If Cotton Could Talk," is a civil war era historical fiction novel about 19th-century slave life in the South. You will be introduced to a cast of characters; Black mothers and fathers who are fearless, smart, and devoted to family and justice. Heroes and heroines whose leadership gave enslaved people hope. But before freedom comes, they must survive other slaves who prove to be untrustworthy. At the same time ruthless, hostile, hateful men are determined to keep the status quo. Pre-Civil War, 1850, enslaved people could sense that their lives were going to change. Slaves reasoned that they...

Mahala: the Darkness Saga is the prequel to Darkness: A Slave's Story and the sixth book in that series. The latest addition to the saga takes us back to the beginning where Mahala's mother, Trini, is a young slave on a farm owned by an elderly couple, Ebenezer and Corabelle Smith. The Smiths have decided to free their slaves and gift their farm to them upon their deaths. Trini, her husband, Scotty, and the other slaves wait with mixed feelings as events unfold and change their somewhat comfortable lives forever. After her birth, Mahala is sold to Zeke and Mary Jennings, who raise her as ...

After their home in Davenport, Iowa, is burned to the ground, Luke and Doris move to a home gifted to them by their friend, Hercules. Much to Doris's shock, the home that Luke chooses for them is the now-defunct Andrews' farm. Doris is resilient and decides to make the situation work. Their first night in Cape Girardeau is met with murder and accusations against Hercules. With Mary and Luke by his side, they ward off would-be mercenaries, plotting to kill Hercules and anyone standing in their way. This book is part of the Darkness series, and represents the fourth installment. Read in order...

Belle Palmer is finally free! Separated from her father on the harrowing escape, Belle is lost and alone until she finds shelter with the Bests, the first free family she's ever known. For the first time in her 16 years, Belle can speak her mind - except for her feelings for a certain dark-eyed young man - The Beau. Educated and handsome, at 18, Daniel Best is engaged to the prettiest girl around. So when the bedraggled girl his parents take under their wing suddenly turns into a vibrant, lovely young woman, his attraction to her is a complete - and complicated - surprise.

From the author of Darkness: A Slave’s Story comes the fifth sequel, The Enslavement of Mary. Mary, the Native American best friend of Doris has left to fight alongside the Sioux and Cheyenne in Montana. Fighting her last battles with Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, she realizes this is no longer the life she desires and attempts to make her way home. Little Alice Knox receives word from Mary’s deceased mother, She Bear Speaks, that Mary is injured and facing death and needs their help. Luke and Little Alice, guided by She Bear Speaks, leave seven-month pregnant Doris behind in an attempt...

From the author of Darkness: A Slave’s Story comes the continuing saga of Darkness Knox. After she obtained her freedom, Darkness rids herself of her slave name, choosing the name, Doris. Luke and Doris maintain a hemp farm near Davenport, Iowa, and she is embraced by the local white community as one of theirs. Doris lives in constant fear of her past, and because of her surprise pregnancy, has decided to bring her elderly mother and brother to live with her on the farm. With the support of Luke and her native American friend, Mary, she comes to terms with her strengths and weaknesses. ...

Enslaved West Indian women had few opportunities to record their stories for posterity. Yet from their dusty footprints and the umpteen small clues they left for us to unravel, there's no question that they earned their place in history. Pick any Caribbean island and you'll find race, skin color, and rank interacting with gender in a unique and often volatile way. In A Kick in the Belly, Stella Dadzie follows the evidence and finds women played a distinctly female role in the development of a culture of slave resistance - a role that was not just central, but downright dynamic.

A Charleston belle with slavery on her conscience. A slave with rebellion in her heart. In South Carolina in 1858, no friendship could be more dangerous.

With a newborn in tow, Bubbles Jones escapes a brutal sanctuary for “wayward girls” to confront the hypocritical shame of her pastor father and the betrayal of a lover. But Bubbles is accompanied by a woman who offers her shelter and a dream. Forging an unpredictable path ahead, Bubbles will not yield and will not hide in her unwavering commitment to make a big life real in a world determined to keep her small.

A solid marriage, a thriving business, and the esteem of their close-knit Alabama community - Joyce and Odell Watson have every reason to count their blessings. Their marriage has given well-off Joyce a chance at the family she's always wanted - and granted Odell a once-in-a-lifetime shot to escape grinding poverty. But all that respectability and status comes at a cost. Just once, Joyce and Odell want to break loose and taste life's wild side, without consequences.

The latest release from the author of Darkness: A Slave's Story, Doris: Return to the Slave Farm, and The Lilac Nurse! “You have no idea who you’re dealin’ with here. He wasn’t just a slave for a few years; he was a slave most of his life. We don’t even know half his story.” George Ambrose 'Sailor' Washington wasn't released from slavery on January 1, 1863, as were most other slaves in the United States. He spent many more years in involuntary servitude. The Slave is historical fiction about the Works Progress Administration's attempt to interview all remaining former slaves ...

Fifteen-year-old Amari witnesses the murder of her family and the destruction of her remote African village. She endures countless humiliations as she is beaten, branded, and forced to board a slave ship. The atrocities continue as she struggles through endless days of backbreaking work and daily degradation on a plantation.

When two Union soldiers stumble onto a plantation in northern Georgia on a warm May day in 1864, the last thing they expect is to see the Union flag flying high - or to be greeted by a group of freed slaves and their Jewish mistress. Little do they know that this place has an unusual history. Twelve years prior, Adelaide Mannheim - daughter of Mordecai, the only Jewish planter in the county - was given her own maid, a young slave named Rachel. The two became friends, and soon they discovered a secret.

"Reed's writing opened all of my senses, allowing me to smell the smells or hear the action in ways some books only dream of." --Black&Bookish.com Review "I was impressed with the author's ability to draw one into the story, and appreciated how she wove her story around such an important, life-changing subject... I loved this novel." --5 Star Review Alyssa Elmore, Reader's Favorite Reviewer "The themes of sisterhood and financial freedom, prominent in the book, are very relevant to many women today. I especially liked how the women stood together and helped each other out when any of them ...

Ruth’s beau died - simply because he was a slave.She is determined to help other enslaved people as she assists with the Underground Railroad. Recently freed and illiterate, Ruth is hired to bake mouth-watering delicious bread in a Philadelphia bakery. Her boss Joseph is kind, handsome, and determined to put an end to slavery. She feels emotionally connected to him as they work together for a common cause. His presence is like a fresh splash of spring rain on her parched soul. However, Joseph has plans. He’s determined to make some major changes in his life. He desperately wants to ...