8 Books Published by Blurb on AALBC — Book Cover Collage

A compilation of short stories that read like a conversation between myself and Harriett Tubman.

On the edge of the Chicago medical district, the Harrison School for Exceptional Youth looks like a castle in a snow globe. Janina has been there since she was ten years old, and now she’s fourteen. She feels so safe inside its walls that she’s afraid to leave. Devante’s parents bring him there after a tragedy leaves him depressed and suicidal. Even though he’s in a different place, he can’t escape the memories that come flooding back when he least expects them. Dr. Gail Thomas comes to work there after quitting her medical residency. Frustrated and on the verge of giving up on her dreams, she sees becoming a counselor as her last chance to put her skills to the test. When he founded the school, Dr. Lutkin designed its unique environment to be a place that would change the students’ lives. He works hard as the keeper of other people’s secrets, though he never shares any of his own. But everything changes late in the winter of 1994 when these four characters’ lives intersect in unexpected ways. None of them will ever be the same.

Dr. Gail Thomas fears her career may end before it even begins. She has just done the unthinkable: quit her medical residency. The facility where she had been working was a cruel place. Incompetent staff constantly mistreated the children and teenagers in their care. Frustrated and on the verge of giving up on her dreams, Gail goes to work at a therapeutic boarding school run by an idealistic psychiatrist. Her new boss’s unusual methods and troubled young patients put her skills to the test. Set at the end of a cold Chicago winter in 1994, A Bitter Pill to Swallow is the story of a determined young woman claiming a place for herself in her profession and unraveling a medical mystery.

Janina isn’t sure she’ll ever have a normal life or a boyfriend. This is the fourth year she’s spent at a special boarding school for kids with emotional problems. And then she meets Devante, the cute new boy who refuses to speak. For the first time, she feels like she has found someone her age she can relate to. But will Janina’s intense moods and Devante’s terrifying memories get in the way? Set at the end of a cold Chicago winter in 1994, A Bitter Pill to Swallow is the story of a girl and boy whose lives intersect in unexpected ways.

Devante’s life has been changed forever by tragedy, and he can’t deal with it. He can’t sleep without having nightmares and feels like his life isn’t worth living anymore. His parents send him to a special boarding school for kids with emotional problems. There he meets Janina, who makes him feel less alone in the world. But will Devante’s terrifying memories and Janina’s intense moods come between them? Set at the end of a cold Chicago winter in 1994, A Bitter Pill to Swallow is the story of a boy and girl whose lives intersect in unexpected ways.

On the edge of the Chicago medical district, the Harrison School for Exceptional Youth looks like a castle in a snow globe. Janina has been there since she was ten years old, and now she’s fourteen. She feels so safe inside its walls that she’s afraid to leave. Devante’s parents bring him there after a tragedy leaves him depressed and suicidal. Even though he’s in a different place, he can’t escape the memories that come flooding back when he least expects them. Dr. Gail Thomas comes to work there after quitting her medical residency. Frustrated and on the verge of giving up on her dreams, she sees becoming a counselor as her last chance to put her skills to the test. When he founded the school, Dr. Lutkin designed its unique environment to be a place that would change the students’ lives. He works hard as the keeper of other people’s secrets, though he never shares any of his own. But everything changes late in the winter of 1994 when these four characters’ lives intersect in unexpected ways. None of them will ever be the same.

Michelle Singletary is a daughter, wife, mother, entrepreneur, and, most of all, a servant of the Most High King, our Savior Jesus. She has served in ministry for many years, doing what was required and needed. Serving is from the heart, no matter what the assignment is; one must be a willing vessel to fulfill it. This book is an assignment that was written to bring self-awareness, build relationships, enhance lives, give hope, and compel many to come unto Christ, "Jesus," our Lord and Savior. It’s all about the way you live and your connection with God. What’s your spiritual connection? Are you connected?

Photographer Earl Douglas has been a part of the Black Rock scene since 1988. A longtime supporter and current Executive Director for The Black Rock Coalition, Douglas has a unique access to what many consider to be the last true Alternative Music scene. Black Rock Volume 1 is a collection of photos that he’s taken through the years along with some of his thoughts and observations about the gifted musicians. It’s a must have for anyone who’s a fan of rock n roll and for those curious about the Black experience in the medium.