Books
The Violets of Autumn (2024)
Prepare yourself for a journey of love and family during the bittersweet twilight years in Laurinda D. Brown's moving novel, The Violets of Autumn. In this heartfelt tale, we follow Melba Anthony as she navigates the uncertainties and challenges of life after loss. Her story resonates with countless women who struggle for answers after 50. After her husband dies and she retires from Jackson State University, Professor Melba Anthony begins a journey all too familiar to middle-aged widows, “Will I ever find love again?” “Do I want to be loved again?” “Do I have any love left to give?” Melanie Anthony-Powell is Melba’s only child who has a tumultuous relationship with her husband’s babies’ mama, Dena Mallett. Through the years, their cat-fighting has strained the family dynamic. Melanie’s only reprieve is the comfort she finds in seeking and receiving advice from her mother. All is well until a family gathering puts Melba and Dena face to-face for the first time where Melba is completely smitten by her daughter’s nemesis. Melba’s second chance at love and happiness, however, comes at a price.
A few short years later, she finds herself lost in the present and her life’s memories paralyzed by time as she begins to experience the early stages of dementia. Dena forsakes all to care for her friend and companion until she is faced with a life-altering dilemma of her own. Exploring the deeply personal and sensitive topic of long-term health care, The Violets of Autumn is a testament to the enduring strength of the human spirit, the complexities of family relationships, and the transformative power of love - even in the face of adversity.
The Highest Price for Passion (2008)
Set during the pre-Civil War period, The Highest Price for Passion delves into the lives of various individuals who are deeply affected by the outcome of the largest sale of slaves in U.S. history called “The Weeping Time.”
When Amelia “Passion” Smith, a biracial and beautiful woman, is sold as a slave to the Wellsworth household, she finds herself in the middle of a marriage steeped with secrets. The husband, and master of the house, finds himself drawn to Amelia. Unbeknownst to him, his wife holds a secret love for Amelia, and when she discovers her husband forcing himself on Amelia, the unthinkable happens.
The Highest Price for Passion reflects one hundred years of the most volatile era to divide American soil, interspersed with the uncontrollable fervor from the unlikeliest of sources—when both master and mistress vie for the affections of a slave too beautiful to destroy, with a quiet intelligence neither can outwit. Discover a time when the concept of family paled against the principle of human bondage.
Fight for the cause. Die for the freedom to live, to choose, to love.
Unyielding. Uncompromising. Undeniable. These are the qualities that make The Highest Price for Passion unforgettable.
Fire & Brimstone (2002)
Chris Desmereaux—college graduate, churchgoer, and single mother—is struggling with poverty, coming to terms with her sexuality, and finding love—though she is unaware that her life will change, for better or worse, the day Gayle Evans finds her personal ad in the paper and answers it.
Gayle Evans, toe-tapping, knee-slapping, make-you-wanna-holla Minister of Music with a divine gift from God. "Praise the Lord" is her mantra. Macking women is her game. Destroying every life she touches, Gayle brings more misery than harmony. She has a lesson or two to learn after she uses her "relationship with God" to break up a seemingly happy home. more
Alternately set in Washington, D.C. and Memphis, Tennessee, Fire & Brimstone is an "in your face" tale that explores lesbianism and black motherhood as both separate and integrated issues impacting the main character's role as a single parent, while opening dialogue on same-sex domestic violence, religious beliefs, bisexuality, negligent fathers, economics, and intra-racial caste systems among African Americans. Depending on one's beliefs and opinions, Fire & Brimstone leaves no room for "in-between" emotions, leading the reader to ultimately draw his or her own conclusion as to what the ending actually means: Is homosexuality a sin, or does God love us as we are?
The author reminds us that gay women are everywhere, even in the African American church—a place where no one expects to find them. Fire & Brimstone does an excellent job of testing the boundaries of 21st century morality.
The Cathouse (2008)
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Strapped (2007)
As a means to escape her abusive past, Monique Cummings, tired of the pain that has become her life, seeks refuge in a lesbian existence, transforming herself into a street thug and seeking adventurous sexual experiences to satisfy her desires.
Walk Like a Man (2006)
Touching upon such issues as one night stands, long-term femme relationships, bi-curious women, and the effects of childhood abuse, this provocative collection of stories centers around women who live life dangerously, while exploring their sexuality.
