Showing results by narrator "Léon" in All Categories

The final volume of Taylor Branch's monumental, much honored, and definitive history of the Civil Rights Movement (America in the King Years), At Canaan's Edge covers the final years of King's struggle to hold his non-violent movement together in the face of factionalism within the Movement, hostility and harassment of the Johnson Administration, the country torn apart by Vietnam, and his own attempt (and failure) to take the Freedom Movement north.

Most of the Akrellians now living on Earth after saving humanity from an alien invasion are super polite. The red-scaled, black-quilled behemoth living next door is a notable exception, and he doesn't bother to return my enthusiastic greeting with anything more than an impatient growl. But I know the secret to making friends, and that secret is a dozen red velvet cupcakes with cute monster faces on them, just in time for Halloween. The grumpy, smoldering volcano of a male might pretend he's not interested in my offering, but he can't resist my sweet treats for long.

Dominic DeBlanc is a wayward street hustler and part-time rapper constantly running from a past that haunts him. With a bleak outlook on life, he finds himself teetering between two worlds - a seedy one where he’s not guaranteed to see his 22nd birthday, and a promising one that might bring him recognition for his talent. After a chance encounter with a peculiar waitress, he finds himself engulfed in a friendship he never knew he needed. However, his complex life and reckless decisions challenge their already complicated bond....

Zeke Armstrong never imagined he'd be back in Vermont, but here he is, living in Colebury and trying to rehab an injury that could mean an early retirement from pro basketball. Running into his former classmate, Mallory Barrett, shouldn't be a distraction. It shouldn't mean anything, so why is he accidentally on purpose showing up at the coffee shop where the beautiful writer spends her time?

Los Angeles, 1963: African American Korean War veteran Harry Ingram earns a living as a news photographer and occasional process server: chasing police radio calls and dodging baseball bats. With racial tensions running high on the eve of Martin Luther King’s Freedom Rally, Ingram risks ending up one of the victims at every crime scene he photographs. When Ingram hears a call over the police scanner to the scene of a deadly automobile accident, he recognizes the vehicle described as belonging to his good friend and old army buddy, the white jazz trumpeter Ben Kinslow.

After a dangerous mission, Navy SEAL Anthony Martinez lets adrenaline and loneliness cloud his judgment when he signs up for the military's spouse matching program without his Commanding Officer's approval. Of course, nothing has ever come easy for Tony. He's matched to a woman he's already hit on and struck out with. Then his CO threatens his dreams of attending Officer Candidate School leaving Tony with only one option - make the marriage work.

Next in line for the Drakon throne, Theo Masters is the most powerful half human, half dragon in the world. Royal power is the last thing he wants, however. He lives as a human and runs the Legion Security Company. But his new client - a mysterious, beautiful human from a small African village - and the unknown danger she faces may forever change the quiet life that he's chosen. Shola N'Gara exists to kill the dark spirit that is attempting to demolish her people. It's her purpose and her destiny. The gorgeous protector who taunts her with his sexy voice and body is not.

Once satisfied with meaningless flings, the combat death of Navy SEAL Cage Mitchell's best friend prompts him to retire from the military and look for deeper meaning in life. That includes pondering whether he's ready for a wife and children. What Cage doesn't bargain for is falling for his younger brother Cameron's girlfriend, Monae Williams. Monae, a sincere young woman, is passionate about working with foster children because she grew up in the rough-and-tumble foster system. She's ready to settle down, but her boyfriend is more interested in seeking an Air Force promotion.

Growing up in the Bronx, Joél Leon was taught that being soft, being vulnerable, could end your life. Shaped by a singular view of Black masculinity espoused by the media, by family and friends, and by society, he learned instead to care about the gold around his neck and the number of bills in his wallet. He absorbed the “facts” that white was always right and Black men were seen as threatening or great for comic relief but never worthy of the opening credits. It wasn’t until years later that Joél understood he didn’t have to be defined by these things.

When Mackenzie's 17th birthday comes around, she plans to spend a few years at the school for the marked learning about her new powers and then leaving and living her life. But nothing goes as planned when she attends the marking ceremony and all 12 marks appear. Kenzie lives in a world where being marked with six powers is normal, being marked with seven or more is rare. But being marked with 12? Well, that's unheard of.

They promised to love one another deeply, madly, and unconditionally, forever and ever.

Pretending to date my rich, sexy, and caring friend Gabriel could grant us the deal of a lifetime . . . or ruin my chances of ever running my family's company. Gabe is handsome and surprisingly down to earth for a billionaire. Teaming up with him for a massive project shouldn't have required us to fake a relationship. My machista Latine family is to blame for forcing us into it. They think my goal should be to settle down and make babies, not run a corporation. But I won't let anything come between me and my career plans . . .

Luis Tiant is one of the most charismatic and accomplished players in Boston Red Sox history - a cigar-chomping maestro who was the heart and soul of Boston's teams in the 1970s. Nobody was a tougher competitor on the diamond, and few were as successful. There may be no more qualified pitcher not yet enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. In Son of Havana, Tiant puts his huge heart on his sleeve and describes his road from fields strewn with rocks and rubbish in Havana to the pristine lawns of Major League ballparks.

Cassius Avery’s life is anything but simple. Music is his escape from reality and has earned him the name “Billion Dollar Cash”. The void that exist in Cash’s life is one that money can’t fill and has been present for the majority of his life. Tru Bisset has experienced heartbreak and betrayal on unimaginable levels. Torn between the comfort of her past relationship and the need to be secure in her future, she struggles daily to remember her worth. Both Tru and Cash are aware that they need to leave the past in the past, but it’s easier said than done.

When I least expect it, my past catches up to me. I’m not as worried about my past as I am worried about the man who is supposed to protect me: my arch nemesis, Amos Duke. My name is Christina, and this is my story.

Considered by many to be a founder of Afrofuturism, Sun Ra - a.k.a. Herman Blount - was a composer, keyboardist, bandleader, philosopher, entrepreneur, poet, and self-proclaimed extraterrestrial from Saturn. He recorded over 200 albums with his Arkestra, which, dressed in Egypto-space costumes, played everything from boogie-woogie and swing to fusion and free jazz.

On February 11, 2012, Whitney Houston was found submerged in the bathtub of her suite at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. In the decade since, the world has mourned her death amid new revelations about her relationship to her Blackness, her sexuality, and her addictions. Didn’t We Almost Have It All is author Gerrick Kennedy’s exploration of the duality of Whitney’s life as both a woman in the spotlight and someone who often had to hide who she was. This is the story of Whitney’s life, her whole life, told with both grace and honesty.

Sage Dunbar is dealt a shattering double blow when she discovers that her fiancé has depleted her bank accounts and her father has been having an affair. Reeling with shock, she accepts a job promotion that involves relocating to Anchorage, Alaska. She never expects to cross paths with a man who will challenge everything she thought she knew about love.

Being an AMIA agent isn't always easy, yet I wouldn't change it for the world. Sure, all the paperwork is boring, but nothing quite beats the satisfaction of closing a case. Unfortunately, some cases are harder to crack than others. And finding my psychotic uncle might just be the most difficult assignment of all. My team and I aren't going to give up that easily, though. When a one-night-stand-gone-wrong results in an unexpected partnership, I must set aside my principles in order to save my brother's life.

My mission in life is simple. Family. Food. Freedom. Most people don't question my love for my family. And I make my living as a celebrity chef. The freedom part? The thought of being confined-behind bars, at a desk, or in a monogamous relationship-is not something I want for myself. Unfortunately, it becomes a problem when women want to make me their Forever Bae. Even after I make it clear that I'm not looking for more than short interlude.