4 Books Published by Down & Out Book on AALBC — Book Cover Collage

Haunted. This word lurks within our deepest emotions. It’s a fear we can’t let go of, or that won’t let go of us. It’s a place we dream of going, or a place we can never leave. An LAPD detective is haunted by the case she never solved. A Century City financial advisor is haunted by the greed he cannot escape. A bridge is haunted by ghosts of despair.

In a city of 10 million people, the haunted could be the man waiting to cross the street, or the memory that keeps you awake at night.

Fatally Haunted, a Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles anthology, includes original stories by Julie G. Beers, Julia Bricklin, Roger Cannon, Tony Chiarchiaro, Lisa Ciarfella, Cyndra Gernet, B. J. Graf, Mark Hague, A. P. Jamison, Micheal Kelly, Alison McMahan, Peter Sexton, Gobind Tanaka, and Jennifer Younger.

Twenty-one short stories written by Gary Phillips are included in TREACHEROUS: GRIFTERS, RUFFIANS AND KILLERS. Alan Cranis on bookgasm.com said, “Phillips obviously loves his anti-heroes, as the stories’ major characters are all, as the subtitle promises, grifters, ruffians and killers. You may not be on their side, but you can’t help but be fascinated by their escapades…Phillips unfaltering ear for contemporary urban dialogue and patois, relentless pacing that grabs you from the opening sentence—oh, and plenty of sex and violence, too.” Publishers Weekly said of the trade paperback, “Most of the 20 highly entertaining selections in this new collection also spotlight the hip urban scene Phillips has made his own.”

Malcolm Cavanaugh Bleekston, MC Bleak, McBleak, enjoys hobnobbing with the one percenters and stealing from them. In The Extractors, he puts his life on the line to take a greedy man’s gain while wondering if his girlfriend sees through his façade. Ned “Noc” Brenner is a drifter with an unusual skill set—he’s an extreme athlete good at whatever he does be it MMA fighting to riding a motorcycle off a mountaintop. After winning in an all-night poker game, this sets in motion a series of events in The Anti-Gravity Steal where Noc must use all his abilities to prevent wholesale destruction. Part Shaft and part Batman sans the cowl, Luke Warfield, a philanthropist with a black ops background, the Essex Man, goes on the trail in 10 Seconds to Death of the villain who killed his foster father and uncovers not only ghosts from his past, but must stop a deadly plan of mass slaughter in his own backyard. Bonus Essex Man short story, “Murder by Remote Control.”

Updated With The Latest Facts And Photos

"A Black history buff’s dream." —Ebony

From ground-breaking achievements to awe-inspiring feats of excellence, this definitive resource reveals over 450 "firsts" by African Americans in fields as diverse as government, entertainment, education, science, medicine, law, the military, and the business world. Discover the first doctor to perform open heart surgery and the youngest person to fly solo around the world. Learn about the first African Americans to walk in space, to serve two terms as President of the United States, and many other wonderful and important contributions often accomplished despite poverty, discrimination, and racism. Did you know that…

At her first Olympics, Gabrielle Douglas became the first African American woman to win gold in both the team and individual all-around Olympic competitions.

Sophia Danenberg scaled new heights as the first African American to reach the top of Mount Everest.

Dr. Patricia E. Bath revolutionized laser eye surgery as the first African American woman doctor to receive a patent.

Shonda Rhimes was the first African American woman to create and produce a top television series.

Ursula Burns was the first African American woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

Spanning colonial days to the present, African American Firsts is a clear reflection of a prideful legacy, a celebration of our changing times, and a signpost to an even greater future.

Over 100 Pages of Photographs Fully Revised and Updated

"Fascinating…an excellent source for browsing and for locating facts that are hard to find elsewhere." —School Library Journal

"I recommend this book, a tool with innumerable possibilities which will help individuals understand…the contributions and inventions of African Americans." —The late Dr. Betty Shabazz

"For browsing or serious queries on great achievements by blacks in America." —Booklist