2 Books Published by Backinprint.com on AALBC — Book Cover Collage

As a glamorous, successful fashion photographer, adored by New York and Paris trend makers, Brett Larsen has dedicated her life to capturing beauty. Yet the corruption and betrayals that lie just beneath the glittering surface of that world prevent her from recognizing her own beauty and its glorious possibilities.The first collaboration by Virginia DeBerry & Donna Grant, award winning, bestselling authors of Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made, among other works, shows the depth of character and plot twists that would become their trademark. "It was an experiment to see if we could write together," says Donna."It worked," adds Virginia.

African-American teen Louretta Hawkins discovers music and, through it, the worth of her black identity. She navigates an urban world of poverty, overcrowding, hostile police, and feuding gangs to emerge triumphant, secure in her talent and in the love of her family and friends. Winner of the Council on Interracial Books for children award as the year’s best book for older children. “Packs a wallop Taut, fast-moving, absorbing, and believable, it probes with honest realism the problems of a wide range of unforgettable characters This powerful book deserves wide reading.”—Book World