All of these women are vying for one thing – an opportunity to live a luxurious, lavish lifestyle by snagging a rich and famous singer, rapper or athlete. But being drop-dead gorgeous and super fly are only pieces of what it takes to catch one of these wealthy and highly sought after young millionaires. Where luck, timing and persistence can be determining factors on the surface – deceit, lies and manipulation are what it really takes to have a chance at catching their men. Betty Blaise, or Fly Betty to those who truly know her, was not in it to be a wife or even the baby momma of a wealthy public figure – she had her sights set higher, much higher. While most of these women use sex as their weapon of choice, Betty, a senior majoring in psychology, has developed a weapon that proves much more powerful. Up until now Betty has lived her life according to her own strict rules and standards, refusing to compromise for anyone, even if it potentially meant shielding herself from true love. But when she encounters a man that she would never have anticipated falling for in a million years, soon, the very rules Betty once lived and died by are going to be put to the test. The very tools she used so effectively against wealthy men begin to turn against her – and deadly consequences are sure to follow.

    Taffy Douglas, the real bitch in charge, is the mama of three sexy, smart and highly creative daughters who use their skills with Internet video porn to make paper. Chyna, Karrine and Simone have a hands-off approach when it comes to men, and they prefer to handle their business with high-dollar Ballers who are willing to pay up for a sneak peek at the sisters from the other side. Whenever the rules are broken and their true identities are revealed, the sisters find themselves in many sticky situations that have consequences. But if Mama has to come to the rescue, shit will hit the fan and the bond they all have will come tumbling down.

    Katrice was Momma’s faithful caregiver until the day she died and wants to make sure that Momma’s last wishes for her house are met. Montrel needs the house sold as soon as possible to get out from under the mountain of debt his gold-digging wife has him buried under. Junior needs a place to lay his head in peace, away from the thousands of dollars in back child support. Will Montrel honor his mother’s wishes? Will Junior ever learn to man-up and take care of his responsibilities? As Katrice turns to Christ, will she stop worrying about her brothers long enough to find a life full of hope and the promise of love and restoration?This is a fun, inspirational novella (short novel) that will make you laugh and appreciate the people God puts in your life to conform you to the image of Christ.

    When tragedy strikes the family, Connie is virtually the last survivor, and ends up homeless until an unexpected hobby leads to fortune and fame. At the peak of her career, someone from her past tries to destroy everything she has worked hard for. Connie could possibly lose it all, including herself. On the other side of Chicago is Dean Wilson, a cocky police officer whose marriage ends tragically. Soon he meets Connie and the two fall in love, but when they learn their paths have crossed before, it sends them on an emotional ride that could prove to be too much. What happened in their past could possibly ruin their future or make their love strong enough to forgive and move forward.

    In theaters 4/12/13.A novel based on the movie 42--a biopic about Jackie Robinson's history-making signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers as the first African American Major League Baseball player.Includes a full-color insert of photos from the movie.

    Embracing the far-ranging stimuli of her media-obsessed upbringing, she grasps at news clippings, visual fragments, and lyrics from past and present in order to weave together a world of sense.Art in all forms guides the author toward understanding concepts like blackness, jazz, mortality, riots, space, time, self, and other without falling prey to the myth that all things must exist within a system of binaries. Recalling her awkward attempts at coolness during her childhood, Sabatini Sloan evokes Thelonious Monk’s stage persona as a metaphor for blackness. Through the conceptual art of Adrian Piper, the author is able to understand what is so quietly menacing about the sharp, clean lines of an art gallery where she works as an assistant. The result is a compelling meditation on identity and representation.

    Five thousand quotes are culled from the time of Ancient Egypt through American slavery, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Era, Apartheid, to the present day. With a foreword by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and passages from authors, artists, scientists, philosophers, theologians, activists, politicians, and many others, Bartlett's Familiar Black Quotations will appeal not only to quote aficionados and researchers, but also to history buffs. Aesop's Fables and the Holy Bible are in the same company as Nelson Mandela and President Obama; Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison; Bob Marley and Jay-Z. A wonderful reference tool and gift, Bartlett's Familiar Black Quotations is sure to follow in the footsteps of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, becoming a beloved authority.

    In story after story McCoy pinpoints the moment a person’s life is forever changed by love, a decision made or not made, or a simple twist of fate. His characters are flawed and fully human: In one story --All People Lives Matter--a richly detailed vignette, that rubs away at the luster of social activism, explores how life can call back those who are furthest adrift. The female narrator on the cusp of young adulthood is Holly, a biology student at the university, and her parents are successful executives. It only seems logical, at first that she should volunteer at an organization that promises hope and social change, contributing her time to an altruistic venture. But her idealism is about to change, and is portended by others who pinpoint her future successes and failures in a nut shell: "You're young, a rabid idealist, impressionable, stupid and going to change the world with your over-powering hope and youthful enthusiasm.The movement is better off with your naiveté, it's a fifth wheel to a truck.You'll jump in with both feet and boldly change the world. Pity you!" The process of a young idealist's disillusionment with her world is a painful one, convincingly and creatively explored...." Illumined by McCoy’s unflinching insight, these lives and others draw us in with their quiet depth and surprise us with their unexpected turn of events. Revised edition: This edition of Strange Fruit includes editorial revisions.

    Yet, research shows we are less happy than women 40 years ago. Today, we can “have it all.” So why is happiness declining?In Happy Women Live Better, bestselling author Valorie Burton unlocks the secret to your personal happiness. She reveals 13 happiness triggers–choices that can boost your joy right now, even in the midst of deadlines, children, marriage, dating, and squeezing in a workout or girls' night out. Through these happiness triggers, you will learn tobounce back from stress and adversity faster.enjoy deeper satisfaction in your marriage and friendships.maximize career opportunities and increase your income.fight off depression, colds and other illnesseslive longer!Valorie talks about the cultural shifts and modern challenges that threaten women’s happiness, such as increased stress from increased demands, earning more money than men, constant comparisons brought on by social media and reality television, and many more. Learn to navigate these issues and join thousands of women in a modern movement that empowers you to take control of your happiness.

    It's a story of struggle and triumph with an indomitable cast of characters. The narrative traces the family's beginnings from the union between a litigious runaway slave of African descent and a conniving French settler who is an early colonizer in the Louisiana territory. The book is a tribute to the slave matriarch who managed to obtain and secure her own freedom and that of her four children who advanced quickly from being slaves to slave owners. Their children become members of a land owning elite black planter class which ultimately finds itself out of place in the slave holding Deep South with the dawn of the Civil War. The book explores the plight of generations of the family's fight to remain free and in the period immediately before and after the Civil War. Some become guerilla fighters and resist Confederate attempts to induct them into service. Others go in exile in Haiti to escape the vigilante movement in Louisiana. In the post-Reconstruction period and most of the twentieth century, the family is up against the Jim Crow laws and periods of pervasive violence against blacks. Discrimination is pervasive and the effect is harsh but the family does not give up. Land is preserved and with it independence. When the state fails to provide schools, the family put up its own schools. The fight for civil rights goes on. They march, they sit-in, they find a way to educate their children and protect them from the harshest effects of discrimination. The determination to remain free and the tradition of land ownership are the glue that holds the family together throughout the saga. The author follows leading characters that preserved these traditions over a period of more than 200 years and passed them on to her generation.