Unleashed Lit (2024)

21/06/2024

Click to Read: https://amzn.to/4cvQQUA (Kindle) https://amzn.to/45Ary5v (Audiobook) https://amzn.to/3zdJwi6 (Hardcover)

Are fears and uncertainties keeping you from reaching for your dreams? In Take Your Seat at the Table, bestselling author Anthony O'Neal reveals the indispensable tools and strategies to take ownership of your decisions and step into the life God wants you to live.

The table has always been the spiritual, emotional, and relational center of a life well-lived. It's where the real work of life--from the mundane to the magnificent--is dreamed up, planned out, prayed over, accomplished, and celebrated. And the metaphor of the table is critical throughout Scripture.

Yet most people aren't intentional about taking a seat at the table of their own lives--let alone prioritizing the important things that happen around the tables in their homes, at work, and beyond.

Utilizing his trademark humor, compelling stories, and lessons from his life, including both his successes and failures, Anthony O'Neal helps readers

>become empowered to make the best financial, career, health,
emotional, and relational decisions;
>identify the keys to foster strong relationships with friends and
family, build a "work tribe that will help you achieve your goals,
and develop a vision for thriving in every phase of life; and
>discover an eternal quality of life filled with meaning, true
abundance (including financial freedom), and joy.

Just about every significant decision, conversation, prayer, celebration, affirmation, or critical decision takes place around the table--are you ready to take a seat at the head of your own table?

Release: 1/14/25

15/06/2024

Click to Read: https://amzn.to/3Ryo4ut (Paperback)

Enter 1950s New Orleans, a world of betrayal, envy, lust, and murder, where everyone has ulterior motives. Take a peek at Johnnie Wise, a 15-year-old girl being pursued by Shamus and ruthless crime boss, Napoleon Bentley, who will stop at nothing to have this young beauty.

Johnnie Wise was just fifteen years old when her mother sold her virginity to an unscrupulous white insurance man named Earl Shamus. Stunningly beautiful, with long, naturally wavy black hair, she possessed the voluptuous body of a thirty-year-old woman. Her skin was the color of brown sugar. Johnnie had heard about Earl Shamus and his escapades among the poor Black women in New Orleans, but what she didn't know was that Shamus had quietly made several of the girls in their neighborhood his reluctant concubines when their youthful bodies ripened, and she was next.

Release: 10/22/24

15/06/2024

Click to Read: https://amzn.to/3VrncsJ (Paperback)

In this dramatic finale to Blacc Topp’s Tainted series, FBI Agent Monica Deitrich is both the hunter and the hunted as she tries to end to murderous reign of King Kochese.

With Jasmine locked away safely, Monica may be able to concentrate on the pursuit and capture of King Kochese. If there was one thing that the DEA and FBI taught Agent Monica Deitrich, it was to check everyone and trust no one. Between Millicent and Noisy Boy, they keep her busy and content—that is, until a new love interest threatens to tear down everything that she's built.

A series of gruesome murders are happening simultaneously, spanning from the East Coast to the Midwest, and they have Jasmine and King's signature style written all over them. Monica can feel it in her gut that King is behind the murders, but Jasmine is tucked away in a government asylum awaiting trial.

The body count is rising, and all roads lead to King Kochese—but how can Monica corner a ghost with unlimited resources and connections, capable of ruining not only her career but her life with a snap of his cold-blooded and calloused fingers?

Release: 10/22/24

15/06/2024

Click to Read: https://amzn.to/3KJGhBr (Paperback)

Jealousy, envy, and pure hateration. Maybe you've been there, or maybe you know someone who's going through it. Whatever the case, you know when things get rough, you can always count on your sister girls to be there for you.

Take a look inside the lives and relationships of Crystal, Susan, Jewell, and Elsie. Their lives are laced with love, addiction, lust, and loyalty. Crystal must deal with a past she can't escape. Susan is in denial and needs to get real. Jewell is looking for a "good man," and Elsie is confused about her s*xuality. When drama takes center stage, each woman is forced to confront her own set of issues. Their friendship is put to test numerous times and in ways that they never imagined. Together these four sisters take friendship to a new level that puts the realities of life's trials and tribulations into their proper perspective.

Release: 9/24/24

15/06/2024

Click to Read: https://amzn.to/3KLzhE6 (Paperback)

After barely surviving their freshman year at NC A&T, the girls have to make it through the summer.

Just before spring break, Hope learns that she’s pregnant, but now she’s unsure of exactly what to do. On the one hand, she doesn’t want to disappoint her father because he only knows the meek and sheltered child he raised. He has yet to face the young, fleshly woman she’s now become—the one that has fallen weak for a man. But on the other, the father of her unborn child is not who she once thought he was.

Despite making the conscious decision to separate herself from the married Malachi Montgomery, the pain of losing him causes a natural tug of war inside Paris’s heart.

Franki’s heart continues to open up to church boy Josh, but she’s unsure of just how long their relationship will last without s*x. Every day, she struggles with her past, and when things back home take a turn for the worse, the lines between intimacy, s*x, and religion are blurred.

Finally, Asha hits rock bottom—so low that she attempts to mend relationships that were once thought to be broken beyond repair. She even makes notable strides in putting the puzzle pieces of her life back together, but will it all be too late? Will it even be enough to change her selfish, gold-digging ways? Find out in the finale of Heartbreak U.

Release: 9/24/24

15/06/2024

Get the Book: https://amzn.to/4clj3xh (Kindle) https://amzn.to/4bZhxkx (Hardcover)

An ode to the family, friendship, and the beautiful tradition of Hoodoo practice, this book celebrates the magic and symbolism to be found in every day, written by bestselling author Nyasha Williams.

Dayo practices Hoodoo with her family. One Saturday, she wakes from an interesting dream about a yellow bird. What could it mean? She knows that it’s up to her to figure it out. Over the course of the day, as Dayo and her family move through their daily rituals (mantras and affirmations included), the message sent from her Ancestors through her dream reveals itself. This celebration of spirituality (and heritage) highlights the rich history of Hoodoo and the beauty we can find in everyday magic.

Release: 6/11/24
Ages: 4 to 8; Grades: P to 3
Magic

14/06/2024

Get the Book: https://amzn.to/4co5cWT (Paperback)

It’s War of the Worlds in the New York hoods.

Nasir returns home two years later after the death of Denise. This time, he comes back to Queens with a crew and vengeance. He’s in a new relationship with Sunday, a beautiful but ruthless and ambitious bitch who’s ready to become the next Griselda Blanco in New York City. Along with her psychotic little brother, Sheek, the trio becomes a force to be reckoned with.

Nasir’s beef with Sincere has been put on hold. Sincere is too busy dealing with his own hitches in Elmira Correctional Facility. Sincere barely survives a hit placed on him by an unknown force. New rivals are coming into play, one being Rondell—an OG with robust backing. Sincere creates a prison gang, KOS (Kings of Society), inside the state prison, and they’re becoming a booming threat in and out of the prison.

Meanwhile, Zodiac is in Ghana, Africa, conducting the biggest drug deal in his life—to become a top distributor. With this deal, he’ll become one of the biggest heavyweights in the game. However, he and Trina are attacked during his trip to Africa. And with the news of Zulu’s death in federal prison, Zodiac is on high alert.

Who’s behind these sudden attacks? There’s a greater force and entity than Zodiac, Sincere, and Nasir combined. His name is Ezekial, one of the founding members of a domineering and powerful international organization called The Outfit.

Ezekial’s thirst for revenge for the death of his sons, Drip-Drip and Rafe, creates a civil war within The Outfit, and the streets of New York break out in bloodshed and war.

Release: 9/24/24

14/06/2024

Get the Book: https://amzn.to/4eqFwuW (Kindle) https://amzn.to/4clJxi9 (Hardcover)

Offering “a vibrant picture of the roles Black and mixed-race people played in Regency life” (Publishers Weekly), this unique historical mystery series, featuring a mixed-race heroine with a notorious past, will appeal to Bridgerton fans who want a sharper edge to their drama.

A marriage of convenience saved Lady Abigail Worthing’s family from disgrace, but she’s finding her absent husband's endless conditions increasingly repressive. Unable to stay at their London home during the oncoming winter, she accepts a ride to the country from her neighbor, Stapleton Henderson. However, she's less than delighted that she’s his excuse to avoid a dinner held by Lord Charles Duncan, one of London's most powerful—and relentless—magistrates. More irritating, women are decidedly unwelcome at the evening’s prestigious discussion of criminality—even though Abigail and Stapleton have solved several cases together . . .

Then an unexpected blizzard strands them at Lord Duncan’s with his now-houseguests. Suddenly, an evening of fine dining, fine brandy, and insightful debate becomes an inescapable—and deadly—ordeal. The ultimate test for Abigial’s skill. One of the dinner guests is found dead in front of the Berkley Square mansion. And when another party is murdered, Abigail discovers each had received a taunting, prophetic nursery rhyme . . . coincidence, or clues left by a killer on the loose?

Through deft interrogation, she learns everyone present is connected to Lord Duncan's greatest failure in the courts: the conviction of a Martinique plantation informant for a murder he didn’t commit. But as Abigail races to find who was really responsible for the miscarriage of justice, she'll be forced to put her own and Stapleton's lives at risk in a gambit that will alter their fates forever—or end them permanently.

Release: 7/15/24

14/06/2024

Click to Read: https://amzn.to/45pIKui (Hardcover)

Desire to Serve is the autobiography of Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (1934–2023), a thirty-year member of the United States House of Representatives, in her words as told to Cheryl Brown Wattley. It chronicles Johnson growing up in segregated Waco, Texas; attending St. Mary’s nursing school in South Bend, Indiana; working at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Dallas, Texas, as a chief psychiatric nurse; serving in the Texas House; being appointed as the regional director for Health, Education, and Welfare; being elected as a Texas state senator; and serving thirty years as a congressional representative from North Texas. For each of these positions, she was either the first African American or first African American woman to hold the position.

Johnson’s narrative of the duties and responsibilities of elected officials gives an insider’s view of the way government works—or doesn’t work. Highlights of Johnson’s political career include her support of NAFTA and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act; the failure of the Health Security Act; her support of the Patient Recovery and Affordable Care Act, as well as the CHIPS-Science Act; her service as the chairwoman of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; and her membership on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Release: 7/15/24

08/06/2024

https://amzn.to/3ViIYPg (Audiobook) https://amzn.to/4aYG7AO (Hardcover)

A moving, politically-charged memoir of surviving trauma and the power of activism from MSNBC legal analyst, professor, civil rights lawyer and former New York City Mayoral candidate Maya Wiley.

Born in a country that has repeatedly traumatized her and her loved ones, Maya Wiley grew up in a household that prioritized activism, hope, and resilience above all else. This attitude landed her father on President Nixon’s enemies list as her mother organized third-party political platforms. Still, they modeled hope for their children. In the decades since, she has borne witness as presidents and political figures used racism and fascism to gain power, and as cities have again and again elected white men, effectively shutting out people of color and women from having a political voice. As a result, she has been forced, time after time, to confront death, injustice, and indifference—just as her Civil Rights activist parents did before her.

After a mayoral race that further exposed our country’s deep divisions, Maya is ready to share her story and that of her parents: one of passion, possibility, and compassion in the face of fear and injustice. She takes readers through her unconventional upbringing, her father George Wiley‘s tragic death and the resulting trauma, as well as how her experiences spoke to racial, gender, and class identity. Against this painful backdrop, Maya charts her journey of coming into herself and finding hope in a dire political landscape. She also digs into how her previous struggles informed her platform, driving her to represent those who have similarly felt voiceless or ignored. In facing and sharing her own past, Maya shows readers how they too can remain optimistic in the face of adversity.

Release: 9/17/24

08/06/2024

Get the Book: https://amzn.to/4bRvMrR (Hardcover)

Hearing the beat helps James discover the courage to use his voice and find his community.

James is great at tests and homework, but speaking up in class? No way. Just the thought fills his chest with bumblebees. The one thing that makes the bees calm down is music. James can't bring music with him to class, though, or to the second worse place in school: the lunchroom. Everyone already has their friends; James is the odd one out. Until one day, he goes to lunch and hears something familiar. BOOM, TAP, BOOM, TAP, BOOM, TAP, TAP! Kids are rapping in a cypher! When the girl rapping passes the beat to James, he hesitates . . . until he gets lost in the music and finds his voice.

Bringing together a celebration of rap and an empowering mental health awareness message, James Finds the Beat features a young boy who struggles with social anxiety and who finds his voice and his community through music. An endnote includes discussion questions inviting children to explore the story and its ideas further.

Release: 10/22/24
Ages: 5 to 10; Grades: K to 5

08/06/2024

Get the Book: https://amzn.to/3yL9o4z (Kindle) https://amzn.to/3RjYCsJ (Hardcover)

Stokes tells the story of the NBA’s first Black superstar, Maurice Stokes, who is not as well known as he should be in part because of a career-ending injury.

Coauthors and basketball enthusiasts John Coy and Ty Chapman highlight what a standout Stokes was: he was 6’7” and as they write, “nobody had ever seen a guy his size score, defend, rebound, dribble, and pass so well.”

In a 1958 game against the Minneapolis Lakers, Stokes, went down hard and hit his head, losing consciousness. At the time, there was no concussion protocol, and Stokes went back into the game. A few days later, he went into a coma and woke up unable to move his body from the neck down. Players did not have any sort of financial support in situations like this, and Stokes’s teammate Jack Twyman worked with other players and Milton Kutsher to put on a benefit game during the summer at Kutsher’s hotel in the Catskills. This game became an annual tradition, and Stokes was eventually able to travel and watch the game. Wilt Chamberlain said of Stokes, “He had something transcending as a person. . . . Everybody loved him.”

Back matter includes some great historical photos as well as further information about Stokes, who was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004, and about the NBA’s Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award.

This picture book biography provides a fascinating look at basketball history, accompanied by Lonnie Ollivierre's action-packed illustrations.

Release: 10/1/24
Ages: 7 to 11; Grades: 2 to 5

08/06/2024

Click to Read: https://amzn.to/3yTnP6K (Kindle) https://amzn.to/3xjhLUB (Paperback)

Tartarus marks author Ty Chapman’s bold entrance into poetry. Between three sections of Basquiat-inspired vignettes, Tartarus offers the reader an unflinching look into Chapman’s emerging understanding of his relationship to Black masculinity through familial ties, the oscillation between nihilism and hope, and the ever present tensions felt moving through a state which sees the existence of your body as an inherent danger.

Release: 2/6/24

07/06/2024

Click to Read: https://amzn.to/4ca9TUb (Kindle) https://amzn.to/45hGMfv (Audiobook) https://amzn.to/3x4hdSB (Paperback)

In this steamy and sweet sapphic romance, an uptight athletic trainer has one taboo night with a hot basketball player, but are they ready to play for what they really want?

Scoring was the easy part…

Hard work has Khadijah Upton starting her dream job as an athletic trainer for the Atlanta Cannons. Then an evening of celebratory letting loose turns into a one-night stand with a beautiful stranger. It’s a reckless, wildly s*xy encounter that Khadijah intends to forget…until her first day on the job lands her face-to-face with basketball star Shae Harris again.

Shae is a major player in every sense of the word, and Khadijah doesn’t plan to be the latest in a long line of “Harris Honeys.” Personal and professional just don’t mix. But Shae, who’s all about living life to the fullest, keeps tempting Khadijah to blur the boundaries. And the more Shae reveals about herself, the harder it is for Khadijah to resist her.

In the bedroom, their tension sizzles. On the court, it’s a liability. But unless Khadijah’s willing to really let Shae in, it won’t be just the team championship on the line, but a body-and-soul connection that rewrites all the rules.

Release: 9/24/24

02/06/2024

Click to Read: https://amzn.to/3yG7odP (Kindle) https://amzn.to/3VpONM4 (Hardcover) https://amzn.to/3yJUEDc (Paperback)

The long-awaited sequel to Fallen Leaves. While being a major contributor to the Black Lives Matter movement, Reese 'Gypsy' Shackelford discovers that the movement is alive across the globe. Fighting for the cause in both hemispheres comes with casualties. However, when it hits home, the toll is great and affects the lives of Gypsy's family. If that isn't enough, she must return to her hometown, Fayetteville, North Carolina, for the pending trial of the police officer who is accused of contributing to the death of Gypsy's sister, Taylor Russell.

Release: 4/21/24

01/06/2024

Click to Read: https://amzn.to/3yDUI7g (Kindle) https://amzn.to/4bZPZLv (Audiobook) https://amzn.to/3x1eCZA (Hardcover)

Showcases the role HBCUs play in empowering Black students, fostering economic development, building community, and mentoring leaders and activists.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) play a pivotal role in promoting social and economic mobility for African Americans and in mentoring the next generation of Black leaders. In HBCU, Marybeth Gasman and Levon T. Esters explore the remarkable impact and contributions of these significant institutions.

Through inspiring personal stories and extensive research, Gasman and Esters showcase how HBCUs have mentored generations of leaders and scholars, fostering a collaborative culture of success and empowerment. These schools shape and propel Black students into leadership and intellectual roles where they have a major impact on medicine, literature, law, higher education, art, sports, and business. HBCUs also have a profound impact on local communities and economic development that extends far beyond the classroom. This book sheds light on the unique cultures and identities nurtured within HBCUs while emphasizing the importance of philanthropic support and alumni engagement in maintaining these important institutions.

Despite their positive contributions to society, HBCUs face specific challenges like securing adequate funding and support, small endowments, and accreditation. Gasman and Esters sound a compelling call to action and outline practical steps for sustaining HBCUs' invaluable legacy.

Release: 1/23/24

27/05/2024

Get the Book: https://amzn.to/3KgtDtu (Kindle) https://amzn.to/3VhGIsE (Hardcover)

Vicious hate crimes are rocking the LGBTQ+ community in Accra, and prejudice and politics threaten to stymie PI Emma Djan’s investigation.

Author Kwei Quartey tackles a real-life—and deeply personal—issue as an anti-gay bill threatens to tear Ghana apart.

Marcelo Tetteh, a twenty-seven-year-old LGBTQ+ activist, is butchered one night after being lured on a dating app to a deserted building site. With rampant homophobia in Ghana, Marcelo’s wealthy father doesn’t trust the Ghana Police Service to find the killer, so he goes to the Sowah Private Investigators Agency for help, partly because he still feels guilty for disowning his son when he came out.

PI Emma Djan is assigned the case but quickly learns of a complication that prevents her from teaming up as usual with Jojo, her trusted colleague. Emma is the only one at work who knows Jojo is gay, and now he reveals something else: for some time, Jojo was dating Marcelo, the victim.

Working with Manu, whom she’s never gotten along with, Emma goes undercover in the International Congress of Families, a powerful organization seeking to criminalize homos*xuality in African countries. As Emma infiltrates the ICF, she uncovers a web of deceit and hypocrisy and discovers that the mastermind behind the murders is someone much closer than she ever imagined. Emma must race against time to unmask the killer, protect the vulnerable LGBTQ+ community, and bring justice to the victims, all while navigating the dangerous waters of politics, power, and personal secrets.

Release: 9/3/24

26/05/2024

Click to Read: https://amzn.to/4aALXIs (Kindle)

Step into the thrilling world of professional footballers in the Viva City FC Books series!

Soccer player and reformed bad boy, Asher Uzodimma, is struggling through a challenging season. Due to a string of injuries, he finds himself relegated to the bench during crucial games as his team battles for promotion into the league’s top division. Frustrated, he falls back on some old habits and escapes to find solace where he encounters the vibrant Vivi. She has zero interest in celebrities. Yet, spending only two days with her brings a sense of calm and stability back into his life. She possesses all the qualities he never realised he desired in a woman, and his yearning to be in her presence grows stronger with each passing day. Nevertheless, when he finally learns her full identity, she quickly becomes the last woman anyone wants for him.

Vivacious and fun-loving Vivi Osondu is currently in seclusion after the highly publicised end to her turbulent relationship. She needs a break to reevaluate her life and dedicate time to self-reflection. Meeting Asher brings back her laughter, which had been missing for months, and each time she lays eyes on him, her stomach fills with a delightful sense of excitement. However, he’s part of the famous crowd, and she’s made a conscious decision to steer clear of that world, so she chooses to walk away. But Asher is determined to turn the game around both on and off the pitch, against the run of play.

Release: 5/28/24

26/05/2024

Click to Read: https://amzn.to/3wMVz5b (Kindle)

In the electrifying world of professional football, their lives intersect in an unexpected way.

Nonso Chijuka, a gifted but troubled midfielder, fresh off a several month long ban from football travels to Viva City, London determined to redeem himself both on and off the field. However, the reception he receives is mixed as he navigates through the highs and lows of fame while also fighting his personal demons. Just when his redemption is within reach, Nonso finds himself drawn back into a web of scandal and danger, putting everything he has worked for at risk.

Yinka Martins, a strong-willed, intelligent, and successful financial advisor on the cusp of becoming partner at Apex Financial, finds herself drawn to the charming footballer who has the potential to disrupt her carefully constructed life.

As their relationship grows, Nonso struggles to find a balance between starting anew and severing ties from his past, while Yinka is torn between staying in her comfort zone or taking a leap of faith. When they discover that life, like football, is a game of two halves, will they be able to blend their worlds and build a future together, or will their differences tear them apart?
Game of Two Halves is a gripping story of love, forgiveness, and redemption that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final whistle blows.

Release: 5/24/24

25/05/2024

Click to Read: https://amzn.to/4bVAYdV (Kindle) https://amzn.to/3wY0vnF (Audiobook) https://amzn.to/3R1cSXb (Hardcover)

In this searing and ultimately uplifting memoir, Lambda Literary Nonfiction Fellow Nikkya Hargrove describes how she—fresh out of college, Black, and q***r—adopted her baby brother after their often incarcerated mother died, and how she determined to create the kind of family she never had.

Growing up, Nikkya Hargrove’s mother was in and out of prison. Hargrove, one of the 5 million children dealing with the effects of an incarcerated parent, spent a good portion of her childhood in prison visiting rooms but almost never actually living with her mother. In Hargrove’s case, though, life got even more complicated when her mother—addicted to co***ne and just out of prison—had a son. When that child was just months old, Hargrove’s mother died and Hargrove, who had just graduated from college, decided to fight for custody of her half brother.

And fight she does. We see how she is subjected to preconceived notions that she, a Black, q***r, young woman, cannot be given such responsibility. She’s honest about the shame she feels accepting food stamps, about her family’s reaction to her coming out, and about the joy she experiences when she meets the woman who will become her wife. But whether she’s clashing with Jonathan’s biological father or battling for Jonathan’s education rights after he’s diagnosed with ADHD and autism, this is a woman who won’t give up.

Hargrove’s memoir picks up where Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy left off, exploring generational trauma and pulling back the curtain on family court and poverty in America. Moving and inspiring, Mama is an ode to motherhood and identity, to never giving up, and to finding strength in family and community.

Release: 10/15/24
***r

25/05/2024

Click to Read: https://amzn.to/4bSeKtb (Kindle) https://amzn.to/3ywxNe1 (Audiobook) https://amzn.to/3UYsQ5f (Hardcover)

In this engaging follow up to How to Make a Slave and Other Essays, the recipient of PEN New England Award for nonfiction and finalist for the National Book Award sharply examines and explains Black life and culture with equal parts candor and humor.

In Magically Black and Other Essays Jerald Walker elegantly blends personal revelation and cultural critique to create a bracing and often humorous examination of Black American life. He thoughtfully addresses the inherent complexities of topics as eclectic as incarceration, home renovations, gentrification, the crip walk, pimping, and the rise of the MAGA movement, approaching them through various Black perspectives, including husband, father, teacher, and writer. The collection’s overarching theme is captured in the titular essay, which examines the culture of heroic action African Americans created in response to their enslavement and oppression, giving proof to Albert Murray’s observation that the “fire in the forging process . . . for all its violence, does not destroy the metal that becomes the sword.”

Release: 9/10/24

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