6 Books Published by Diverse Arts Collective on AALBC — Book Cover Collage

Click for more detail about Swimming in Cotton by Lawrence Deron Thomas Swimming in Cotton

by Lawrence Deron Thomas
Diverse Arts Collective (Mar 14, 2023)
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Which is stronger, the pain of the past or the resolve for the future?

Life is stacked against Seth, but that just makes Seth more determined. Seth and his parents are free from slavery but not from the dire consequences that stolen cotton will bring if it is discovered by their former slaveowner.

While wrestling with the trials and tribulations of growing up in the South, Seth devises numerous plans to get his people to the Promised Land to reach the future his parents and the other former slaves deserve. Stepping in to rescue a young girl in peril, during one of these schemes, Seth is plunged into an impossible situation. The consequences of the fallout will impact Seth into his adulthood. Choices are made. Life is lost. With the help of his friends, including his sole white friend, Seth must decide which path to take.

Will he get the chance at his own land? Will he triumph in love and in life? And will the next generation learn from Seth or be plunged into their own darkness? To navigate it all, Seth stands firm, resolved to preserve all he’s worked for. But is the cost too high?


Click for more detail about Justice for Jessica by Alretha Thomas Justice for Jessica

by Alretha Thomas
Diverse Arts Collective (Mar 22, 2016)
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Mousey, overweight Stacey Sullivan would love to trade places with her glamorous socialite BFF, Jessica James—that’s until she discovers Jessica murdered in her own home. Whip-smart detective Rachel Storme is ready to exchange her gun and badge for a gardener’s hat and hoe. But she reluctantly puts her plans on hold when she’s asked to help solve Jessica’s murder. These two strangers from different generations—Stacey a millennial and Rachel a baby boomer—become unlikely friends in their pursuit of JUSTICE FOR JESSICA. But their friendship is put to the test when Stacey insists that her husband, Matt, is innocent in spite of evidence that speaks to the contrary. Rachel, baffled by Stacey’s blind loyalty to Matt, doggedly fights to take Matt down, but with Stacey’s help, he eludes her at every turn. Is Matt the killer or could Grant, Jessica’s husband, be the culprit? Perhaps it was her jealous sister, Georgette or the maid, Rosa? No matter who the killer is, Rachel, by any means necessary, is determined to find her man or woman.


Click for more detail about Missing Melissa by Alretha Thomas Missing Melissa

by Alretha Thomas
Diverse Arts Collective (May 01, 2015)
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Twenty-two years old with a journalism degree from UCLA and a promising entry level position at a television station, Madeline Patterson is ready to take on the Universe. Raised by two loving parents, adored by her grandmother, protected by her dog, Pepper, and supported by her best friend—Madeline has it all. There’s only one thing missing—literally missing—her identical twin, Melissa. When Madeline and Melissa were three-years-old, their mother was carjacked in broad daylight while taking them to a doctor’s appointment. She was able to get away with Madeline in tow, but the assailants left the scene before she could rescue Melissa. A long and massive search ensued, but Melissa was never found and is believed to be dead. However, a dream Madeline has on her twenty-second birthday, wherein Melissa appears to her as a grown woman pleading for help, convinces her Melissa is still alive. Against her parents’ wishes, Madeline vows to find her twin. However, in doing so, she unknowingly stumbles upon a series of startling clues that point to her parents’ possible involvement in Melissa’s disappearance. Paralyzed by fear, Madeline doesn’t want to face what could possibly be the ugly and grim truth about her parents. However, her desire to find Melissa propels her forward—but nothing could prepare her for what she discovers.


Click for more detail about Four Ladies Only by Alretha Thomas Four Ladies Only

by Alretha Thomas
Diverse Arts Collective (Jan 26, 2014)
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Sheridan Hawkins is a chain-smoking, former high school prom queen, trying to survive a marriage fraught with financial and emotional difficulties. Faye “Dimples” Davis is the first lady of a megachurch who desperately wants to have a baby. Victoria Williams is an elementary school teacher fighting for the love of her estranged husband and children. Danielle Wiley is a powerhouse attorney grappling with her sexual identity. These are the heroines of “Four Ladies Only.” Their friendship began two decades ago in middle school and continued through high school. However, in their senior year, a horrific event took place that destroyed their relationship and belief and trust in one another. Twenty years later, the death of their mutual friend, Sabrina Brown, motivates them to try to reconcile. However, in the process, they are forced to tackle the secrets, lies, deceit, and hypocrisy that underpin each of their lives. But they soon come to realize that their biggest hurdle will be facing and reliving the one night that led to twenty years of separation.


Click for more detail about Dancing Her Dreams Away by Alretha Thomas Dancing Her Dreams Away

by Alretha Thomas
Diverse Arts Collective (Mar 30, 2011)
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Click for more detail about Daughter Denied by Alretha Thomas Daughter Denied

by Alretha Thomas
Diverse Arts Collective (May 03, 2008)
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