“Engaging . . . [a] biography of three men bound by blood, music, and a lifelong struggle to strike a balance between the sacred and secular.”—Publishers Weekly Three cousins, inseparably bonded through music. Each became a star; their story would become a legend. J. D. Davis’s enthralling new biography of famous cousins Jerry Lee Lewis, Jimmy Swaggart, and Mickey Gilley, born within a twelve-month span in small-town Louisiana during the Great Depression, draws from exhaustive research and personal connections with friends and family. Davis recreates the irresistible and life-changing power of music that surrounded the cousins as boys and shaped their engagingly distinct paths to fame. With three personal journeys set alongside important landmarks in pop-culture history, Davis presents a unique tale of American music centered on the trials, tribulations, and achievements of three men who remain truly Unconquered. A ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Award Honorable Mention for Biography “This is a good read, and not just for the hard-core fan. It will appeal to anyone interested in the dynamics of rock ’n’ roll, country music, and evangelical Christianity and what happens when the aesthetics and lifestyles of those three worlds collide. Highly recommended.”—Library Journal “God, the devil, and everything in between. This book is a great representation of the duality plane on which we exist.'”—Leon Russell, legendary musician, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member “Unconquered clearly depicts the fascinating story of three great musical artists who were cousins in real life but icons in the world of music. Each man conquered life’s roadblocks to achieve his ultimate goals.”—Tom Schedler, former Louisiana Secretary of State
Wife of a prominent judge, Vivian Reinhold's world gets turned upside down when she arrives home to find their beloved maid has been shot in an apparent robbery gone wrong. Miles Whitman, an expert medical examiner, who has recently relocated to the Midwest, does not believe a word of what the not-so-honorable judge, Bill Reinhold, has to say. Miles quickly determines that Vivian was, most likely, the intended target. Vivian and Miles put their heads together and, after a string of near-deadly "accidents," Vivian realizes that the life she thought she knew was all a lie. Together they set out to solve the case, but both discover they are dealing with more than they bargained for...
He was tall, muscular and his suffocating good looks caught the attention of every woman he encountered. After two tours in East Africa, and receiving a bronze star for heroism, Joe returned home to find the CIA waiting with open arms. Was there a connection between the Taliban of Afghanistan and the murderous cartels of Mexico? Paired with a fun and whimsical pilot, and the gorgeous but deadly, Gabriella Mendez, Joe and his team faced the lords of evil and their empire of drug trafficking and sex slaves. From the poppy fields of Afghanistan, the paradise of Cozumel, to the deceitful halls of the nation's capital, Gringo Joe must rely on his warrior instincts and unwavering faith in God to save him, and those he loves. The beautiful and brilliant Michele Randle, or ‘Mel’ as she is affectionately known, graduated Stanford Law with such poise and ease; she was the recruiting target of every powerful, corporate law firm in the country. To consider her many and varied options, Mel made a rare, impulsive decision and drove to the Pacific Northwest where she happened upon the breathtaking hamlet of Steelhead, Oregon. When timber was king, Steelhead was its throne, but these days it was wine that vied for the crown. In the tranquil beauty of the Umpqua Valley, hillsides of giant firs retreated to the vast expansion of vineyards. Every square foot of Gringo Joe's Espresso was built by the gifted hands of Joseph Chandler, an ex-US Army Ranger, reeling from the scars of war. Mel strolled into the warm and inviting artisan cottage, and discovered true love; fresh shots of espresso, buried beneath a blanket of steamed milk, accompanied by warm, marionberry scones. It was a well-deserved break from seven years of demanding academic pursuits. Her ambitions and goals, never in question, were now suspect and vulnerable. Looking for a quiet place to resolve the conflicting voices within, instead, Mel found purpose and romance in the company of a barista with ridiculously green eyes. The greatest surprise was a rollercoaster adventure that almost took her life, but rekindled the embers of her dying faith.
This book is the culmination of a lifetime of love and lessons that have shaped my personal journey from a young man in crisis to a champion for children. There were critical moments in my story where self-appointed "Hope Dealers" like my mother, Alice Lovelace, and my educator, Dr. Lorraine Wilson, intervened in my projected course to failure. The lessons I learned from them became the foundation of my own work with and for young people facing challenges that they often did not believe they can face alone: hopelessness, shame, disability, tragic home life, generally summed up as the trauma, drama, and pain of life. I have put these lessons into my practice of reaching and teaching young people and try to share them with other caring adults who have committed themselves to being the difference in the lives of the children within their sphere of influence. My name is Hasan Davis, and I am a Hope Dealer. This is my story. "For those of us who chose this important work, hope is mandatory. Because, we cannot give what we do not possess." Hasan Davis J.D.
Kit Harwick has just experienced a tragedy that no one expects to go through. She thought she had all she ever wanted until her fianc , Officer Anderson Slade, was murdered in cold blood, leaving her broken hearted. Forced to work through her grief and navigate life on her own, she decides to leave town and move closer to her grandmother, heading to the South and a new way of life. Her new neighbor, Rex Jennings, had to make the tough decision to leave his job on the New York City Fire Department to come back to a place where he swore he would never return. Trying to reinvent himself and reintegrate himself in his hometown, he wonders if this place has anything for him besides painful memories. He falls into a pattern of monotony until Kit moves in across the lake. The two of them could not be more different, and they find themselves at odds. Still, Rex would be happy to offer her all the "Southern Comforts," then Kit begins receiving messages from the past, reminding her that Andy's killer is still at large, and now he's after her...
My Madea would tell my Mom that I was going to be three things, A Preacher, Teacher, or A Lawyer. Based upon the size of my head. Intelligence in the making, Huh? As I aged and fellowshipped with her, at the age of 17, she gave me a new revelation. Madea told me that I loved hard and that I should fear no man, but a woman would be the death of me. What was this prophecy, and what role am I to play in this? What she didn't prepare me for was the lies, deceit, betrayals, violence, drugs, sex, arrests, incarcerations, children, courts, insecurities, and hardships of this twisting, turning, and winding road of life. These words haunt me till this day. The emotional roller coaster of dealing with not knowing, what, where, or how I would make it through another day! Dead or Alive! Who's Adonis Marks?
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