February 13, 2010
I’m Still Standing: From Captive U.S. Soldier to Free Citizen — My Journey Home
by Shoshana Johnson
Touchstone
Available 02/02/10 in Hardcover
In March of 2003, when Operation Iraqi Freedom was only days old, world headlines were made when a U.S. army convoy was attacked in the city of An-Nasiriyah en route to Baghdad. Several soldiers were killed and others were taken prisoner.
Jessica Lynch became the face and name associated with this tragedy, but another female soldier, Shoshana Johnson, was also wounded and captured in the ambush. A video of Shoshana being interrogated by her captors was soon broadcast on Spanish-language television and then picked up by American media. Shoshana had become the first black female prisoner of war in United States history. She was held for twenty-two days.
When Shoshana returned to the United States, she received numerous awards for her valor, including the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Prisoner of War medals. She appeared on news networks and national television shows such as Oprah, Ellen, The Tonight Show, and Larry King Live, but she was bound by a military gag order. She was unable to discuss what really happened in Iraq — until now.
Shoshana holds nothing back in this harrowing account of an ordinary woman caught in an extraordinary circumstance. She reveals decisions made by higher-ups that may have led to the capture, describes the pain of post-traumatic stress disorder, and shares the surprising story of how a specialist in a maintenance company ended up on the front lines of war.
Divulging personal emotions and frustrations while raising fresh political issues, I’m Still Standing is the never-before-told and much anticipated story of the headline-making ambush, capture, and rescue described with the exceptional bravery and candor of a single mom and soldier who became an American hero.
December 19, 2009
Something Old, New, Borrowed & True
by Pamela R. Jeffers
Harvest Time Innerations Available 11/2/09
Tvoya Harrington is a woman caught between two loves and too many lies. She’s about to marry the man of her hopes and dreams when a childhood sweetheart returns home to bury his father. Perfectly-laid wedding plans start to crumble as long-buried secrets are unearthed and Tvoya begins to wonder if the man she thinks is the answer to her prayers is really God-sent.
Something Old, New, Borrowed & True, by debut Christian Fiction author Pamela R. Jeffers, is an engrossing and inspirational tale about matters of the heart and trusting God – even through the unexpected twists that test your faith, friendships and family.
June 2, 2009
I Didn’t Work This Hard Just to Get Married: Successful Single Black Women Speak Out
by Nika C. Beamon, Bella DePaulo (Foreword)
Lawrence Hill Books
Available 05/01/09
Can you be happily single?
As June, the most country’s most popular wedding month, fast approaches, women will be bombarded with countless images and media suggestions that that they tie the knot. The reality is that statistics show most American women will spend more years of their adult lives unmarried rather than married. For African American women, the prospect of marriage is dismal; a staggering 70 percent of them live without a man.
Despite the bleak data about the state of marriage, the entire nation is still wedding crazy. Every movie and television show ends with a walk down the aisle; it’s the proverbial happy ending. According to The Wedding Report, a Tucson, Ariz.-based research firm, couples are willing to pay a fortunate to get their “happily ever after.” Even with the recent economic troubles, on average they’ll spend about 6 thousand less for weddings this year than last. But, that’s not saying much since the average cost of a wedding in 2008 was $21,814.
So, the question must be asked: is it possible to be happily single with “matrimania” seemingly everywhere? A book: I Didn’t Work This Hard Just to Get Married by Nika C. Beamon says yes you can but to do it you have to buck convention.
In I Didn’t Work This Hard Just to Get Married, through lively and revealing interviews with women from various walks of life, Nika Beamon explores the challenges and issues affecting single black women who defy expectations. Among the women who share their stories in the book: Actress Kim Coles, Movie Producer Effie T. Brown (‘Real Women Have Curves’) and Interior Designer Sheila Bridges.
Now you may think the women in this book bash men or have no use for them however, it’s quite the contrary. Almost everyone seems to want to share their life with someone. The catch is that until or unless they find that person, they have resolved to live their lives to the fullest. For them, having a happy life is achieved about surrounding themselves with love, sharing their talents and gifts with others, and relying on “girl power” to get through the tough times; something Cheetah Girls creator Deborah Gregory knows a lot about. A former foster child, Gregory has inspired generations of girls to follow their passion and in this project she shows grown women how to do the same.
All of the women in I Didn’t Work This Hard Just to Get Married candidly discuss aging without a man and reevaluate dating, single homeownership, career, and children. The book speaks directly to the black woman’s experience, addressing unique challenges such as income discrepancies between genders, the high rate of male incarceration, and the Baby Momma Syndrome. The women discuss the false expectations they face from men, from families, and from friends.
Written in the best tradition of girlfriend talking to girlfriend, the book delivers tales of lessons learned, hard times and good times, told by women who found ways to achieve their dreams by defying convention. Their conclusion: singlehood, whether temporary or permanent, and though often challenging, is a fulfilling state.
To read an excerpt:
http://www.redroom.com/member/denali17
To watch video trailer for the book:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8DcbQsQawk
To find out about signings or readings in your area:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=70022821825
To contact the author: Denali17 @optonline.net, Denali1217@yahoo.com
May 25, 2009
The Ministry of Motherhood
by Cheryl Lacey Donovan
Peace In The Storm Publishing
Available 05/01/09
In The Ministry of Motherhood, author Cheryl Lacey Donovan tackles the issue of single parenting with raw emotion, insightful lessons, biblical references and relevant life changing inspiration for mothers of all ages. It will minister to women who are living the life that Cheryl has overcome. The empowering refreshing messages will challenge mothers to look inside themselves for change. It will help them to identify the strongholds in their lives; public assistance, lack of education, abusive relationships, and tear them down with the help of the creator so that they can in turn take the steps necessary to build a better life for themselves and their children. Cheryl’s transparency in The Ministry of Motherhood tears down all of the excuses for why single mothers can’t succeed. It breaks away at all of the lies that are told about why single mother’s are in their current situations; and it defies the statistics that say the children of single mother’s will never amount to anything.
The Ministry of Motherhood is Cheryl’s journey from being a teenage parent to being a successful mother, author, talk show host, and inspirational speaker. It tells of Cheryl’s transition from the devastation of an abusive marriage which left her with two sons at an early age to her testimony of deliverance and release. It gives an insightful look into what it means to be a “mother”; the hard choices, the sacrifices, the dreams deferred. The Ministry of Motherhood is more than just a mere book. It is a testimony of God’s ability to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ever ask.
January 20, 2009
The Seeds of Green Mangoes
by Janete Scobie
Date of Publication: December 2008
On the fictional island of St. Dominique, the story of the enchanting Creola Philogène begins, the last of a line of broken, bitter women betrayed by fathers, husbands, and lovers. Growing up in a small village, under the tutelage of a controlling grandmother, Creola dreams of a life beyond her tiny village and finding the father she has never known, a faceless figure that lives in France. More immediately, she dreams of experiencing that greatest taboo: sensual love. She meets a virile young painter for whom she seethes with desire, but fears her grandmother’s warnings – that yearning for the evil between her legs will only lead to utter destruction. However, desire and need speak louder than fear, and Creola soon makes a choice, one that has tragic consequences. Now free to follow her dreams, she leaves her island and embarks on a new adventure, but, again, fear takes over when she finds herself in a surging throng of humanity. Creola crosses paths with an older man who repulses her sexually, but attracts her with his air of strength. Believing he will be a likely protector, she marries him and travels to New York. The city is a raging beast, but Creola finds it far easier to deal with than her husband, who turns out to have a violent and brooding nature, harboring secrets of his own. She bitterly realizes that she is once more in a cage, one of her own making. This time, her freedom will not be given to her; she will have to fight for it. That freedom, she soon discovers, is not enough. To maintain it, she must achieve independence.
Woven with lyrical prose that sings Creola’s moving tale and breathes life into each character, this powerful story reminds us of the struggles of self-discovery as well as the trials and tribulations of journeying into womanhood despite the emotional hardships and taboos we carry with us from childhood.
January 15, 2009
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man:
What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment
by Steve Harvey (Author), Denene Millner (Contributor)
Available 02/01/09
Steve Harvey, the host of the nationally syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show, can’t count the number of impressive women he’s met over the years, whether it’s through the “Strawberry Letters” segment of his program or while on tour for his comedy shows. These are women who can run a small business, keep a household with three kids in tiptop shape, and chair a church group all at the same time. Yet when it comes to relationships, they can’t figure out what makes men tick. Why? According to Steve, it’s because they’re asking other women for advice when no one but another man can tell them how to find and keep a man.
In Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, Steve lets women inside the mindset of a man and sheds lights on concepts and questions such as:
* The Ninety Day Rule: Ford requires it of its employees. Should you require it of your man?
* How to spot a mama’s boy and what if anything you can do about it.
* When to introduce the kids. And what to read into the first interaction between your date and your kids. * The five questions every woman should ask a man to determine how serious he is.
* And more…
Sometimes funny, sometimes direct, but always truthful, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man is a book you must read if you want to understand how men think when it comes to relationships.
September 1, 2008
Fair-Weather Friends
By ReShonda Tate Billingsley
This Edition: Trade Paperback
Publication Date: September 16, 2008
Our Price: $9.95
Availability: Ships on or around September 16
Welcome to the club….
The Theta Ladies are the hottest new high school sorority, and Camille wants in! After seeing the girls perform a fantastic show at her school, Camille’s dreaming of donning the pink satin T-shirt of the Thetas…and is beyond flattered when the sorority sisters actually acknowledge her existence. If only she could persuade her best friends — Alexis, Jasmine, and Angel — to join with her….
Is it worth the price of admission?
Jasmine has always butted heads with Tori Young, the Theta Ladies president, and she wants no part of the exclusive sorority scene. Camille, Alexis, and Angel are excited to be pledging and are up for any challenge. When it is time to announce new members, Camille and Alexis are accepted and Angel’s left out in the cold. Despite her disappointment, Angel encourages her friends to enjoy themselves. But when the real reason for Angel’s rejection comes to light, Alexis and Camille must choose: Do they break their commitment to their newfound “sisters” to take a stand for their sister at heart?
