Showing results by narrator "Karen Chilton" in All Categories

Southland brings us a fascinating story of race, love, murder, and history, against the backdrop of an ever-changing Los Angeles. A young Japanese-American woman, Jackie Ishida, is in her last semester of law school when her grandfather, Frank Sakai, dies unexpectedly. While trying to fulfill a request from his will, Jackie discovers that four African-American boys were killed in the store Frank owned during the Watts Riots of 1965. Along with James Lanier, a cousin of one of the victims, Jackie tries to piece together the story of the boys' deaths.

On a cold December evening, Autumn Spencer's twin sister Summer walks to the roof of their shared Harlem brownstone and is never seen again - the door to the roof is locked, and no footprints are found. Faced with authorities indifferent to another missing woman, Autumn must pursue answers on her own, all while grieving her mother's recent death. With her friends and neighbors, Autumn pretends to hold up through the crisis. She falls into an affair with Summer's boyfriend to cope with the disappearance of a woman they both loved.

Madam C. J. Walker was beloved within her community for her philanthropy and expanding the local black YMCA, but she couldn't have done that if she weren't the first female self-made millionaire and one of the most successful African American business owners ever. Born Sarah Breedlove, she was the first person born free in her family. She married Charles Joseph Walker and became known as Madam C. J. Walker, the name she would later use on her haircare products.

In a secluded cabin, John and his loved ones have survived. He should feel grateful. But his family is in his face 24/7, he has to watch his best friend, Arden, and brother, Gabriel, flaunt their love, and as a techie in a Luddite world, he’s pretty much useless. The cabin is brimming with people, but he feels utterly alone. Until he catches Mr. Tall, Blond, and Gorgeous raiding their garden. Mykhail is an astrophysics student, he makes John’s gaydar ping like crazy, and he thinks he knows what caused the devastation.

In the governor’s palace in Luanda, the Portuguese courtiers whisper in shock: a woman! Sent to make a treaty with the invaders, Nzinga of Angola is swept into world history, a generation after Elizabeth I ruled England. For 40 years, Queen Nzinga fights to destroy the imperial colonists who seek to enslave her people.

This collection contains four historical novellas by award-winning author Alyssa Cole: Be Not Afraid, That Could Be Enough, Let Us Dream, and Let It Shine.

After spending half her life pretending to be something she’s not, performance is second nature for cabaret owner Bertha Hines. With the election drawing near and women’s voting rights on the ballot, Bertha decides to use her persuasive skills to push the men of New York City in the right direction. Chef Amir Chowdhury jumped ship in New York to get a taste of the American Dream. When ornery Amir reluctantly takes a job at The Cashmere, he thinks he’s hit the bottom of the barrel; however, working at the club reignites his dream of being a force for change.

Mercy Alston knows the best thing to do with pesky feelings like "love" and "hope": avoid them at all costs. Serving as a maid to Eliza Hamilton, and an assistant in the woman's stubborn desire to preserve her late husband's legacy, has driven that point home for Mercy - as did her own previous heartbreaks. When Andromeda Stiel shows up at Hamilton Grange for an interview in her grandfather's stead, Mercy's resolution to live a quiet, pain-free life is tested by the beautiful, flirtatious, and entirely overwhelming dressmaker.

Elijah Sutton is no fool, despite his love of a country that enslaves people like him. When he's offered land, livestock, and - most importantly - his freedom if he fights in his Patriot owner's stead, Elijah believes he'll soon have everything he ever wanted...and then he meets Kate. The Crown has promised freedom to slaves who escape their Patriot masters and join the British side, and Kate intends to take them up on it. She's eager to leave America - and the painful memories it holds for her - far behind...and then she meets Elijah.

In Lighting the Fires of Freedom Janet Dewart Bell shines a light on women’s all-too-often overlooked achievements in the Movement. Through wide-ranging conversations with nine women, several now in their nineties with decades of untold stories, we hear what ignited and fueled their activism, as Bell vividly captures their inspiring voices. Lighting the Fires of Freedom offers these deeply personal and intimate accounts of extraordinary struggles for justice that resulted in profound social change, stories that remain important and relevant today.

As gentrification encroaches on historic Harlem, Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer’s Award recipient Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts untangles the myth and meaning of its storied legacy. Drawing on Harlem’s history and her own observations, Rhodes-Pitts introduces a variety of observers who shared a common hope that Harlem would become the ground from which Blacks fully entered America’s democracy.

Here's an endearing story of life-altering events. Chantell has it all: a great career, beautiful clothes, lots of spending money, a cool car, and a picture-perfect fiancé. So why is she so unhappy? She promises God that she will become a better person as her father lays on his deathbed. But keeping that promise unravels Chantell's seemingly perfect life.

Award-winning author Ruth-Miriam Garnett pens an exceptional tale of the wealthy and prominent Cates family. Lealia is the inspiring story of three sisters who, despite their good upbringing, marry worthless husbands.

Vanella Morris is extremely happy with her long-time boyfriend, Alton. But Vanella is also uneasy and apprehensive about making the big commitment. The time has come to make the decision of her life: walk away now from this good thing, or convince Alton that, by living together, the marital bliss he longs for can still be theirs.

A Tree or a Person or a Wall gives us Matt Bell at his most inventive and uncanny: parents and children, murderers and monsters, wild renditions of the past, and acute takes on the present, all of which build to a virtuoso reimagining of our world. A Tree or a Person or a Wall brings together Bell's previously published shorter fiction - the story collection How They Were Found and the acclaimed novella Cataclysm Baby - along with seven dark and disturbing new stories, to create a collection of singular power.

Charlie isn't looking forward to sixth grade. If he starts sixth grade, chances are he'll finish it. And when he does, he'll grow older than the brother he recently lost. Armstrong isn't looking forward to sixth grade, either. When his parents sign him up for Opportunity Busing to a white school in the Hollywood Hills, all he wants to know is "what time in the morning will my alarm clock have the opportunity to ring?" When these two land at the same desk, it's the Rules Boy next to the Rebel.

In this extraordinary collection of holiday novellas, vampires turn to Angelina Ricci - vampire matchmaker extraordinaire - to help them find that special someone to curl up with under the mistletoe....

Don’t Tell a Soul is best-selling author Tiffany L. Warren’s sequel to her fan-favorite novel What a Sista Should Do. Here, a trio of faithful friends face trials in their personal lives. When Pam’s husband, Troy, blows their fortune, his partner starts making moves on Pam. Meanwhile, Taylor must decide whether to forgive her ex, Luke, for the sake of their son. And newly divorced Yvonne finds reprieve from her loneliness by befriending a new church member. But only time will tell if the women can keep their faith and friendship intact.

Cheryl Robinson, a bright voice in African-American fiction, delivers a fresh tale of love in the modern world. Porter is a handsome Detroit firefighter who just got burned by his cheating girlfriend. Winona is a single mom who is getting by despite an old secret that haunts her. When Porter and Winona meet, they must face their pasts to allow their present romance to grow.

The acclaimed author of I Wish You Love, Karen Chilton explores the life of legendary jazz performer and civil rights activist Hazel Scott. A well-researched tribute to a woman of immense achievement, Hazel Scott abounds with fascinating detail of a not-too-distant time in American history.