Bad Men and Wicked Women by Eric Jerome Dickey

As a low-level enforcer in Los Angeles, Ken Swift knows danger, but nowhere does he feel it more than in his tangled romances. Divorced from one woman, in love with another, and wrestling with a strong desire to get to know a third, his life is far from perfect, and it becomes all the more complicated when his troubled daughter resurfaces on the same day as a major job.

With the strong characters, heart-pounding action, and intense passion he is known for, AALBC and New York Times bestseller Eric Jerome Dickey lays bare a tale of lust and angst that will leave readers breathless (Dutton, Apr 17, 2018).

Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston

A major literary event: a never-before-published work from the author of the American classic Their Eyes Were Watching God that brilliantly illuminates the horror and injustices of slavery as it tells the true story of one of the last known survivors of the Atlantic slave trade—abducted from Africa on the last “Black Cargo” ship to arrive in the United States.

In 1927, Zora Neale Hurston went to Plateau, Alabama, just outside Mobile, to interview eighty-six-year-old Cudjo Lewis. Of the millions of men, women, and children transported from Africa to America as slaves, Cudjo was then the only person alive to tell the story of this integral part of the nation’s history (Amistad, May 08, 2018).

I Can Be Anything! Don’t Tell Me I Can’t by Leo & Diane Dillon

Like most girls and boys, Zoe enthusiastically embraces the wonders of our world and its infinite possibilities. "I can be anything I want to be!" she tells us, presenting herself in a range of careers. "But what if you fail?" asks a voice of doubt that attempts to undermine her confidence.

Award-winner Diane Dillon has created a winning character who defies anything to hold her back from achieving her goals. And the key to Zoe’s future success begins when Zoe defiantly opens her book, making it clear that both confidence and reading are tools we all need to make our dreams come true (The Blue Sky Press, Feb 27, 2018).

I’d like to thank the ladies of The Tea book club for inviting me to participate in their club’s discussion of Tayari Jones’ new novel, An American Marriage. Check out the video of our conversation; I think you’ll find it interesting we talk about the book and marriage in general.

“…An American Marriage is a stunning epic love story filled with breathtaking twists and turns, while bursting with realized and unrealized dreams. Skillfully crafted and beautifully written, An American Marriage is an exquisite, timely, and powerful novel that feels both urgent and indispensable.”—Edwidge Danticat, author of Breath, Eyes, Memory

“As an African-American Studies major, I knew I wanted to celebrate and empower my people. I knew I wanted to write stories that gave a piece of us back to ourselves. But how would I turn those passions into a career? I applied to Ebony magazine and was shocked when Mr. Bennett [then executive editor] called me.

Mr. Bennett became my supervisor, but more than that he was a teacher. He assigned me stories like the First Black Mayor of Stone Mountain, GA, the Million Woman March, Soul Singers of the ’60s and ’70s, Black Women and Rape that filled me with purpose. He gave me the job of choosing books for Ebony’s Bookshelf column that ultimately led to my path of writing for kids.

Mr. Bennett was a race man whose mind was like a library. He had vision and commitment and made it his mission to pass those values on to all he touched. I’m so grateful I had the honor of knowing him.” — Kelly Starling Lyons

From an article which appears in The Atlantic:

“Indeed, the FBI’s war against black bookstores represents a sad chapter in the history of law enforcement in the U.S., a time when federal agents dispensed with all notions of freedom of speech as they targeted black entrepreneurs and their customers for buying and selling literature they deemed politically subversive.” —The Atlantic

Fortunately, there are positive signs for the Black Bookstores today. I added more bookstores to my database in 2017 than any year previously. In fact, it may have been the first year there was a net increase in the number of independent bookstores since the late 1990’s.

Dear Reader,

I began rolling out new version of AALBC.com this past Sunday, starting with the homepage, author pages, and book pages. Realistically, there is probably another two months of effort ahead of me. Please let me know what you think of the changes.

Know this: AALBC.com would not be possible without your patronage and moral support. Independent websites operate in a hostile environment, and this site only grows because your support.

This is why, Reader, your paid subscription is so important. Please consider purchasing your subscription to the AALBC.com eNewsletter. For those of you who have already purchased your subscription — I thank you on behalf of AALBC.com and all of the readers and writers who are served as a result.