Showing results by narrator "Lizan Mitchell" in All Categories

Wisecracking, marine biologist Bee Guerrero has signed up for the trip of a lifetime: a series of dives deep into the pitch-black waters of Saturn’s moon, Enceladus.

As did his father before him, Pierce Butler treats his plantation slaves like family. But massive gambling debts force him to sell 429 “family” members. When the auction begins, torrential rain falls - not stopping until the final slave is sold the next day. The ominous rainfall prompts these words: “This ain’t rain. This is God’s tears.” Based on the largest slave auction in U.S. history, this poignant montage is the fictionalized account of that 1859 Georgia tragedy.

For Sister Betty, the marriage proposal from trustee Freddie Noel is a once-in-a-lifetime surprise blessing. Unfortunately, she knows the chances of having a peaceful ceremony in their beloved Crossing Over Sanctuary Church are slim to none. But she’s armed with enough sense and scripture to keep contentious church busybodies Bea Blister and Sasha Pray Onn from sowing even more chaos amid the congregation - until a rehearsal disaster and an unexpected secret causes Freddie to break off the engagement without explanation.…

The grandson of a slave, Dr. Ossian Sweet moved his family to an all-white Detroit neighborhood in 1925. When his neighbors attempted to drive him out, Sweet defended himself, resulting in the death of a white man and a murder trial for Sweet. There followed one of the most important (and shockingly unknown) cases in Civil Rights history. Also caught up in the intense courtroom drama were legal giant Clarence Darrow and the newly formed National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Acclaimed author Sheila Williams tells the compelling story of a middle-aged woman who is looking for excitement and takes a chance at starting over. The adventures Juanita encounters in her new town, Paper Moon, test her hope and courage and give her a sense of self-confidence that she never had before.

Gospel comedy queen Pat G'orge-Walker regales listeners with the hilarious antics of Sister Betty and her South Carolina friends, big-hearted Ma Cile and redhaired Sister Connie Fuse. But things don't really start shakin' until on-the-make Deacon Laid Handz, manhungry Sister Carrie Onn, and conniving Reverend Knott Enuff Money get into the act. And yet for all of its rollicking humor, this book is brimming with profound and, at times, pointed truths about church life.

Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don't own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn't he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty - and fun - in their routine and the world around them.

Pastor George Landris and his one true love Johnnie Mae have faced many obstacles on their journey to the altar, and now they are finally about to be married. But while Landris is planning the wedding, his fiancée gets wrapped up in the mystery of a valuable necklace and a mix-up in a hospital nursery that occurred more than 50 years ago. Johnnie Mae knows that it all has something to do with the enigmatic Sarah Flemming, an elderly woman she met in Alabama.

When Bonnie Wilder's husband, Naz, finds an abandoned baby by the river, she thinks her prayers have been answered. But Naz refuses to raise another man's child.

Everything is all fun and games until living on the "wild" side becomes the rule instead of the exception. It's good to be bad... within reason, of course. And in this case? It's very, very good.

Bram Stoker Award finalist Tananarive Due crafts chilling tales of suspense.

In Joplin's Ghost, 24-year-old R&B phenomenon Phoenix Smalls is on the cusp of fame and fortune. But she is haunted by the spirit of Jazz legend Scott Joplin. After a series of sultry, erotic encounters with the ghost, and with the pressures of stardom closing in on her, Phoenix begins to fear for her life and career.

A bold, deeply moving, and highly imaginative debut novel about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, in whose story the conflict between the American ideal of equality and the realities of slavery and racism played out in the most tragic of terms.

Gospel comedy's First Lady Pat G'Orge-Walker, author of the rollicking Cruisin' on Desperation, delights her growing legion of fans with the hilarious Somewhat Saved. Mothers Blister and Pray Onn - senior citizen matrons of the Ain't Nobody Saved But Us, All Others Goin' to Hell church - head for Las Vegas for the annual Mothers Board Conference. Soon the side-splitting chaos gets out of hand.

Essence and New York Times best-selling author Tananarive Due has established herself as a premier figure in paranormal suspense - with champions including horror master Stephen King. My Soul to Take continues the saga of a line of immortals destined to save the world from the apocalypse. Telepath Fana and the Life Brothers are attempting to prevent the spread of a devastating plague, but their efforts are challenged by an unlikely opponent - Fana’s fiancé, Michel.

For better or worse… That was the promise Denver and Kensa made, but it’s a sentiment they’ve somehow lost along the way. What started as a passionate wildfire has diminished to a flicker, all but snuffed out by unspoken fears, perceived betrayal, and a complete breakdown in communication. Can either of them tuck their ego away long enough to rekindle their flame?

Mary Monroe is the author of Essence best-sellers including The Upper Room. Here, she examines the emotional webs that are woven between friends, lovers, and families. Carmen Taylor is absolutely dependable; she feels responsible for everyone she knows. It will take one reckless night to make Carmen realize that she might be able to lay her burdens down and take a chance on real happiness.

The First Lady of Gospel Comedy, Pat G’Orge-Walker, pens faith-based fiction that deftly blends spirituality and hilarity. Prayer warrior Sister Betty knows that trouble is brewing for the Crossing Over Sanctuary Church. Millions of dollars in debt, the church has numerous saviors waiting in the wings, but each of these angels has a tarnished halo. It’s going to take all of Sister Betty’s faith, and maybe even a few Christmas miracles, to get the church back on its feet and open for worship.

During the 1960s, as four kids become best friends in Philly, they form the Justus Girls, a precision drill team. Peaches, Sally Mae, Jan, and Roach vow to be close forever, but as the years pass, they drift apart. Now Peaches has been murdered, and the three remaining Justus Girls are determined to find out who killed her. Slim Lambert’s gritty yet warmhearted first novel has received rave reviews from critics and fans.

Having escaped her urban existence, middle-aged Juanita Lewis enjoys her new life in Paper Moon, Montana - but she still has a long list of places she wants to visit. With her true love's blessing, she embarks on a journey of American exploration. When her eccentric friend Millie suddenly dies, however, she rushes home and learns she has inherited Millie's bed-and-breakfast. At last Juanita has it all - true love and financial independence! But does this diner cook turned entrepreneur have too much on her plate? This novel overflows with gentle, self-effacing humor.

Pat G’Orge-Walker injects healthy doses of humor into her faith-based fiction tales of church-going folks and their many adventures. Holy Mayhem stars down-on-their-luck cousins Patience Kash and Joy Karry as they attempt to turn themselves into crime-solving, miracle-working private detectives. Their first cases are doozies - someone’s stolen a precious family Bible, and church funds have disappeared without a trace. And as these two amateurs work to solve these mysteries, they manage to stir up all manner of trouble in the congregation.