Strawberry Mansion: A Philadelphia Story is a dramatic tale of three young friends who must rely on their connection to each other to weather tragic storms. Tabitha lost her freedom in high school when she hooked up with a boy who would impregnate her and make her his punching bag. Lisa is deemed "the strong one" by her friends, but her own past of sexual abuse and pregnancy at the hands of her stepfather keeps her one second away from falling apart as the drama builds. Their younger friend, Shanice, is a hellion, ready and willing to let any boy have her just to get the affection she believes her mother has withheld. As their world spirals out of control, they cling fast to one another in the hope that love, friendship, and strength will not only keep them together but will also move them to a better place in their lives.
From the author of Strawberry Mansion comes the tale of Begonia Brown. Raised in the unforgiving streets of North Philadelphia, Begonia is undoubtedly a product of her environment: young, ruthless, and criminally minded. Begonia's carefree world has been turned upside down. Forced to become the head of her household, she has to trade her paintbrush in for a switchblade and her love of art into a love affair with the hood. Lying, stealing, and turning tricks, Begonia will do any and everything she can to protect her sisters from the ugliness of the world. However, it just isn't enough... Begonia is caught between the hard knocks of the streets and the nightmare of her home life. Her younger sister, Violet, desperate to escape the hell her life has become, is seduced by an up-and-coming corner boy. Meanwhile, their baby sister Daisy is riddled with a disease that could be fatal if not cared for. Come along for Begonia's journey as she picks up the pieces of a life in shambles.
September 1st 2011 When you find this Journal, don't just tuck it away. Don't include it in the evidence to be concealed from the public eye. Read it, and tell the people what's inside. Tell them my story. I want them to know what really happened. I want them to know why it all had to end. Why everyone involved had to die. Without Regret Dawn Nigerian born, Dawn Adeyemo has fled to America to start a new life but has found nothing but heartbreak and betrayal. Follow her journey from innocent school girl to cold-blooded killer. SEX, MURDER, LIES, & MAYHEM! FIND OUT WHY EVERYONE HAS TO DIE!
In the final installment of the Philadelphia Story series Violet Brown is about to get a crash course in the penalties of the drug trade. Busted crossing state lines with five kilos of Columbia's finest, she finds herself facing a twenty-four year prison sentence pregnant and alone. Find out what happens when the bars close on one of the most vicious correctional facilities in the state, and Begonia and her girls rip up the city to set things right! Julia Press Simmons is a talented writer who captures the heart and soul of her character's emotions, making readers become attached to the characters within her novels. Each novel in the Strawberry Mansion series just gets better and better. Leona Romich
TROISBY ALLISON GRACELove is many things to many people. The question is how many people is too many? Kamar is about to find out that there are rules to loving a woman. Follow his wild journey as he discovers what happens when loving a woman that's already in a relationship gets complicated. Will love conquer all, or is two company and three more than a crowd?SEXVENGENCEBY JULIA PRESS SIMMONS"When a good girl's gone bad she's gone forever," Jay Z Meet Olivia Maxwell, A thirty-three-year-old nurse married to wealthy real estate investor Girard Maxwell. On the outside looking in her life seems like a fairytale. They live in the swank suburbs of Philadelphia, vacation several times a year, and want for nothing that money can buy. However, looks can be deceiving. Olivia is in her own personal hell. Girard's cheating ways have destroyed their marriage. He barely talks to her and never touches her. The stress of trying to keep their marriage together contributed to three miscarriages and countless therapy appointments with various shrinks. Olivia has had enough. She found the courage to finally leave him, but first she's determined to make him pay. Olivia will have her revenge and cum as much as possible in the process.TUITIONBY SANDRA NICOLESharmaine Hawkins is a single mom putting herself through college with the hopes of becoming an RN and making a better life for both herself and her daughter Niyah. When her student loan fails to go through, Sharmaine is faced with an unexpected tuition bill that must be paid in order for her to finish out her program. With her back against the wall, and no options in sight, her friend and part-time lover, Jason, presents her with an opportunity to not only solve her tuition problem, but also prove to her that he wants to be a whole lot more than just friends. Now Sharmaine must make a decision; will she accept Jason's offer, or, will she decline and drop out of nursing school altogether? Find out in Tuition.
My name is Portia and I am a hoe from a long line of hoes; however, unlike my family before me, I have turned pussy into a lucrative enterprise. My grandmother was an old school hooker who relied on a few regulars to supply her basic needs, and my mother was a cracked- out-trick who was killed by a junkie pimp in an alley way. I was there, five-years-old, cold, hungry and huddled near a dumpster. I watched him beat the life out of my mom for the twenty dollars she'd just made. I sat there for hours until the hunger pains forced me to move. I grew up in this ass-for-cash game. I've seen the best and survived the worst. I am the madam of an elite prostitution ring in the hood, and this is the story of how the ring was broken.Honey Williams aka Honey Dip is a former junkie trick turned call girl that secretly yearns for a relationship with her daughter and a chance at a normal life. She is tired of the game but doesn't want to turn her back on the prostitutes that saved her life and made her family when nobody else wanted to be bothered. Just when she thinks things couldn't be anymore complicated, she falls in love with a man who has been declared off limits by Portia and young enough to be her son. SEX, DRUGS, LIES, AND BETRAYAL... WELCOME TO THE NIGHT LIFE. YOU WON'T BE DISJOINTED!REVIEWAuthor Julia Press Simmons does it again with another 5 star novel! In this tale of Fornication you will meet Honey Dip as she travels down the road of prostitution, sisterhood and maybe even true love!You will also meet Portia, the leader of the prostitution ring and her girls all know that Portia is not the one to be played with. But, is this sisterhood true or is it all about the money? Would you be more loyal to your pimp or a dollar? These girls have a story to tell and you don't want to miss out!Find out what this author put together in Fornication. If you've read any of her other books you know you will not be disappointed! Julia's pen game is tight!I can't wait for volume 2!!!Stephanie TarrerDivas & Gents Into Urban/Street Lit! (Facebook)
MY BIG AND SEXY HAS BECOME BIG AND DEADLY Well, actually, it has been deadly for quite some time. I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2005, but I've been fat-as-fuck since forever. I've lived a hard life, and food has always been my source of comfort. Whenever I'd go through something, anything, I'd eat, and eat, and eat. It didn't matter if I was full, I didn't eat to get full, I ate to feel better and it never ever worked. Dear Readers, I must have started this book hundreds of times over the last few years, but could never bring myself to complete it until now. I'm no longer afraid to face the truth. I'm 34 years old and I have a wicked food addiction and a serious lack of impulse control. They say the first step on the road to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Whoop, here it is. Thank you all so much for the love and support. Yours truly, Julia
My name is Portia and I am a hoe from a long line of hoes; however, unlike my family before me, I have turned pussy into a lucrative enterprise. My grandmother was an old school hooker who relied on a few regulars to supply her basic needs, and my mother was a cracked- out-trick who was killed by a junkie pimp in an alley way. I was there, five-years-old, cold, hungry and huddled near a dumpster. I watched him beat the life out of my mom for the twenty dollars she'd just made. I sat there for hours until the hunger pains forced me to move. I grew up in this ass-for-cash game. I've seen the best and survived the worst. I am the madam of an elite prostitution ring in the hood, and this is the story of how the ring was broken Chaos erupts in Fornication, threatening to bring the strongest prostitution ring in Philadelphia to a grinding halt. Babygirl, a formal sex slave, is struggling with her sexuality and the fact things are rapidly changing in the house. Honey Dip is at a crossroads in her life and fighting old addictions. April is getting a serious reality check, Darlene is trying to take over, and Portia is spiraling out of control. The drama continues in the second volume of Fornication. SEX, DRUGS, LIES, AND BETRAYAL... WELCOME TO THE NIGHT LIFE. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!
Survival is defined as the state or fact of continuing to live or exist, typically despite an accident, ordeal, or difficult circumstances. In October, we highlight those that have sacrificed and survived. Our cover feature is none other than Tressa Azarel Smallwood. Throughout her journey, she survived those that told her no and still prevailed. The thing about it is, when you are told "no" so many times, you make "yes" possible for you and many others. "Azarel" has done that-as an author, businesswoman, and executive producer of several movies which have premiered on several streaming networks. In this issue, we travel on her journey and follow the path from survival to her success. As usual, we have our staples such as Write News, Boss Up, and our sections that deal with Health & Wellness/Mind, Body & Soul. We have to take time to take care of ourselves, and that means sacrificing those that do not mean us well. Take a trip solo, drink water, mind your business, and love not only yourself but your family. Intellectual Ink is almost to our first anniversary, and we are so excited to celebrate with you all.
Three young friends must rely on their connection to each other to weather tragic storms. Tabitha lost her freedom in high school when she hooked up with a boy who would impregnate her and make her his punching bag. Lisa is deemed “the strong one” by her friends, but her past of sexual abuse and pregnancy at the hands of her stepfather keeps her one second away from falling apart as the drama builds. Their younger friend, Shanice, is a hellion, ready and willing to let any boy have her just to get the affection she believes her mother has withheld. As their worlds spiral out of control, they cling fast to one another in the hope that love, friendship, and strength will keep them together and move them to a better place in their lives.
This book contains VISIONS AND DREAMS, REVELATIONS, INTERPRETATINS AND FULFILLMENTS, AND EXHORTATIONS, all from the Spirit of the Lord which is ushering us into the beginning of a NEW DAY."--M.d. of p. [5]
In The Banker's Blacklist, Julia C. Morse demonstrates how the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has enlisted global banks in the effort to keep "bad money" out of the financial system, in the process drastically altering the domestic policy landscape and transforming banking worldwide. Trillions of dollars flow across borders through the banking system every day. While bank-to-bank transfers facilitate trade and investment, they also provide opportunities for criminals and terrorists to move money around the globe. To address this vulnerability, large economies work together through an international standard-setting body, the FATF, to shift laws and regulations on combating illicit financial flows. Morse examines how this international organization has achieved such impact, arguing that it relies on the power of unofficial market enforcement—a process whereby market actors punish countries that fail to meet international standards. The FATF produces a public noncomplier list, which banks around the world use to shift resources and services away from listed countries. As banks restrict cross-border lending, the domestic banking sector in listed countries advocates strongly for new laws and regulations, ultimately leading to deep and significant compliance improvements. The Bankers' Blacklist offers lessons about the peril and power of globalized finance, revealing new insights into how some of today's most pressing international cooperation challenges might be addressed.
From the author of Strawberry Mansion comes the tale of Begonia Brown. Raised in the unforgiving streets of North Philadelphia, Begonia is undoubtedly a product of her environment: young, ruthless, and criminally minded. Begonia's carefree world has been turned upside down. Forced to become the head of her household, she has to trade her paintbrush in for a switchblade and her love of art into a love affair with the hood. Lying, stealing, and turning tricks, Begonia will do any and everything she can to protect her sisters from the ugliness of the world. However, it just isn't enough... Begonia is caught between the hard knocks of the streets and the nightmare of her home life. Her younger sister, Violet, desperate to escape the hell her life has become, is seduced by an up-and-coming corner boy. Meanwhile, their baby sister Daisy is riddled with a disease that could be fatal if not cared for. Come along for Begonia's journey as she picks up the pieces of a life in shambles.
International investment law is at a crossroads. Civil society groups, prominent think tanks, and international organisations are calling for widespread reform. At the centre of controversy are international investment agreements (IIAs) and investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS). Over 1,000 legal claims have been brought by foreign investors under IIAs since the mid-1990s, resulting in multi-million dollar fines imposed against governments for policies related to the environment, natural resource governance, and access to basic services among other areas of public concern. Governments targeted by investor claims are pursuing a variety of reforms that range from the incremental to paradigm-shifting. These different responses raise important questions about the politics of infringement and reform: Why do governments infringe on IIAs despite the costs of doing so? Why do some governments heavily targeted by investor claims pursue more substantive reforms than others? This book provides a timely examination of infringement and reform in Latin America, where governments felt the sting of investor claims sooner and with greater frequency than in other regions. It focuses on Peru, Argentina, and Ecuador, countries that responded very differently to waves of investor claims. Based on interviews with government officials, and international lawyers as well as an extensive analysis of legal transcripts, detailed case study chapters examine the conditions that prompted investor claims and the factors that inform country's reform agendas. In doing so, the book illustrates the conditions under which IIAs constrain state behaviour and how different belief systems produce different responses to external pressures for treaty compliance.
As part of a larger study on the future of the post–World War II liberal international order, RAND researchers analyze the health of the existing order and offer implications for future U.S. policy. The study’s overall conclusion is that the postwar order continues to enjoy many elements of stability but is increasingly threatened by major geopolitical and domestic socioeconomic trends that call into question the order’s fundamental assumptions.
In To Be an Entrepreneur, Julia Qermezi Huang focuses on Bangladesh's iAgent social-enterprise model, the set of economic processes that animate the delivery of this model, and the implications for women's empowerment. The book offers new ethnographic approaches that reincorporate relational economics into the study of social enterprise. It details the tactics, dilemmas, compromises, aspirations, and unexpected possibilities that digital social enterprise opens up for women entrepreneurs, and reveals the implications of policy models promoting women's empowerment: the failure of focusing on individual autonomy and independence. While describing the historical and incomplete transition of Bangladesh's development models from their roots in a patronage-based moral economy to a market-based social-enterprise arrangement, Huang concludes that market-driven interventions fail to grasp the sociopolitical and cultural contexts in which poverty and gender inequality are embedded and sustained.
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