18 Books Published by Outskirts Press on AALBC — Book Cover Collage

Loyalty is a word that gets thrown around a lot, but is rarely put to the test. For Dez, a promising DEA agent that managed to work his way off the streets of Brooklyn, it just got real. When his best friend is murdered by an elusive cartel leader named El Cazador, it sends Dez over the edge. Consumed with revenge, Dez will stop at nothing and break any rules to find this mysterious killer. Dez’s only lead is a well-connected, stylish, charismatic local drug dealer named Chops. Chops is looking to strike his own deal with El Cazador and become the next King of New York.

Caught in the middle, a sexy interior designer named Pia, who is an unknowing witness that has captured the heart of both men. In this deadly love triangle, will Pia help Dez catch his killer, or will she be seduced by the riches and glamour that comes with being the girl of the most powerful gangster in New York?

Inside My Inner Thoughts is a collection of poems from 1976 to 2000 from Scubie Albie this is the true inspired words penned in time looking deep into the future of untold mysteries, seeking no understanding from the reader immediate revelation, this is the honesty that consume you today for later emotion and character, feelings and belies that hold on to the understanding that yes you can with both eyes closed… in the moment it is words and sound, vision manifestation of spirits descending deep within your soul…

"As my grandmother told me, remember that it’s not about you when you’re trying to open the door for people. In football, he’s opening the door and paving the road that other people had to walk on gravel. Greg did the gravel work and they’re able to walk on a paved road."

"Growing up in San Angelo, Texas, the son of Allie Thomas, a Hall of Famer and state champion coach, Greg was influenced greatly by his father. The atmosphere helped to shape Greg into an outstanding athlete, quarterback and leader. Along with his very capable writer, Leland Barclay, Greg has painted a picture of what he experienced through this exciting adventure. Greg points out vividly the good, the bad, the high and lows of his fascinating Arkansas journey."

"Greg met every challenge that I was aware that he faced. From my perspective; he addressed the question, the interviews, the doubts and the uncertainties, but to be the first Black starting quarterback at Arkansas was so magnified. What I remember is how Greg handled that process with class and with grace."

"Ken Hatfield showed up at my office wanting to see some game film on Greg. The coaches were unavailable so I took him to the football office and put on the playoff game with Plainview on the projector. Early in the first quarter the safety hit Greg with a vicious hit under the chin. Greg popped up, pitched the ball to the official, patted the safety on the back and jogged to the huddle. Hatfield said, ’turn it off, he can play for me.’ As I think back, I can’t remember a time Greg failed to get up, on the field or in life."

Harold Phifer was living a life that he was hiding from everyone—including himself. Then he met a retiree in Thailand who cracked that secret open. Finally listened to, and guided by the stranger’s on-target, thoughtful questions, Phifer spoke for the first time of his near-death experience while flashing back to his dysfunctional past. Phifer’s memoir Sleep Walking Out of Afghanistan: Walking It All Back does not shy away from the stark details of childhood bullying, family tension, schizophrenia, and feeling like an outsider. At the same time, Phifer expertly keeps the reader turning the pages by finding the knee-slapping comedy within the darkness. Anyone who enjoys a good thrill ride, sharp wit, and fast-paced self-reflection will appreciate Sleep Walking Out of Afghanistan.

Remembering Moz: author’s thoughts, on why anyone should buy this book.

• It’s a book about a unique father and son relationship. It’s an emotional read on how that relationship evolved over a forty-four-year timeline. You learn how his father joined the great migration of black folks from Jim Crows segregated south to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The author (son) takes you through Moz’s roots up through detailing how his life mattered to his family, friends, and acquaintances.
• The story narrated by the author, who happens to be Moz’s son. It reveals how love, respect, grew and nurtured over the years that a son has for his father. In an age when it’s often said black fathers are absent from their children’s lives. This book dispels that notion. You get a real-life experience of how a boy became the man his father imagined him to be in his mind.
• A tribute to fatherhood, it shows readers how a small-town backwoods country boy moved to a mid-west city and carved out a living for him and his family. Amid divorce, death, and a rebellious son, Moz guides his family with a stern hand and tough love while setting an example of being a family breadwinner. The result is this book authored by his son.
• A story of Responsibility, Passion, Love with historical references dating all that way back to the Civil War. An old school black father shows you how he raised a family regardless of circumstances. The toll it took on him can be read and understood page by page by page.
• This story shows it does matter how you start your life. Your ancestry and family structure is vitally important to how you react to certain issues as a man. You see how a down-home southern country upbringing can transform a boy into a family man.
• It’s a wild ride narrated by the son of Moz. Although the leading character dies too soon, there is a forty-four-year period in which a son finally understands his father. He finally gets it as he starts a family of his own. Yet, his father was never too far away to provide on the spot lessons in life. The issue or circumstance didn’t matter as much as the man delivering the advice. At one point the author wishes he could attend the same school of life as his father. Because that man knew everything about everything was the reasoning given by his son.
• It’s a black thing, y’all. This is a book about a country boy’s upbringing built on a solid foundation. You don’t have to look hard to find love, respect, and honor for those who came before us. One fact is certain; you have no idea where you are going if you don’t know where you’ve been. Family History is vitally important in determining who you are. Who better to tell this personal story about his father than his son?

Mr. Hampton emails of continuous comments on sportswriter’s/reporter’s newspaper articles amused his friend. He also saw Hamp’s raw talent of detailing facts or description of events. So much so that he noted the commentary was better than the articles. Our author took his friends’ critique to heart. Already a very opinionated individual, he realized he loved to write comments on various subjects especially social issues of the day. He began publishing a newsletter that included blogs on a range of subjects, always using satire as way of explaining social ills/political comments.

That led to authoring a story of his military assignment to South Korea. To date, Mr. Hampton’s written five books. But his story of a boy arriving in Korea while leaving fourteen months later as a grown man is his first.

In his semi-autobiographical debut, Author Codis Hampton II takes the reader through his experience as a seventeen-year-old African-American GI stationed in South Korea during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Unchon-ni is a riveting story that looks back on his childhood, family environment to bring you forward to then and there. The story is a journey where the author shares his conflict between duty, country, and heritage. You’re captivated by the love affair he finds with a village camp town girl. Add the suspense, mystery, adventure he experienced in a war-torn community as a Brother of Arms, one is left wondering what is next in his young life. A must-read…

Yes, Unchon-ni exceeds the classic tale of boy meets girl, etc. along with so many more stereotypes of people, places, events. Individuals, with varying personalities of interest who appear-disappear in our subject’s life, is a study in people. It’s as if a reader has stumbled onto an exciting roller coaster ride with various stops that peak one’s interest.

Life Has an Assignment for You… Do You Know What It Is? To live a vibrant and successful life, you must embrace two truths: everyone’s life path is about change, and each phase of life offers opportunities that we often overlook. No matter where you find yourself in life, you have unexplored talent, unimagined resources, and the ability to make the most of the station you are occupying at the moment, while still looking down the road to your next assignment. Stations is a collection of articles exploring the life lessons people encounter as they grow and change in personal and career paths.

Author Lynda Mubarak shares essays about teaching experiences, personal observations, professional and personal relationships, health, family dynamics, and career transitions. It is a book designed to create hope for those who may be at a crossroads, a starting place for discussions about creating a thoughtful, positive path forward… while also recognizing the potential and possibility that exists wherever you are right now. Inspiring, compassionate, smart, and caring, Stations is an ideal resource for anyone who wants to engage consciously and deeply with life transitions.

When notorious gangster Neil Wright got a sudden call late one evening, he never imagined he would be walking into a deadly ambush by a mysterious figure. Clinging to life in intensive care, he meets Sister Simmons. A peculiar nun doing her nightly rounds, praying for the sick and trying to save souls. Through her desperate pleas, she convinces Neil to confess his sins. Figuring he has nothing to lose, Neil decides to confess every dirty little secret. He takes her on a disturbing journey through his tumultuous life filled with murder, forbidden love, and betrayal as he ascends to the top of a criminal empire. But as his confession unfolds, Neil realizes this is no ordinary nun. Is Sister Simmons there to finish the job, or is his true enemy waiting for the right time to strike? Meet Mr. Wright is an intense and captivating narrative with an ending so explosive and clever, you’ll never see it coming.

From birth through our teens, we experience quite a bit of life that is out of our control. One could say we are not in command of our lives during that period. The responsibility for our overall well-being lies with our parents or other adults.

Once we have reached the legal age of self-responsibility, we have more control over who we are. How our life turns out is now in our care. The one constant during these episodes, peaks, and valleys of our lives is changing. Some changes are for the better; others could be harmful to our growth. But make no mistake about it, no matter where we are in our life cycle, over time everything must and will change. How our guardians or we facilitate, those changes are the key to a productive and happy life.

Misguided Intentions provides a great read of how its central character and others meet, interacted, accepted, or even rejected change. The unthinkable, the unimaginable, subtle and not so subtle shifts in personalities are clear for the reader to consume. Faith, hope, and love are traits most characters lean on in their development. You get to examine the life and family relationships during the mid-sixties through the mid-seventies. Civil Rights, Viet Nam War, Drugs, Sex, Rock and Roll, Rhythm & Blues and Free Love were the topics of the day. It’s an era when the younger generation looked to effect change in society while the older more conservative folk wanted to retain the American way of life or status quo if you will.

The central character, Annie Lee Holmes, may seem like an enigma to us. She like us all has that bag of life experiences weighing her down. You know…the one we keep adding to as we live our life. Her bag filled with mean spirited treatment. Mostly from an assortment of people that would drive a less stronger person crazy. Now she has children and wonders what next. One husband has walked out on her and his children. Another has suddenly died after a year, leaving behind another child. She is not sure how to be a human being, much less a parent. She certainly would not categorize herself as having mental fortitude. Her environment is like playing a televised part in a murder mystery, Psychoanalysis Drama, or Days of Our Lives Soap Opera. The difference is many of these characters are from the other side of the track. She is allowed to survive; she continues to stumble on from day to day.

Misguided Intentions paints a story of Annie Lee’s life journey; its effects on her ever-changing personality. The mantra is keeping your eyes on where you are going, not necessarily where you are at any given time. Be aware of the twist, turns along the way, never actually cease. Our job is to maneuver around, even through the obstacles. As George Benson’s song says, “Everything must change; nothing stays the same.” Peace, Blessings and keep it real, Codis Hampton II

The setting takes place at the turn of the twentieth century, in the year 1902. The location is a town called Sully Village in Middle America. When I Love You…I Die is a story about how life and death intertwines in the lives of its residents. The majority of the townspeople are high-minded, religious folk who choose not to live their lives by any other standard than what is written in the "Good Book." Rufus Steen, a young African-American, does not share the views of this town or the views of his family. He falls deeply in love with a young Native American woman, Le Eagle Feather, who is mentally and spiritually on the same evolving path as he. But there’s one problem. Le has a gentleman caller…a red-haired, blue-eyed attorney by the name of Stonewall Oliver, who would stop at nothing than to gain and to keep the affections of his sweetheart and future wife. DeArthur plays a deceptively intricate role (between his best friend Rufus and Rufus’ nemesis Stonewall) in determining how the romance will end up. Lady Medicine is a middle-aged Native American woman who sets the mood of the atmosphere with her blend of organic and spiritual potions that drives the townspeople to the brink of their own imaginary madness. She had to suffer the consequences of their closed-mindedness by being forced to live on the outskirts of town, shunned by the community. The town teeters on the edge of an unstable calm which leads to a smooth and sometimes violent chaos.

Sunday Morning Stick Up What your Pastor doesn’t want you to know about tithes A Must Read for anyone who pays 10% tithes or gives money to a Leader, Pastor, Charity, Non-Profit Organization or Church There is an undertow of frustration finely hidden beneath the delicate fabric of today’s Christian experience. We call her Church, The Bride of Christ. Forlornly, she looks nothing like the church of yesterday. Conflicted in her existence and compromised in her expressions, she bears the name of the heavenly father, but oftentimes demonstrates the characteristics of His adversary. She hurts wounds and defrauds as many as who hope to receive healing and help from her hands. 2000 years ago, Jesus confronted her leaders and revealed two very significant observations as He stood in her courts armed with only a whip & passion. Sunday Morning Stick Up, is that whip and passion of today. Jesus’s Public Confrontation

• Evaluation #1 - My house shall be called a house of prayer
• Evaluation #2 - You have made it a den of thieves

Sit down, relax, and indulge yourself in poetry that soothes the soul. The poems of Juan Williams are inspirational. They celebrate life’s little moments and touch on subjects that everyone can relate to-from the heartbreak of an absent father or a lost love, the pain of regret, dreams for the future, the art of charity, taking a chance on love, restoring faith, overcoming fear, the blessings of friendship, to giving thanks. And running through them all is a strong current of acceptance and hope and joy.

Bodacious Blues completes the saga-trilogy of a Creole family from Estilette Louisiana. From the depression on, three generations of this family have struggled in the midst of blues music, religious conflicts, lust, lynching, murder, voodoo, and racism. Now comes the grandchildren of Martha Broussard, who carve out paths through the changing world, and their stories emerge as they experience the rites of passage into adulthood. Ann Martel develops into the doctor that her grandfather hoped her brother would become. Disappointed in love, she finds contentment and happiness with an older woman-partner.

Meanwhile, her brother, Les Martel, defies all who challenge the man he desires to be. Believing in an eye for an eye, he kicks the ass of anyone who stands in his way. He protests racial intimidation in Estilette, takes on an abusive lover in Chicago, fights a Paul Bunyan giant in the backwoods of Bemidji, kicks the ass of a contemptible womanizer in Nashville, and gives comeuppance to a backstabber in Hollywood. Living life on his own terms, he soon discovers that Hollywood is not the place he thought it would be- the values were not his values- the truth was not his truth- trust was deception- honesty was weakness and loyalty was an unknown word.

In Bodacious Blues, Les Martel brings the saga of this proud family, to a final conclusion in the 1980’s. In a milieu of religious controversy, sexual cross-identification, and the racial exploitations of Hollywood, he discovers that coming of age as a man was not as easy as he thought.

Early review comments of this final novel of the trilogy follow:

"Whitney LeBlanc’s, Bodacious Blues is an excellent and entertaining coda to his explosive Creole family trilogy. As with his two preceding volumes, Blues in the Wind and Shadows of the Blues-Bodacious Blues and its lead character Les Martel, takes us on a soulful and heartfelt journey. It was hard to put down."

Robert Hooks -Award winning actor; producer; founder Negro Ensemble Company, The Group Theatre Workshop & The DC Black Repertory Company.

"What an exciting novel. My mother, her father and his mother were born in Waterproof, Louisiana. This novel reminded me of some of the stories I heard. There is such a rich cultural history in Louisiana I felt like a fly on the wall experiencing Les’s journey. This feels like as bestseller and a film.."

Marla Gibbs -Lead Actress of 227 series. Major supporting actress of The Jeffersons series. Appeared in over 100 films and television productions. Producer, writer and recipient of many awards.

"Talent will out! Whitney has just completed his third historical novel. Last of the trilogy, Bodacious Blues depicts the trials and tribulations of the townspeople of Estilette Louisiana in their association with its most prominent families, the Fergerson/Broussards. Blues, voodoo and the inborn racism of the area touches everyone’s lives in this, Whitney’s tense climatic finish to the Fergerson/Broussard family.- Great reading!!!!"

H. Wesley Kenney- Seven time Emmy winning Television Producer/Director

"I have known Whitney J. LeBlanc since 1963 and he is without doubt the most creative man know. A brilliant scenic designer, playwright, director, stained glass artist and now novelist. Whitney never ceases to amaze. With Bodacious Blues, he draws us into the life of Les Martel, aspiring actor and a southern fish trying to swim in northern waters. It’s a wonderful and very entertaining story that finds relevance for our present times. Well done my friend!"

Conrad John Schuck-Television, movie and stage actor.

Amazon.com Review

The long awaited, eagerly anticipated, controversial, action packed book The Gods of the Bacteria has finally arrived, and the question on the minds of most adults, kids, and skeptics alike is, "Is this book worth all the media hype and attention?" The answer is very simple: Big Yes! A spectacular magnificent story adventure that will blow you away. Just sit tight and prepare yourself for a real earth shattering experience that will have your eyes visualizing stunning spectacular views until you reach the very last page. Get ready to tuck yourself in for a good long comfortable reading experience; because once you start reading, you won’t stop!

This is one of the first sophisticated, mind blowing books of its kind, The World Before Darwin. The strength of this book lies in its clever development of key characters and their preconceived notions of good and evil and of right and wrong. Don’t fall asleep yet because no one and nothing is safe from this tremendous ending story that will stun most fans into the next future. The Gods of the Bacteria is a very clever, action packed story, about the lives and the gods of the bacteria; told in a story format. This is a colorful, intriguing story of magic and discovery that reaches beyond the curiosity of fans and most dedicated readers. —Samuel Lyons

Damn the Talk; This Book is a Plan of Action!

Over the last 50 years African Americans have heard many speeches, read many books, and attended the marches and protest rallies; however, the descendants of African slaves are as dysfunctional as ever. Our people and our communities are suffering more and more from black-on-black crime, drug abuse, violent gangs, illiteracy, high drop-out rate, low college entry rate, lack of spiritual development and a host of other maladies that contribute to the continued marginalization of the African American.

The Black-print is a book with a bold and comprehensive plan that promises to empower the descendants of African slaves to control their own destiny. This book gets to the heart of the many problems African Americans face; and provides unique and radical solutions to these problems.

The concepts and strategies of the "Black-print" focused towards uplifting African Americans to a level of success that is unprecedented in these United States. The Black-print intends to remove the tarnish and stigma that has been a burden to the descendants of African slaves for hundreds of years. The Black-prints aspires to reveal the beauty, dignity and power of a once great and mighty people.

About the Black-print:

Chapter one is the introduction to the Black-print.

Chapter Two of the Black-print reveals the real driving force behind, and the perpetuation of the enslavement of the African. It also reveals, why to this day, the descendants of African slaves, especially African American males, are systematically disenfranchised.

Chapter Three deals with what I believe are the five major entities or institutions that lay obstacles to our path towards wealth, prosperity and respect. These entities and institutions have always made claims of being our ally; however, the Black-print exposed them for what they truly are; impediments to the progress of African Americans and the communities they live in.

Chapter Four is the actual blueprint. It breaks down each entity or institution and the obstacles it presents. It then proceeds to provide creative and effective solutions for overcoming these destructive forces that prey on the descendants of African slaves.

Chapter Five is a challenge to African Americans to test drive the Black-print and the solutions and strategies it suggest. The Black-print is a massive undertaking. That is why I am suggesting that we test-drive the blueprint in one of the most recognized African Communities in America, Harlem, U.S.A. This chapter offers us an opportunity to set a standard of how any African American community can be revitalized, rejuvenated, united and prosperous.

The reality is: Black men and women will never be respected in America as individuals, until we are respected as a people.

The Hands of Love Everyone has a dark side and one never quite knows just how dark it can get until they re pushed to their limits. Steeped in a culture of dirty cops on the take, Lorenzo Love Ren, as he’s known on the street maintains a few vices of his own. The married narcotics detective has put countless notches in his belt with one casual sexual fling after another but he finds he’s playing a deadly game. When young women with whom Ren’s known to have fooled around start turning up dead with their hands ruthlessly cut off the evidence starts pointing to Ren himself. He’s covered up many an affair, but can Ren clear himself from a heinous string of crimes that threaten to take him down for good? The Hands of Love is a thriller that promises to keep readers hooked from page one, right through to its unbelievable finale.

Now comes the powerful sequel to

Whitney LeBlanc’s Blues in the Wind….

Shadows of the Blues — a story of lust, love and voodoo.

Moving through the tumultuous decades of time, from the end of WWII to the Civil Rights Movement in the Sixties, the Fergerson/Broussard families’ struggle continues, as Martha, the matriarch of the family, faces life in a mental institution. Her control continues to reach beyond the walls of her confinement, as she confesses to a lifetime of wrongdoings which threaten to destroy her family. In the small town of Estilette, Louisiana, where racism and injustice are simply a part of everyday life, the family struggles to escape the shadows of emotional conflicts, which are played out against a backdrop of the blues.

“Phillip took a deep breath and pulled at his eyebrows. Troubles were raining down on the family: Lala announced that she was getting a divorce—Rosa was running around with a man wanted by the law, and Lightfoot came close to killing Naomi. His family was unraveling right before his eyes.”

When A Good Will Goes Bad Betrayal, murder, and deceit surrounds this urban tale of William Ford, a young man living alone, unhappy, and hiding from his past for the last ten years. Then a letter arrives in the mail from his former high school inviting him to his reunion. All of sudden, William’s memories of the past that he has conveniently tucked away in the dark corners of his mind, begin to creep back into his current consciousness. He has been keeping a dark secret all that time. He now realizes that he can no longer hide from the past. He decides that he must go to the reunion where he confronts his demons, and comes to grips with who he has become. But what he finds out next will change his life forever. A captivating tale with twist and turns, written with fluid narrative and contemporary urban dialect. When a good Will goes Bad brings to life the inner most thoughts of a young black man dealing with heartbreak, loyalty, and loss on the streets of the Dallas.