“The Pandemic was a reminder that there’s nothing more important than our health and the lives of our loved ones. With better choices and planning we will be more resilient in the future.” —Richard Bailey Mayor of Coronado, California We Endured chronicles of how lives were changed by the arrival of Covid-19. With experience in research and interviewing people for media, I took a dive into the ways the pandemic affected us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I have been writing for some time for a LinkedIn Site, Bizcatalyst360. My style is to observe my everyday life looking for connection to the world. Finding an idea that touched my soul, doing some research, and asking questions of those who would know more in a particular area. My first ones approached the concept of change. As I became more inspired due to being home in the first months of the pandemic, I started writing weekly. I wrote and then turned it to a Facebook live show on a 24-hr. place called the Quarantine Network. The live chat with the audience resulted in more topics to discover. Because of my nomadic and gregarious life experiences, I would find friends and ask a few poignant questions. “The Quarantine Network was created by humans for humans. Instead of panicking or falling into bad habits, we decided to spend our days being connected to people. We created programs to keep our friends and strangers informed and occupied during dark times. When the light at the end of the tunnel arrived, we had an entire community that had been built.” —Beau Harvey Doiron Creator of the Quarantine Network This book is a testament to all of those in my greater circle who endured with me. I didn’t not want all their efforts and sacrifices to be forgotten. Come dive in with me, I am confident you will be surprised!

These words were spoken by Marcus Tullius Cicero, a Roman philosopher, over two thousand years ago. What meanings do they carry over to the American people today? The United States of America has been called the melting pot of the world. A more accurate description, in my opinion, is a large jar of mixed marbles. The American citizen of African descent has been in America longer and has done more for America than most other ethnic groups. Yet we are attacked, lambasted, demonized, inhumanely abused, reviled, lied to, and lied about, more than all other ethnic groups combined. We have been subjugated to eating the guts of animals that the other ethnic groups throw away and the greens, roots, and dandelions that grew wild in the fields. This, along with being assailed with rules, regulations, laws, and practices are designed to keep us down and deprived. Yet, we continue to prevail. Today, as a people, we are at a crossroad in our lives. In order to make the best decisions for our prosperity, we must uncover our gloried past that was systematically kept from us. This will better enable us to better understand and answer the why questions of today, thereby being able to come up with more appropriate directions for our tomorrows. This is why I pause to write! Young people you are our hope. We cannot go forward without you. Search your past, share your stories (in writing), bring out the commonalities we share, and encourage each other with a singleness of purpose as you take us forward.

“Masterfully weaves thought-provoking text, inspiring stories, and soul-empowering activities all into one fantastic life changing book.” —G. Brian Benson, bestselling author of Habits for Success: Inspired Ideas to Help You Soar We have the ability to be in open communication with the Universe, the loving energy behind all creation. But do we listen to what the Universe has to say? Do we use our own voices to speak back? Artist-photographer, radio host, and blogger Melisa Caprio helps us enter into deep conversation with the Universe by combining creative visualization with the power of intention. Too often we are so caught up in daily life that we don’t stop and ask ourselves what we truly desire. While it is tempting to stay in our comfort zone, our heart longs for more than the mundane. It desires manifestation. Caprio is here to foster that state of mindfulness and spirituality through photography, postcard art, written messages, and affirmations from others who are living their greatest desires. Harness your own spiritual power with this unique visual guide to attain the creativity and fulfillment you long for in your life—as you learn to bend the ear of the Universe and: Put mind over matter and pursue your deepest desires Form an active and poignant relationship with the Universe Reach your full potential and feel empowered to live an inspired and successful life

A stunning literary debut about coming back home again. Twenty-eight-year-old protagonist Tommy Lee Tyson steps off the Greyhound bus in his hometown of Swamp Creek, Arkansas—a place he left when he was eighteen, vowing never to return. Yet fate and a Ph.D. in black studies force him back to his rural origins as he seeks to understand himself and the black community that produced him. A cold, nonchalant father and an emotionally indifferent mother make his return, after a ten-year hiatus, practically unbearable, and the discovery of his baby sister's death and her burial in the backyard almost consumes him. His mother watches his agony when he discovers his sister's tombstone, but neither she nor other family members is willing to disclose the secret of her death. Only after being prodded incessantly does his older brother, Willie James, relent and provide Tommy Lee with enough knowledge to figure out exactly what happened and why. Meanwhile, Tommy's seventy-year-old teacher—lying on her deathbed—asks him to remain in Swamp Creek and assume her position as the headmaster of the one-room schoolhouse. He refuses vehemently and she dies having bequeathed him her five thousand–book collection in the hopes that he will change his mind. Over the course of a one-week visit, riddled with tension, heartache, and revelation, Tommy Lee Tyson discovers truths about his family, his community, and his undeniable connection to rural Southern black folk and their ways. "A thrilling literary debut...Daniel Black wields a powerful pen, a sharp eye, and muscular prose in giving us a memorable, even haunting story of the ties that bind." -- Michael Eric Dyson

Infamous Men is a non-fictional account of the authors personal experiences during his years of service in the Marine Corps. It spans from boot camp throughout his tour in the Civil war in Liberia Africa, Italy, Spain, Greece, Morocco, Tunisia, Israel, Turkey, France and Algiers; openly detailing his role as an United States Marine. This book also explores the authors personal demons while abroad in third world war-torn countries. Infamous Men is intended for any individual interested in the armed forces experience. This includes high school students considering a career in the armed forces, new recruits, boot camp and those on military assignments. This audience crosses all age groups and cultures. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to the real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.