Purpose - An Immigrant's Story

Sophie “Suga” Alvarez is all about two things: loving her man and making her money.

Suga is the wifey of Dane, a man whose criminal lifestyle as a loan shark is in total contrast to her successful career in business. Dane swears he will go legit before they get married, but when their house is raided, Suga has to decide to avoid jail time by turning on him or standing by the man she loves. Things get more complicated when she steps in to run Dane’s business and has to use her book and street smarts to stay ahead of the game and out of the line of fire.

In the late 1980s and early 90s, the crack epidemic swept through inner city communities like the plague. Mothers abandoned their children and took to the street for a hit. Fathers sold everything they owned to get a taste. The crackhead was rampant. Some neighborhoods were never the same.

Enter Laci Johnson, a beautiful, smart, privileged teenage girl from across town, who teams up with The South Bronx Bitches—an infamous girl group known for chasing men and money. When the SBB becomes envious of Laci they devise a plan to destroy her life.

Finding love in the most unexpected of places, Laci turns to a local drug dealer to help save her and heal the wounds of her new addiction. 

"THE GAME I LOVE IS HURTING."

Revenue has never been higher, attendance has never been better, and baseball has never had a stronger international presence. Yet, with all of the prosperity, the game has rarely faced more significant problems, both in the headlines and deep within our communities. Steroid scandals, labor strife, self-centered superstars, a dramatic decline in the number of African American players and fans, constraints on Little League facilities and resources, and competition from trendier sports and entertainment options all threaten the foundations of our national pastime.

Dave Winfield knows and loves the game and he believes baseball can be rescued and revitalized. In Dropping the Ball, Dave presents his compelling plan of action for saving this great game from self-destruction. A respected role model and ambassador of the sport, Winfield outlines his strategy for making baseball the game he knows it can be: inclusive, empowering, and entertaining. He focuses on how to make the game more fan-friendly, and especially how to reach out to the African American community. From the commissioner's office to the kids on the street, Winfield examines the game from every perspective, offering ideas and solutions for diversifying front offices; marketing the game; developing community-based programs; and working out fair, creative, and lucrative parameters for the business of baseball. Dropping the Ball inspires readers to get out of the armchair and into the action.

Urbane and entertaining, this is a trenchant, thought-provoking, and uplifting analysis of what can be done -- by the baseball giants and by all who play and love the game -- to save America's national pastime for you, your kids, and your community.

Vickie Stringer has gained a legion of fans for her portrayal of Pamela, a.k.a. Carmen, a woman who had it all but lost out when the love of her life left her penniless and alone to raise their son. Pamela refuses to remain powerless, though. She pulls herself up, becomes a major hustler in the street game, gains independence, and makes big money -- but the consequences are more dreadful than she ever imagined.

Pamela Xavier is a young woman left for dead by her drug-dealing boyfriend, Chino. With stacks of bills, no food in the fridge, and a baby on the way, Pammy turns to the streets for survival. Her back against the wall, Pammy relies on her alter ego, Carmen, to guide her through the male-dominated game and to achieve what she thinks will buy back her life and her happiness: money. In no time, Carmen graduates from call-girl service to leader of a major drug cartel -- all to raise her son so he may never know her same pain and struggle. But with money on her mind, Carmen soon realizes that the perilous choices and consequences of the game come at a much higher cost than she could ever have imagined.

Let That Be the Reason in this collector's edition, including additional chapters and dialogue, is a true-to-life saga of a woman's love, ambition to survive, forgiveness, and salvation.