Black Men In America

The Audacity of Help by John F. Wasik

Reviewed by Gary A. Johnson

What a timely book.  The Audacity of Help by John F. Wasik is one of the most comprehensive books about Barack Obama’s Economic Plan and his vision for America.  Wasik is no slouch.  Unlike many so-called experts, Wasik is uniquely qualified to write this book having spent time studying and following President Obama for years.

Given all of the media attention to the President’s economic plan and the distortions and misrepresentations about the President and his policies, The Audacity of Help is a comprehensive and yet easy to understand breakdown of Barack Obama’s economic plan and challenges for America.

The Audacity of Help is like reading a history book.  The author provides charts and blueprints about packages passed by Congress and allows you to understand the bills and what they really mean.  Wasik also takes a look at how the President’s policies will affect healthcare, education, the environment and taxes.

Each chapter is clearly structured to show “what Congress passed,” and “who benefits most,” on issues such as Unemployment Insurance Benefits, COBRA, Home Energy Credits, Early Childhood Education, and more.

This book is no joke.  It deals with issues that matter to all Americans.

For me the best part of the book are the thought-provoking questions.  These are the questions that really make you think about the impact these policies will have on my family now and in the future.  For example:

• How will it stimulate the worst economy in a generation?
• Who will gain?
• Who will lose?
• What are his plans for reviving public education, small business, the environment, credit reform, health care, homeownership and entitlement programs?
• Which industries will benefit?
• What new jobs will be created?

This book appears to leave no stone unturned as it also compares the President’s plan with the New Deal.

Honestly, reading the book I felt as if I was studying toward an economic degree and liking it.  And I hate math and economics, but I could not put this book down.  The current economic climate and the author’s knowledge about the economic plan are a great match.

When President Obama took office, banks were severely impaired, companies were cutting pensions, and market disruptions and unemployment left more than 45 million people without health insurance or retirement security.

The book end asking the $64,000 dollar question:  Who will pay?

The soaring national debt begs the question:  How will this money be paid back?  According to author Wasik, the Obamanomics mission will ultimately lead to President Obama being judged on how well his can restore and maintain prosperity.  Or in other words, how will he remake or preserve the American Dream.

If you want to understand what is going on with our country’s economy, THE AUDACITY OF HELP: Obama’s Economic Plan and the Remaking of America (Bloomberg Press, August 2009), is a must-buy.

Check out Get Ready for “Son” of Stimulus Plan by John F. Wasik , on our main web site’s “Money Talks,” page.

About The Author

As the award-winning author of 13 books, John Wasik has spoken to crowds from coast to coast on investing, retirement and protecting your money. As a personal finance columnist for Bloomberg News, the world’s third-largest news service, his columns reach 400 newspapers on five continents and have appeared in The Financial Times, International Herald-Tribune, Washington Post, Orange County Register and other papers in Canada, Europe, Japan, South America and Africa.

Adam’s Belle:  A Memoir of Love Without Bounds

By Isabel Washington Powell with Joyce Burnett

Adam’s Belle is a roller coaster ride through the life of the late Isabel Washington Powell. This first-person narrative charges through Isabel’s life from her early childhood days as a baby “drama queen” in her hometown of Savannah, Georgia to her stage debut kicking up her heels at Harlem’s famous Cotton Club in the 1920’s. Isabel soon meets a real life “Prince Charming” who happens to be the nation’s most eligible bachelor – Adam Clayton Powell Jr. The two fall madly in love and plan to share their “heaven on earth” for the rest of their lives.

With much pain and agony, Isabel learns that not all fairy tales have happy endings.  Ultimately, she develops the strength to celebrate herself and even overcome breast cancer on her nearly 100-year journey to becoming a true living legend.  Belle and her older sister Fredi Washington (star of the Academy Award nominated 1934 film “Imitation of Life”) put the “roar” in the “roaring twenties.”

Adam’s Belle is a riveting story that pulls the reader in and never lets go. Read this book, fasten your seat belt, and take a ride through history.  Click here to read an excerpt from the book.

About the Author

Joyce Burnett knew little about the dynamic sounds and lifestyle of the Harlem Renaissance until she ran head on into Isabel Washington Powell, the glamorous showgirl from the 1920’s who married the late Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. From the moment they met, Joyce was enthralled by the vivid pictures Belle painted of her life.  She worked closely with Belle for almost ten years to record this incredible story.  Belle was very pleased with the early draft of Adam’s Belle, but sadly, she passed away before her story was published.

For more information click here to visit the Adam’s Belle web site.

Played in Full – The Marketing Exploitation of Black America

By Robert L. Gatewood, MBA

Overview

We’ve all heard the exclamations about how much money flows through the Black community. One day I was driving down the street and I was simply overcome by curiosity (If there had been a cat in the road, he would have certainly been run over on this day). I asked myself, “Why is it that Black America, which has a larger Gross National Product than many sovereign nations, can’t quite seem to get a grip on its financial security.

If you have ever seen one of those B movies where the guy is doing something dastardly and catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror then you can relate to what happened to me. As I set out to solve the financial conundrum of Black America, I was parking my luxury automobile and happened to get a glimpse of myself. What I saw was “exhibit A” looking right back at me. But I didn’t just see one me, I saw three me’s; me the executive archetype (someone who knows better than most how to connect the dots between and someone’s wallet and a cash register.) I saw me the individual (not the Black American monolith), and it was the last me that scared me … I saw me the consumer (someone who himself has often spent beyond his means, and is now wearing a big bull’s eye right between his eyes.). Now that’s a revelation for you.

I consider myself a rather smart fellow. Graduated with honors everywhere I went to school, high school, college, MBA you name it. It dawned on me, that if a smart guy like me has a hole in his wallet, this problem just might be bigger than the failure to learn the three R’s. So as I tackled this problem, I also found myself introspecting.

All of us can’t be marchers or prolific speakers. But as I say in my book, everybody’s good at something. I happen to be an expert marketer, and I have decided to use it to use my skills to right some wrongs. Hopefully my book will inspire other like-minded people to become fellow wrong-righters, but, in their respective areas of influence.

So I encourage everybody to do what they do best in general for the overall welfare of fellow Blacks but for the purposes of this book and my mission, I’d like to target some those energies on a specific objective. Let’s coalesce around a common goal of plugging the seemingly ceaseless hole in the pocketbook of Black America. If for no other reason, let’s do it so that our children, like so many of the other races, will have some kind of a future when its there turn at bat.

Many of Us Make Enough Money – We could always use some more but…. If we just put what we already have to better use, you’d be amazed how well-off most of us actually are.

YOU Have Been Trained to Spend Your Money, THE PLAYERS Have Been Trained to Take It

I couldn’t create a less fair fight if I tried. It’s like going fishing where the fish have been trained to jump in your boat.

Nobody Wants to Admit He’s Been Marketed – Reminds of me of what drove Harriet Tubman nuts. She said she could have freed more people if only more people realized they were slaves.

Everybody Plays the Fool, Sometimes – Just like the group Main Ingredient use to sing in their hey-day, we are all game. Some tell-tale signs include: Smoking – Tithing more than saving – Car note as high as house note –Still paying for last year’s Xmas – And more!

Enlightenment is not retroactive – I used to smoke. It wasn’t the health aspects of it that made me stop. The more familiar I became with marketing, the more I realized that I myself had been marketed… I had been downright played. In fact I remember the time and place the light bulb went off. It was about 12 years ago when I was leaving Tucker Road Park over in Oxon Hill. I just pulled to the side of the road, threw the cigarettes in a trash can and haven’t picked up another one since.

It’s a War on the Wallets of Blacks – It’s an economic struggle that’s not just fought in the store aisles on Christmas Eve. It’s a generational battle that’s fought in the head. The heads of Black consumers are on one side; the heads of institutional forces on the other. In a one-on-one contest, chances for Black America are not the best, but winnable. But over the generations, the Players have coalesced into a virtually invincible foe. It’s not the individual efforts of the Players that are the threat; it’s the synergistic application of all of them that provides the knockout punch.

The Secret Weapon – Sleeping with the Enemy – The Players employ a secret weapon that makes your chances of winning virtually impossible. This stealth squad does a better job than the Players themselves ever could. It includes General Grandma, Captain Co-worker, Sergeant Spouse, First Lieutenant Father, Major Mom, and an infinite number of Foot-Soldiering Friends.

Like Lambs to the Slaughter – The Players employ some effective tactics that are very difficult to combat. When applied together they provide the perfect storm.

Social Proof - also known as herd mentality, desire to belong or by its common name of “keeping up with the Joneses.”

Mental Externalism – a mindset where you believe that you have little or no control over the events in your life

Fear – the trump card that surfaces s when all else fails.

All Players Are Not Created Equal – The Players don’t the wear a big “P” on their foreheads. Anyone can be a player. There are basically 4 types of Players:

- Pathological Incorrigible Malevolent Player (PIMP)

- Passive Opportunistic Player (POP)

- Philanthropic Accidental Player (PAP)

- Positive Enlightened Player (PEP)

Who Are the Players?

Who are these people who are adept at parting Black Americans from their hard-earned money?

Man or woman – Any race, culture or nationality – Person, institution or government – Needs someone to play – And more!

Specific Players: The Government, Politicians, Military, the Courts, Schools, Employers, Schools,Santa Claus, the Church and Others!

You Already Have the Answer!

Is the fate of Black America resigned to that of being fodder for the Players of the world? Is the purse of Black America an irreparable sieve? The answer lies within. Breaking the grip of economic dependency and derelict spending takes an individual effort.

Our Children Are Watching – I’m doing this for the next generation. I’ve wasted enough money for a three lifetimes. So this is no longer about me. I’m gladly throwing myself on the grenade for our Black children who are on deck to be played by the next generation of Players … if we fail to act now!

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Robert Gatewood at www.playedinfull.com/25 or 866-292-4800.

Right in Front of You:  Uncommon Sense in Poetry

By Michael A. Price, Jr.,

Black Men In America.com Review

Michael A. Price, Jr., is an energetic young man with an unabashed confidence about his ability to write, recite and perform.  He must have been a salesman in a former life.  One of the reasons that Price is being featured on this site is because he “made it” happen.  Michael A. Price, Jr., was given the direct telephone number to Black Men In America.com publisher Gary Johnson.  (Phone number = Opportunity). Like most successful people, Mr. Price decided to make the most of his opportunity by calling Gary Johnson in an effort to get his book reviewed on the web site.  Once he got in touch with Gary, Michael decided to go a step further and make a personal appointment to meet Gary instead of putting the book in the mail.

Michael was not pushy, but he would not take “No,” for an answer.  Think about it.  Michael had nothing to lose and everything to gain.  As a result, his book, Right in Front of You: Uncommon Sense in Poetry is the first book featured on our site for 2009.

Michael and Gary met at the Black Men In America.com office and once again, Michael saw another opportunity to make an impression.  Rather than do a “meet and greet,” Michael decided to do a “meet and perform.” And perform he did.

Michael’s book contains 33 entries or poems divided into three chapters (Life, America and Spirituality). Michael can recite every entry from memory and he allowed us to randomly select one entry from each chapter.  Watching Michael A. Price, Jr., recite his work is akin to watching a live performance in a theater.  The energy is there and you find yourself being “drawn in” as you listen and think about what he’s saying.  Michael is humble, well grounded and definitely passionate about his work.

Now about the book.  Right in Front of You: Uncommon Sense in Poetry by Michael A. Price, Jr., is more than a book of poetry.  As Price explained to Gary Johnson, “Common sense is dead.  It does not exist in the world that we live in anymore.  Those who have a measure of wisdom are in the minority, therefore “common sense” is now “uncommon.” Each poem is preceded by a brief introduction; which helps put some context and background to the piece and explains what inspired Price to write it.

Right in Front of You: Uncommon Sense in Poetry by Michael A. Price, Jr., is a thought-provoking book of short entries in a poetic format.  Michael A. Price, Jr., simply wants to do his part to make sure that “common sense” becomes “common” again.  In the end, the reader discovers that the “a ha” moment, key to the puzzle or piece of wisdom that you’ve been looking for is right in front of you.

Click here to visit our showcase to order Michael’s book.

Click here to read a sample of Michael’s work.

Melody by Stacy-Deanne

Reviewed by Ava Morton for Black Men In America.com

Melody Cruz is introduced to us as a striking half Latino women struggling with coming to terms with her upbringing and its influence on her current life. She feels overshadowed by her non-Latino resembling sister, Sarah whom is the fair haired beauty coveted by all men. Melody and Sarah have a strong sisterly relationship that becomes tested when handsome, Mr. Perfect, Keith enters the equation. Things turn sinister and upside when this seemingly charming man enters the lives of these two so called close sisters. Keith claims to love like no other Sarah and will stop at no lengths to keep Sarah – and to keep Melody from interfering.

Simultaneously Melody and Sarah’s hometown of Albany, New York is being preyed on the “Albany Predator.” This menace has terrorized and changed the fate of the city forever with his sadistic attack on black women – his choice victim. Detectives Briana Morris and Steven Kemp are assigned to the case but can they catch this predator in time. As these stories intertwine the characters are faced with a pressing dilemma. What happens when those you trust most start to turn on you at your most crucial point?

Melody is a novel with two part rhythm of a story line with fast twists and captivating allure that blend harmoniously to a true melodic novella treat. This tantalizing tale will have the reader “hooked” from page one. This mystery will have the reader tuned as it unfolds into a nonstop read that’s sure to thrill, tease, tantalize, and delight. Stacy De-Anne is masterful at keeping a smooth rollercoaster of a ride all the way through with a true white knuckle of a plunge occurring right when it needs to. Get ready for the riveting ride of Melody!

Click here to purchase the book. To learn more about Stacy-Deanne visit her official web site at http://stacy-deanne.net.

Book Review: The Women Who Raised Me, A Memoir by Victoria Rowell and an Exclusive Interview with Victoria Rowell by Vanessa Werts

Born as a ward of the state of Maine—the child of an unmarried Yankee blueblood mother and an unknown black father—Victoria Rowell beat the odds. Unlike so many other children who fall through the cracks of our overburdened foster-care system, her experience was nothing short of miraculous, thanks to several extraordinary women who stepped forward to love, nurture, guide, teach, and challenge her to become the accomplished actress, philanthropist, and mother that she is today.

Rowell spent her first weeks of life as a boarder infant before being placed with a Caucasian foster family. Although her stay lasted for only two years, at this critical stage Rowell was given a foundation of love by the first of what would be an amazing array of women, each of whom presented herself for different purposes at every dramatic turn of Rowell’s life.

In this deeply touching memoir, Rowell pays tribute to her personal champions: the mothers, grandmothers, aunts, mentors, teachers, and sisters who each have fascinating stories to tell.

Click here to read the rest of the book review and our exclusive interview with Victoria Rowell on Black Men In America.com.

Daaimah S. Poole’s “All I Want Is Everything” takes the reader on the journey of a young woman seeking to fulfill her dream of becoming a superstar in the music industry. Along the way Kendra Michelle discovers she had to confront, and beat back the demons of lust and power that controlled the industry she thought would accept her because of her innate singing ability.

At the age of 25, while working as a bar and restaurant waitress, Kendra has a chance encounter with an old high school friend, Inez, who appeared to have made a success of her life. Inez accompanied by several friends queried and mocked Kendra about how on earth the “talented, most likely to succeed Kendra” ended up working in a bar. This was the turning point in Kendra’s life. Reflecting on the hard times she had endured to survive and support her family since her senior year in high school, Kendra decided to make an effort to pursue her dream of becoming a superstar.

Kendra was now living with Marcus, an old friend of her brother’s that had been her lover since she was 17 years old. Although John initially resisted his sister’s relationship with Marcus, he’d come to accept it through the years. Marcus, on the other hand, was resistant to Kendra quitting her job to pursue a singing career, but soon agreed to support this endeavor.

Kendra finally lands a contract, with a signing bonus of $80,000.00. She was on her way. First stop, a new Benz, gifts, and cash to her mother, sister, and brothers, and of course, Marcus. Kendra was used to taking care of her family, so next was a $10,000.00 down payment on a house for mom. In no time Kendra was just about broke. However, she was now in New York, cutting a CD, schmoozing with the movers and shakers. Marcus soon left Kendra. After her deal with the recording studio was cancelled, Kendra soon found herself willing to do anything to get her music “out there.” She was willing to, and participated in sexual acts that she previously could not have imagined, all in hopes of getting a contract. This too failed.

Ultimately, Kendra ends up back where she came from, with Marcus and looking for a job. After many trials and tribulations, Kendra decided to give it another try. This time, she has the support of her brother John, her mother, sister Bubbles, and brother Bilal, along with a friend in the industry, Beazie. Kendra eventually realized her dream, and attributed it all to her perseverance in achieving the dream she had always held in her heart, that is, “All I Want Is Everything.”

“All I Want Is Everything” is a nice read, however, Ms. Poole could use an editor or a very good proofreader because often there were whole words missing, and /or absence of punctuation.

Submitted by: Shirley Hardiman

Book Review: Caught Between a Dream and a Job by Delatorro McNeal II

By Gary A. Johnson

Caught Between a Dream and a Job by Delatorro McNeal II is one of the best books I’ve ever read to help people smoothly and successfully transition from the “job” to their “dream job” of self-employment. What makes this book so great? The book is well researched, well written, well paced and easy to read. Delatorro McNeal uses relevant and personal examples and summary page at the end of each chapter to help the reader understand the concepts outlined in the book.

McNeal’s grounding as a former “9-to-5” guy who transitioned into his dream job of professional speaker and best-selling author gives the book instant credibility. He’s experienced what he’s written.

This book includes practical worksheets that McNeal uses to connect with the reader in a positive and reaffirming way. This technique serves as an author/reader partnership. For me the most important aspect of the book are the sections on motivation, spirituality, determination, dreaming and purpose.

In summary, this book is one the most comprehensive books on motivation and career change. If you apply the principles outlined in the book you will change your life and positively impact the lives of your family and friends.

Delatorro L. McNeal, II is a world renowned Professional Speaker, Best Selling Author, Successful Entrepreneur, and Television Personality. As the CEO and President of Delatorro Worldwide Empowerment, Delatorro operates three blossoming corporations. Visit his web site at http://www.delmcneal.com/ to learn more.

Healing Grace for Hurting People by Dr. H. Norman Wright and Larry Renetzky, LMFT

Healing Grace for Hurting People is a spiritual and uplifting book for people who are hurting in any number of ways. If you are suffering or hurting from abuse, addiction, rejection or infidelity, “Healing Grace” has something for you.

Through the stories of others and the use of diagrams this book helps you navigate through your pain. Of particular interest to me are the specific steps and practical applications. My personal favorite is “Steps To Forgiving Others.”

Learn how God’s reconciling grace and power can resolve conflicts, revitalize marriages heading for divorce and restore broken relationships in families, extended families and other relationships.

Red Letters by Tom Davis

Convicting, real, tantalizing, reflective, hopeful, alarming, inspiring, shocking, painful, shameful, silence…

These are just a few words to describe Tom Davis’s Red Letter’s (2007), a text which brings forth the words of Jesus Christ which he refers to as “Red Letters” because in many Bibles when Jesus speaks the letters that form each word are red; when others speak, the letters are black.

In this book, Davis sheds light on the fact that Jesus did not come for the wealthy, healthy, or self proclaimed “perfect”, he came for the poor, the sick, and the troubled. One of the most profound statements made in this book appears on page 20, where Davis proclaims, “Every morning when I get out of bed, I look for Jesus…I’m talking about finding Jesus in the eyes of real people…like the poor, the handicapped, the oppressed, the homeless, the AIDS victim-the abandoned and the forgotten.” One may ask, “What does this mean?” This means that signs of Christ are all around; we are created in God’s image – rich, poor, healthy, ill, depressed, and lively. Our response to those in need in comparison to Christ’s response may suggest that somewhere along the way of passing the story of Christ, the truth was distorted. One may ask, “What is the truth?” The truth is that Jesus was poor; he was born to a carpenter in a manger filled with dung. A rebuttal may be, “Well the Word says that if I ask for anything in Jesus name, I shall receive it. If he can do it for me, why couldn’t he do it for himself?” Why? Jesus sets an example that we all should live; an example of sacrifice, one where we put others before ourselves. This text is structured to make the “comfortable” uncomfortable because there are intentional inclusions of how self proclaimed non-believers in Christ give of themselves and resources to the less fortunate, often times, before a self proclaimed believer will. Far too often we ignore (for whatever reason) the reality that there are millions of people suffering in this world, while we fight to remain comfortable and allegedly protected. Davis addresses our need to make lip service, foot service when he asserts, “If our Christian faith doesn’t manifest into something that helps the life of another human being, it doesn’t mean squat to him [Jesus]” (128). The impact of these words is visible in Davis’s compassion for those battling HIV/AIDS in places such as Africa, Asia, and China. The wealth we possess in the Western World, with a few minor sacrifices, could render someone medical treatment, and even with statistics staring us in the face such as 64.4 percent of the African region, 21.4 percent of the Asian region, and 5.4 percent of high income communities being effected with AIDS, far too many of us have yet to move our feet to help our neighbor.

This text includes lively examples on various levels. Davis shares stories of teenage girls selling their bodies in order to feed younger siblings left behind due to parents dying with AIDS. He also shares a lie that is causing mass destruction in Africa; that when a man infected with AIDS sleeps with a virgin, he is cured. This lie is wiping out a generation of virgins who are being infected with the virus during their first sexual encounter. There are other accounts of towns being wiped out due to AIDS related deaths. Equally disturbing is the rate at which genocide is destroying the Sudan; causing death and displacement. The details in this book are alarming and depressing, yet they are real and the disparities destroying communities exist because we have been

non responsive; our lack of response alludes to the reality that we allow these things to take place. On a brighter note, numerous contributions to humanity by way of Africa are included such as many biblical events took place on the continent, and the first sign of human existence was discovered there. And just when you want to deny the churches role in slavery, Davis sheds light on the fact that the church overlooked what was “happening to these Africans in the name of commerce and expansion and misappropriated evangelical intent” (53). While the text leads us on a journey to evaluate our walk in comparison with the expectations of Christ (conveyed in red letters), the author includes a variety of ways we can change our slow-to-respond nature so that we can be God’s hands, meeting the real needs of real people.

By Roberta Sonsaray White

Making Your Money Count by Kenneth C. Ulmer, PH.D.

BOOK REVIEW – Submitted by Kelly Y Alexander

January 13, 2008

Making Your Money Count by Kenneth C. Ulmer, PH.D.

We all struggle with the responsibility we have as Christians to be good stewards of the money God has given us. In Making Your Money Count, Bishop Kenneth Ulmer has provided readers with a practical guide on the subject based on God’s word. In this book, Bishop Ulmer focuses on the five blessings of money, indicators of approaching financial challenges, how to avoid financial misfortune, the true purpose of money, seven ways to earn more money and the basics of true prosperity.

Very simply Bishop Ulmer offers a clear and concise message about proper money management. It was refreshing to finally find a book about financial responsibility that helps a regular person immediately “get it”, to quickly grasp an understanding of handling money matters the right way, no matter how much or little money or income a person has. Bishop Ulmer writes in a way that not only explains the basic how-to’s and the why’s, but also the consequences of dealing with money the wrong way.

Especially significant is how Bishop Ulmer underscores the message that God gave us the ability to create wealth in order for Him to establish His covenant with us, which is to bless us, to glorify Him and to bless others through us. In this amazing process, which Jesus taught to His disciples, Ulmer explores God’s way of taking care of business. This generation coming up, explains Dr. Ulmer, will be the first one that is not financially better off than the previous generation. What kind of legacy are we leaving if we don’t train our children about the proper Kingdom principle of asset creation and money management? In this inventive look at the parables of the talents and the man of noble birth, pastor, teacher and author Dr. Kenneth Ulmer reveals God’s process for moving you from being a consumer to a producer. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to build a lasting financial legacy.

No Safe Place by Kim Reid

BOOK REVIEW – by Kelly Y Alexander

January 13, 2008

No Place Safe a family memoir by Kim Reid

Readers are given the chance to be a part of Kim Reid’s up-close-and-personal account of the Atlanta Child Murders. The author was just a child of thirteen when the Atlanta Child Murders began in 1979. Her world was turned upside-down as she and her younger sister had to adjust to living and behaving under new safety measures that stifled their carefree life. Can you imagine being a child and living with the constant threat of a serial killer in your neighborhood?

Her mother’s job, as a Task Force investigator on the case, increased Reid’s awareness beyond that of any child and probably most adults. Because of this the author is able to offer a well written and unique perspective of this event as a young teenage daughter of an investigator. She allows the readers an inside glimpse into the feelings of dread, rage, insecurity and the small pockets of enjoyment that she, her family and the community managed to feel throughout this time period. Her description of the city and suburbs of Atlanta is as vibrant and dramatic as the characters she depicts. Readers will appreciate and be in awe of Kim Reid’s ability to enjoy the basic beauty of life as can only be seen through the eyes of a young person under very frightening conditions.

No Place Safe is a deftly written and well researched novel. The novel skillfully explores the Atlanta Child Murders from 2 compelling angles: a girl coming of age during that time and her mother, a lead investigator on several of the cases. The author adeptly combines the intensity of the subject matter with deep insights on family, love, duty, gender, class and race.

To learn more about Kim Reid click here to visit her web site.

BOOK REVIEW – Submitted by Kelly Y Alexander

January 13, 2008

Ms. Etta’s Fast House by Victor McGlothin

From the moment I opened this book I couldn’t put it down. The characters, setting, the language all came alive with each page I turned. This novel reads just like a motion picture and it would surely be a good one.

Victor McGlothin has created an intense and proud depiction of African American life in 1947 St. Louis, Missouri. The story takes place in the St. Louis neighborhood known as the “Ville”, centering on Ms. Etta’s Fast House-considered the hottest joint this side of Chicago. The bold, the beautiful, the bad and the good mingle at Ms. Etta’s – including the debonair hustler, Baltimore Floyd. McGlothin weaves convincing historical elements into a fast-moving caper, and Baltimore Floyd is a delightful main character.

Ms. Etta’s Fast House is the place to be also for the young doctors and nurses of the Homer G. Phillips Hospital as well as the local Negro baseball team. But life in the Ville is forever altered when Baltimore Floyd strolls in with a gun and a plan to horn in on a crooked cop’s heroin trafficking operation. The author blends realism of the times in the sub-plots surrounding the supporting characters: racism and discrimination force top medical minds to practice at segregated facilities; Jim Crow laws impact the character’s daily lives (shopping, dining, commuting, sporting events, etc.); and social taboos of interracial relationships. Victor McGlothin superbly paints Baltimore as a scoundrel with a big-heart. In addition to Baltimore; Ms. Etta, Penny, Delbert, and Jinx are also endearing characters that readers will find irresistible and want to see again.

Respected and loved by many, Baltimore has a circle of friends that include the new interns at the renowned Homer G. Phillips hospital as well as some with shadier pasts. Especially well written is how the author allows the reader to become a part of the relationship between Baltimore Floyd and his best friend Henry, who seemingly does a complete reversal leaving the lush life (including a steamy relationship with Ms. Etta) and hurriedly marries a school teacher with a ready-made family. He even foregoes his friendship with Baltimore and Etta to join/integrate the police force – a move that severs ties from his dark past and con-artist friends. However, when Baltimore crosses dirty, racist cops in a clever scam, sleeps with the “wrong” woman, and ends up on trial for his life, it is all of his friends (including Henry) that come to his aid, risking their reputation, professions and lives to save him from the gallows in a creative, yet dangerous rescue.

Fast paced, well-conceived (I didn’t see some plot twists coming and the sub-plots came together well), with realistic and sharp dialogue it is recommended for those seeking a page turning and entertaining read.

To learn more click here to visit Victor’s web site.

Healing Grace for Hurting People

Reviewed by Vanessa Werts

Do you have emotional or spiritual baggage? Are you ready to confront feelings of rejection, fear, and anger? If so, Healing Grace for Hurting People will give you hope, and the tools to face these issues head on.

This book is a Christian faith-based guide to dealing with and overcoming hurt, resentment, abuse, guilt and past failures. The authors, Dr. H. Norman Wright (a licensed marriage, family and child therapist) and Larry F. Renetzky (a licensed marriage and family counselor) offer therapeutic words validated with biblical scripture that allows the heart to heal, thought patterns to change, and the soul to soar through God’s healing grace.

The authors address real life problems like addiction, suicide attempt, dating, family relationships and troubled marriages. They share the journeys of real life broken and troubled people they’ve worked with as each one comes face-to-face with the source of their pain, and embarks upon the path to true healing – allowing Jesus Christ to rule in their heart.

Healing Grace for Hurting People sets the stage for personal reflection, atonement with self and others, and the power of forgiveness.

• Publisher: Gospel Light Publications
• Pub. Date: August 2007
• ISBN-13: 9780830743988
• 240 pp

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