One of the few books of its kind, Acting Up and Getting Down brings together seven African American literary voices that all have a connection to the Lone Star state. Covering Texas themes and universal ones, this collection showcases often-overlooked literary talents to bring to life inspiring facets of black theatre history. Capturing the intensity of racial violence in Texas, from the Battle of San Jacinto to a World War I–era riot at a Houston training ground, Celeste Bedford Walker’s Camp Logan and Ted Shine’s Ancestors provide fascinating narratives through the lens of history. Thomas Meloncon’s Johnny B. Goode and George Hawkins’s Br’er Rabbit explore the cultural legacies of blues music and folktales. Three unflinching dramas (Sterling Houston’s Driving Wheel, Eugene Lee’s Killingsworth, and Elizabeth Brown-Guillory’s When the Ancestors Call) examine homosexuality, a death in the family, and child abuse, bringing to light the private tensions of intersections between the individual and the community. Supplemented by a chronology of black literary milestones as well as a playwrights’ canon, Acting Up and Getting Down puts the spotlight on creative achievements that have for too long been excluded from Texas letters. The resulting anthology not only provides new insight into a regional experience but also completes the American story as told onstage.

If you're an aspiring entrepreneur, the good news is many of the barriers to starting a business have come down since forty years ago. That's not to say you won't face challenges. Entrepreneurship can be a dog-eat-dog world. But if you want to stay true to yourself and your values as you rise to the top, you're in good company. Growing up in the segregated South in a family of eleven children and nurtured by a loving mother and father, Janice Bryant Howroyd faced racism and sexism in addition to the challenges faced by every new business owner. None of that stopped her from becoming the first black woman to own a billion-dollar business. In Acting Up, Janice shares the model she lives by and continues to represent: that of a Leader who works for good, for growth and innovation, for her family values, and for the same ideals upon which she founded her company. Janice will help you discover the Leader inside yourself and show you how to use your uniqueness to conquer the business world.

Solve toddler challenges with eight key mindshifts that will help you parent with clarity, calmness, and self-control. In Why is My Child in Charge?, Claire Lerner shows how making critical mindshifts—seeing children’s behaviors through a new lens —empowers parents to solve their most vexing childrearing challenges. Using real life stories, Lerner unpacks the individualized process she guides parents through to settle common challenges, such as throwing tantrums in public, delaying bedtime for hours, refusing to participate in family mealtimes, and resisting potty training. Lerner then provides readers with a roadmap for how to recognize the root cause of their child’s behavior and how to create and implement an action plan tailored to the unique needs of each child and family. Why is My Child in Charge? is like having a child development specialist in your home. It shows how parents can develop proven, practical strategies that translate into adaptable, happy kids and calm, connected, in-control parents.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a large ego must be in want of a woman to cut him down to size... When journalist Jasmin Field lands the coveted role of Elizabeth Bennet in a one-off fundraising adaptation of Pride and Prejudice she discovers that the play's director, Hollywood heart-throb Harry Noble, is every bit as obnoxious as she could have hoped. Which means a lot of material for her column. And a lot of fun in rehearsals. And then disaster strikes. Jazz's best friend abandons her for a man not worthy to buy her chocolate, her family starts to crumble before her eyes and her award-winning column hits the skids. Worse still, Harry Noble keeps staring at her. As the lights dim, the audience hush and Jazz awaits her cue, she realises two very important things, one: she can't remember her lines, and two: Harry Noble looks amazing in breeches...

Some jobs come with unexpected benefits . . . Alyssa runs her personal life just like her professional one: smoothly and efficiently. She learned in the worst way possible that investing her heart in a relationship only leads to disaster, and she won’t take that risk again. Pleasure is still on the table though—as long as there are no feelings involved. Until a one-night stand leaves a lasting impression. When after-work drinks lead to an after-hours hookup, Grayson finds himself playing by Alyssa’s rules—but she leaves him wanting more. Even when they discover they work for the same company, Alyssa is all business—on the outside, at least. As far as she’s concerned, keeping Grayson at a safe distance is now part of her job description, even if it’s her most challenging task. But when her living situation falls apart, Grayson makes her an offer she can’t refuse . . . The terms of their new merger are strict: roommates only; hands off. But every contract can be broken—and every heart can be melted—if the deal is sweet enough . . .

In every city of every state you will find an urban ghetto full of drugs and guns, both of which breed hate and pain; in the eyes of many this is a cocktail of death and destruction, but for those who reside there it's home. Prior to the government's crackdown on all of the alleged gang leaders, there was organizational structure within the various gangs. The collapse of the organization structure caused chaos and lawlessness, thus creating smaller versions of the previous gangs forming what we know as clicks. This story tells how one man named Dig a Hole combined a click of hustlers and killers to lay down any and everything that wasn't from Murderapolis. Willing to meet every challenge put in front of them, Dig a Hole and his crew relentlessly pursue out of town rivals. Laying them down was his main course of action. That was until he encounters a crew that doesn't know how to bend and refuses to fold. Follow me as I take you into the heart and soul of the North America's Vietnam where you either Get Down or Lay Down.

The super-secret, international anti-terrorist organization known as WI-7, is on a mission to eliminate a North America-based, Iran-sponsored network of jihadists. But the Iranian government and the Boston mafia are on separate missions of their own; coincidentally, and incredibly, their independently arrived-at missions are identical, and WI-7 is caught in the middle of an international race to turn the world upside down. Bravo! Another nail-biter. Johnny Skull and his WI-7 team are on a mission to rid the United States of modern-day Nazis; an extremely vigorous goal, indeed. But who in the American government is working against them? Who in the underworld is working with them? The prologue sets the stage, then events happen at break-neck speed all the way to the end. Its like watching a spy-thriller movie. I wasnt able to turn the pages fast enough! I didnt want it to end An exciting, multi-plotted thriller. Timely, relevant, fast-paced, and thought provoking. It makes me think about the way things might be if Mary Jones, Literary Consultant