Raised by the Mistress
Jamilah B. Creekmur was living a seemingly normal life in 1980s Baltimore. Although her parents were divorced, she lived comfortably with her mom and brother and saw her dad frequently. But her mother’s drinking and romantic relationship with a married man created havoc in Jamilah’s world and she was no longer a loving caretaker. Instead, she became a cruel and often vicious stranger.
With the help of author Aliya S. King, Creekmur pens a revealing, honest look into her childhood and confusing introduction to relationships with the opposite sex. The author vividly details her upbringing from a child’s perspective, while also giving her mother an opportunity to share her side of the story.
Creekmur tells her story best: “For sixteen years, my mother’s hands represented strength to me…And then, one night, my mother’s hands became a weapon… That’s my man, she said. Her voice was a low, hoarse whisper. The way she snarled at me made the skin at the back of my neck tingle… Don’t you ever — she slammed my head down –Ever– slammed it down again, Step to my man. You hear me?! What really hurt me was that it was all over a man.
And it was over her man. A man who was not my father. A man who was not even her husband…”
Final word: A shocking look into a mother-daughter relationship gone awry with a Baltimore backdrop.
Available now. Visit raisedbythemistress.com for more information.
Resurrecting Midnight
Over the past 10 years, Eric Jerome Dickey has built a strong following with his novels, which often reveal different aspects of African-American life. With Resurrecting Midnight, Dickey brings readers into gangster culture with Gideon, an international assassin.
The troubled protagonist travels to the most exotic locales in the world – Antigua, Argentina, Miami – on an assignment that teaches him more about his own past than expected. At only 7, Gideon kills his father after he attempted to kill the woman he believes is his mother. This tragic event leads Gideon into a life of crime, trickery and unhappiness. But one woman, Arizona, helps him remain sane throughout his emotional turmoil and near-death experiences.
Final word: Action-packed thriller with lots of plot twists.
In stores now. For more information visit ericjeromedickey.com.
The Golden Hustla
In the introduction to her book, Wahida Clark proclaims 2010 as “her year” and says she is the “Official Queen of Street Literature.” Her fourth book, The Golden Hustla digs deep into street culture and urban slang, replete with a slew of four-letter words and steamy chapters that may make the book off-limits to children and teens.
The main character, Nina, is a New Jersey hustler with a love for money. After her brother and best friend are killed in drug-related incident, Nina decides she must leave the streets that made her an urban celebrity. Her next destination: Atlanta.
Here, the protagonist finds legitimate work and seems to erase her sordid past in the East. But trouble soon follows and Nina finds herself fighting for her job – and her life – in Georgia.
Final word: Gritty urban tale not for the faint of heart.
Available Oct. 28. For more information, visit wclarkpublishing.com.