Hello, citizens of the planet earth. My name is Karl Lawrence a.k.a. the infamous “Special K,” and I am happy to report that I finally made it to see the age of 18, in a city where turning 18 is an accomplishment — The Bronx, New York. I’d just like to let every one of my readers know that I do not think of myself as being any better than anyone else. The blue blood that flows through my veins is common to all humankind, and I want out of life the same things that any reasonable person would — freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The only thing that I would say separates me from the average person is that whereas others suffer in silence, I take my suffering – along with the collective weight of my experiences, feelings and thoughts – and unload it, rather transform it into words of fire and passion. And with these words that I bled, sweat and cried onto these pages at the ripe tender age of 16, it is my sincere wish to service as many minds and hearts as I can with an uplifting message of inspiration and, most importantly, truth. For it is only the truth that shall set us all free, no matter how bitter a pill it may be to swallow. Check out two poems from the book here. Get the rest of the collection from Amazon.com or download on your Kindle or Nook.

It's her last semester at Davis, an HBCU, and Kelly is looking for love in the most likely place. Or so she thought. It proves to be much more than she bargained for after being dumped by the last good guy on campus. For someone who appears to have it all together, she's quite a mess in the male department. And like most women, she doesn't know who to blame: herself or the men? She's attempting to do what some see as the impossible. She's attempting to find a man without lowering her standards or sacrificing her wants. Kelly's relationship with her suitors, brother, best friend, professor, friend's boyfriend, and father all help bring her to womanhood. The Men I Let Define Love is Kelly's love story. She just thought there'd be more romance. Check out the first three chapters here. Get the rest of the story from Amazon.com or download on your Kindle or Nook.

What happens when mothers are forced to emigrate in search of economic opportunities to provide a better life for their children? What happens to the child? Feelings of abandonment… longing… anger… Barrel Child by Pamela K. Marshall is a fictional account of the struggles a family must overcome when circumstance forces proof of a mother’s love to be sent via airmail, and the ripple effects of material things taking the place of a mother’s presence. While the term “barrel child” is not widely known, the phenomenon’s devastating effects on children and familial ties have long plagued Jamaica. With economic prospects declining in the country and almost half of Jamaican households headed by women, many mothers are forced to emigrate to the United States, Canada or Europe in search of employment and better economic opportunities to support their children. Sadly, these mothers must leave their children behind with close friends or relatives until they can amass the financial means to have their children join them overseas. Often, mothers are separated from their children for years, only able to send barrels of food, clothes, money and other sustenance to show their love. Such is the fate of Sara Lewis, a young woman left under her aunt and uncle’s care while her mother ventures to America to set up a better life for them. The novel tells Sara’s story and details her search for love from the man in her life and the people around her. This story of love, expectations, parent-child conflict, cultural clash and family secrets is virtually impossible to put down once you start reading and become immersed in the protagonist’s struggle to find herself and her place in the world, overcoming the psychological and emotional toll of being a barrel child to become a good mother to her own children. Check out the first four chapters here. Get the rest of the story from Amazon.com or download on your Kindle or Nook.