and his life spiraled out of control.  Twenty years later, Chris Herren was married to his high-school sweetheart, the father of three young children, and a heroin junkie. His basketball career was over, consumed by addictions; he had no job, no skills, and was a sadly familiar figure to those in Fall River who remembered him as a boy, now prowling the streets he once ruled, looking for a fix. One day, for a time he cannot remember, he would die. In his own words, Chris Herren tells how he nearly lost everything and everyone he loved, and how he found a way back to life. Powerful, honest, and dramatic, Basketball Junkie is a remarkable memoir, harrowing in its descent, and heartening in its return.

    

4. When the Garden Was Eden: Clyde, the Captain, Dollar Bill, and the Glory Days of the New York Knicks by Harvey Araton
   (Harper, 2011-10-18, Hardcover)
   

   The late 1960s and early 1970s, in New York City and America at large, were years marked by political tumult, social unrest—and the best professional basketball ever played. Paradise, for better or worse, was a hardwood court in Midtown Manhattan. When the Garden Was Eden is the definitive account of how the New York Knickerbockers won their first and only championships, and in the process provided the nation no small escape from the Vietnam War, the tragedy at Kent State, and the last vestiges of Jim Crow. The Knicks were more than a team; they were a symbol of harmony, the sublimation of individual personalities for the greater collective good. No one is better suited to revive the old chants of “Dee-fense!” that rocked Madison Square Garden or the joy that radiated courtside than Harvey Araton, who has followed the Knicks, old and new, for decades—first as a teenage fan, then as a young sports reporter with the New York Post, and now as a writer and columnist for the New York Times. Araton has traveled to the Louisiana home of the Captain, Willis Reed (after writing a column years earlier that led to his abrupt firing as the Knicks’ short-lived coach); he has strolled the lush gardens of Walt “Clyde” Frazier’s St. Croix oasis; discussed the politics of that turbulent era with Senator Bill Bradley; toured Baltimore’s church basement basketball leagues with Black Jesus himself, Earl “the Pearl” Monroe; played memory games with Jerry “the Brain” Lucas; explored the Tao of basketball with Phil “Action” Jackson; and sat through eulogies for Dave DeBusschere, the lunch-bucket, 23-year-old player-coach lured from Detroit, and Red Holzman, the scrappy Jewish guard who became a coaching legend. In When the Garden Was Eden, Araton not only traces the history of New York’s beloved franchise—from Ned Irish to Spike Lee to Carmelo Anthony—but profiles the lives and careers of one of sports’ all-time great teams, the Old Knicks. With measured prose and shoe-leather reporting, Araton relives their most glorious triumphs and bitter rivalries, and casts light on a time all but forgotten outside of pregame highlight reels and nostalgic reunions—a time when the Garden, Madison Square, was its own sort of Eden.

    

5. The Whore of Akron: One Man’s Search for the Soul of LeBron James by Scott Raab
   (Harper, 2011-11-15, Hardcover)
   

   “If there was an opportunity for me to return to Cleveland and those fans welcomed me back, that’d be a great story.”—Lebron James Scott Raab is a last vestige of Gonzo Journalism in an era when sanitary decorum reigns. Crude but warmhearted, poetic but raving, Raab has chronicled—at GQ and Esquire—everything from nights out with the likes of Tupac and Mickey Rourke to a moral investigation into Holocaust death-camp guard Ivan the Terrible to the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, but the book you hold in your hands is neither a story nor a job: The Whore of Akron is the product of lifelong suffering, and a mission bound with the meaning of existence. Raab sat in the lower bowl of Cleveland Stadium on December 27, 1964, when the Browns defeated the Colts for the NFL World Championship—the last sports title the declining city has won. He still carries his ticket stub wherever he goes, safely tucked within a Ziploc bag. The glory of that triumph is an easy thing to forget—each generation born in Cleveland is another generation removed from that victory; an entire fan base “whose daily bread has forever tasted of ash.” LeBron James was supposed to change all that. A native son of Akron, he was already world famous by the age of seventeen, had already graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, was already worth $90 million to Nike. He seemed like a miracle heaven-sent by God to transform Cleveland’s losing ways. That the Cavaliers drafted him, the hometown prodigy, with the first pick of the 2003 draft, seemed nothing short of destiny. But after seven years—and still no parade down Euclid Avenue—he left. And he left in a way that seemed designed to twist the knife: announcing his move to South Beach on a nationally televised ESPN production with a sly title (“The Decision”) that echoed fifty years of Cleveland sports futility. Out of James’s treachery grew a monster. Raab, a fifty-nine-year-old, 350-pound, Jewish Santa Claus with a Chief Wahoo tattoo, would bear witness to LeBron’s every move, and in doing so would act as the eyes and ears of Cleveland itself. (He did not keep this intentions a secret and was promptly banned by the Miami Heat.) The Whore of Akron is an indictment of a traitorous athlete and the story of Raab’s hilarious, profane (and profound) quest to reveal the “wee jewel-box” of LeBron James’s very soul.

    

6. The Ecstasy of Defeat: Sports Reporting at Its Finest by the Editors of the Onion by Editors of The Onion
   (Hyperion, 2011-10-11, Paperback)
   

   The Sports Page As You’ve Never Seen It Before From painfully obvious steroid revelations to sex scandals and superstars who announce trades in over-the-top TV specials, the wide world of sports can often seem too ridiculous for words. Well, attention sports fans: In The Ecstasy of Defeat, the editors of The Onion offer the laugh-out-loud funny and long overdue lampoon of sports culture you’ve been waiting for. Filled with the very best of The Onion’s bench-clearing sports coverage. No topic escapes the satirical slap of America’s Finest News Source, and the book covers not only mainstream sports–such as baseball, basketball, and football–but also lesser sports, sports culture, and special events like the World Cup and the Olympics. Featuring all the players, teams, and sports we love–and love to hate–The Ecstasy of Defeat is a must-read for sports nuts and Onion fans alike.

    

7. Scorecasting: The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games Are Won by Tobias J. Moskowitz
   (Crown Archetype, 2011-01-25, Hardcover)
   

   In Scorecasting, University of Chicago behavioral economist Tobias Moskowitz teams up with veteran Sports Illustrated writer L. Jon Wertheim to overturn some of the most cherished truisms of sports, and reveal the hidden forces that shape how basketball, baseball, football, and hockey games are played, won and lost.Drawing from Moskowitz’s original research, as well as studies from fellow economists such as bestselling author Richard Thaler, the authors look at: the influence home-field advantage has on the outcomes of games in all sports and why it exists; the surprising truth about the universally accepted axiom that defense wins championships;  the subtle biases that umpires exhibit in calling balls and strikes in key situations; the unintended consequences of referees’ tendencies in every sport to “swallow the whistle,” and more.Among the insights that Scorecasting reveals: Why Tiger Woods is prone to the same mistake in high-pressure putting situations that you and I are Why professional teams routinely overvalue draft picks The myth of momentum  or the “hot hand” in sports, and why so many fans, coaches, and broadcasters fervently subscribe to it Why NFL coaches rarely go for a first down on fourth-down situations–even when their reluctance to do so reduces their chances of winning. In an engaging narrative that takes us from the putting greens of Augusta to the grid iron of a small parochial high school in Arkansas, Scorecasting will forever change how you view the game, whatever your favorite sport might be.

    

8. Blind Love by Mark O’Neal
   (Underdog Publishing, 2011-06-16, Kindle Edition)
   

   Maurice had decided to get plastered after a hard day of searching for his missing fiancee, Gabrielle. She disappeared a week before their scheduled wedding in June, and Maurice had been searching for her the entire summer to no avail. The police couldn’t find any evidence to suggest that she was murdered, so they called off their search efforts. Maurice conducted his own search efforts, and the despair of being unsuccessful had taken its toll on him.Maurice tried to get his mind off of things by focusing on his sister Erin’s and his best friend and teammate Malik’s wedding instead that was taking place on the last weekend in August. He began to put the pieces of the puzzle together once his friend Agent Stanton told him that Gabrielle was hiding out from her sociopath ex-boyfriend. He would soon discover that Gabrielle wasn’t the woman he thought she was, and their inevitable meeting would have dire consequences.

    

9. The Defender (Kindle Single) by Jordan Conn
   (The Atavist, 2011-07-06, Kindle Edition)
   

   Manute Bol was the first African-born player in the NBA and, at seven foot seven inches, the tallest. In the 1980s and 90s he was also among the league’s most fearsome shot-blockers and its most beloved figures. Off the basketball court, however, Bol’s story was more remarkable than most fans ever knew. Activist, gambler, joker, rebel—Bol was a complex man whose fate was inextricably bound with that of the Sudan, his homeland. Writer Jordan Conn traveled to southern Sudan to explore Bol’s remarkable path from Africa to the NBA, his rise to stardom and fall into obscurity, and his final role as a renowned humanitarian and key figure in his homeland’s independence. Conn’s account, the latest Kindle Single from The Atavist, is a funny and moving portrait of a man who lived a life befitting his outsized body. Jordan Conn is a freelance journalist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He contributes regularly to SI.com, and his work has appeared in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Slam, and Draft, among others.

    

10. Jewball by Neal Pollack
    (2011-10-05, Kindle Edition)
    

    From the bestselling satirist and memoirist Neal Pollack comes a funny, gritty historical noir about a tough Jew on the brink and about a great American game coming into its own.1937. The gears of world war have begun to grind, but Inky Lautman, star point guard for the South Philadelphia Hebrew Association, America’s greatest basketball team, is dealing with his own problems. His coach has unwittingly incurred a massive gambling debt to the German-American Bund. His main basketball rival is self-righteously leading public protests against the rise of homegrown American fascism. And his girlfriend wants him to join a Jewish student organization that’s all talk and no action. It’s more than Inky can deliver. He just wants to play ball and occasionally beat people up for money. The tides of history are flowing against a guy like Inky. Can he make his free throws and still make it through the season alive? This…is Jewball.

     

11. Joe Tait: It’s Been a Real Ball (Stories from a Hall-of-fame Sports Broadcasting Career) by Terry Pluto
    (Gray & Co., Publishers, 2011-11-04, Paperback)
    

    Legendary broadcaster Joe Tait is like an old family friend to three generations of Cleveland sports fans. This book celebrates his hall-of-fame career with stories from Joe and dozens of fans, media colleagues, and players. It’s co-written with Joe by award-winning sportswriter Terry Pluto. What made Joe Tait so special? Fans believed him. He was “one of us.” He made the game come alive, and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind–even when it might get him in trouble with the coach or the owners. He was a throwback, a purist. Despite the bling and flash that has become so much a part of pro sports, for Joe the game always came first. Northeast Ohioans know Tait best as the voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He called the radio play-by-play from the team’s first year in the NBA, 1970, until his retirement in 2011 (with the exception of two years in the early 1980s). His animated voice and no-nonsense announcing brought the excitement of the game home to listeners, from the “Miracle at Richfield” to the LeBron James years.

     

12. Wonder Girl: The Magnificent Sporting Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias by Don Van Natta Jr.
    (Little, Brown and Company, 2011-06-02, Hardcover)
    

    This is the extraordinary story of a nearly forgotten American superstar athlete. Texas girl Babe Didrikson never tried a sport too tough and never met a hurdle too high. Despite attempts to keep women from competing, Babe achieved All-American status in basketball and won gold medals in track and field at the 1932 Olympics.Then Babe attempted to conquer golf. One of the founders of the LPGA, Babe won more consecutive tournaments than any golfer in history. At the height of her fame, she was diagnosed with cancer. Babe would then take her most daring step of all: go public and try to win again with the hope of inspiring the world.A rollicking saga, stretching across the first half of the 20th century, WONDER GIRL is as fresh, heartfelt, and graceful as Babe herself.

     

13. Reed All About It: Driven to be a Jayhawk by Tyrel Reed
    (Ascend Books, 2011-10-01, Paperback)
    

    Of all the wonderful players who have worn the crimson and blue for the University of Kansas basketball program through the years, only one can claim to be the “winningest” Jayhawk of all — Tyrel Reed. Reed, who concluded his playing career in March 2011, has written a new book that chronicles his time with the Jayhawks — Reed All About It: Driven to Be a Jayhawk. The book published by Ascend Books of Overland Park, Kansas, is co-written by long-time Topeka Capital Journal Sports Columnist Tully Corcoran.Reed was a champion on the court — as part of the Jayhawks’ National Championship in 2008 — and in the classroom, as a three-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team member. He was part of more wins than any other player in the storied history of the Kansas program.The son of a coach from Burlington, Kansas, Reed developed into an important leader and “glue guy” for the Jayhawks. He was an excellent outside shooter, sinking 170 three-point field goals in his career, and a clutch free throw shooter, with an .810 success rate.In his book, Reed describes what it was like to play for Coach Bill Self, how the game has changed with “one-and-done” freshmen players, and how he was able to excel academically despite the demands of basketball practice and road trips.Told with heart and good humor, Reed All About It: Driven to Be a Jayhawk, is a must-read for any fan of college basketball.

     

14. Physical Education (Murder 101 Mystery) by Maggie Barbieri
    (Minotaur Books, 2011-11-22, Hardcover)
    

    College English professor and sometime amateur sleuth Alison Bergeron would’ve been thrilled to hear that her husband, NYPD Detective Bobby Crawford, was leaving Homicide if that were the whole story, but it turns out that Bobby’s next assignment is even worse—undercover. As if worrying about his involvement in a case he won’t talk about at all wasn’t bad enough, Alison is forced to take over the women’s basketball team at St. Thomas after the coach dies of a heart attack during a game. She may not know much about basketball, but she’s no stranger to sleuthing, and it isn’t long before she suspects that the coach’s death may be more than unexpected but premeditated as well.With Bobby deep undercover and Alison always on her way to deep trouble, it’s only a matter of time before they run smack into each other in Physical Education, the latest in Maggie Barbieri’s charming Murder 101 mystery series.

     

Eclectic Life Books to part in Cancer Awareness Rally

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 27, 2011

PRESS RELEASE
Eclectic Life Books will be taking part in the Cancer Awareness Rally sponsored by Lolo’s Boutique.

Carson, CA– Eclectic Life Books will be taking part in a Cancer Awareness Rally, sponsored by Lolo’s Boutique. Cherise “Reese” Charleswell, CEO of Eclectic Life Books will be performing a selection of poetry, as well as reading from her newly debuted book, Real Talk Tips: Laugh-Out-Loud Pointers & Suggestions For The Morally Challenged, Socially Inept, & The People Who Love Them. The book, just published in May 2011, is a non-traditional, sassy, tongue-in-cheek, and painfully honest self help guide and workbook for the morally challenged and socially inept members of society; as well as those who want to improve on their quality of life. The Adinkra image that graces the book’s cover is called “Mate masie” and it loosely translates to “What I hear, I keep”. The book draws on my experience as a West Indian child, where wisdom was often imparted as a series of “old time” sayings, tips, and proverbs; leaving one to interpret the true meaning and come to their own conclusion and understanding.

The event being held is a community block party, where other businesses in the area will be contributing to the festivities. It will be taken place on Saturday October 29, 2011 from 12PM – 6PM, and will be located at 21635 South Avalon Blvd, Carson, CA 90473. Near the NW corner of Avalon Blvd and Carson St.

For more information please contact Eclectic Life Books at eclecticlifediva@yahoo.com
CONTACT:
Contact Person: Cherise Charleswell
Company Name: Eclectic Life Books, CEO
Voice Phone# 818-521-8422
Email Address: eclecticlifediva@yahoo.com

What is your “must share” book of 2011?

2012 Baltimore Urban Book Festival on May 6

Author Chris Hicks,AAMBC and The Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park present the 2nd Annual Baltimore Urban Book Festival on Sunday, May 6, 2012 at 1pm-8pm, at the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park, 1417 Thames St, Baltimore MD 21231.

Celebrating Baltimore’s FIRST and ONLY book festival focusing on African American literature.

GENERAL ADMISSION 5.00
ALL KIDS/HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE FREE!!!!
ALL REGISTERED BOOK CLUBS ARE FREE ADMISSION!!!!
ALL COLLEGE STUDENTS FREE WITH ID!!!!
FOOD VENDORS WILL BE AVAILABLE!!!!

EARLY REGISTRATION AUTHOR TABLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE!!!!!
(early registration ends January 1,2012)

Visit our website to register and purchase at www.baltimoreurbanbookfestival.com.

Featuring some of the country’s most influential bestselling authors; Omar Tyree, T. Styles, JM Benjamin, Jimmy Da Saint, Kiki Swinson, Miss KP, Tamika New House, Trice Hickman, Nicola Mitchell, Chris Hicks, Ladawn Black, Moses Miller, Nikki Turner, Booker T Madison

PANELS/WORKSHOPS
- AAMBC Awards Ceremony honoring this years top performing authors
- Omar Tyree lecture and book signing,
- Chocolate Chat workshop featuring T Styles, Jimmy Da Saint and Miss KP
- The real talk with the men of ECE(ebony chronicles of elevation)featuring Corey Barnes, QB Wells, Moses Miller, Omar Tyree, and Author Chris Hicks
- African American Literature Panel

CHILDREN ACTIVITIES: storytelling, free treats, games, face painting, moon bounce, annual free book giveaway drive and a special storytelling feature from Baltimore Ravens

Some of the proceeds from this event will benefit The Fredrick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park a program of the Living Classroom Foundation, in support of their Voyage of Exploration a science, technology, engineering, and math program (STEM).

MEDIA SPONSORS: Mosiac Books, The Baltimore Times, Urbania Magazine, DMD Experience, BMore News, AAMBC, The Urban Twist, Rolling Out Magazine, Urban Literature Review, ILuvblackwoman.com, EDC Creations, My Soul Radio.com, BaltimoreBlack.com,AALBC, Books of Soul.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND FOOD VENDORS ARE AVAILABLE!!!!
Clease contact Chris Hicks directly at chrishicks@baltimoreurbanbookfestival.com or chrishicks.hicks@gmail.com.