In this wry fiction debut, Elaine Meryl Brown plunges lucky readers into a gripping narrative of small-town hijinks and big-time hearts.Rule Number One: Never marry an Outsider. If you do, the boll weevil will bite you back. Rule Number Two: If you can’t be honest, you might as well be dead.Nestled in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge mountains, Lemon City has ten rules, all designed in the best interests of its tight-knit black community. Granddaddy Dunlap knows all too well what can happen to folks who venture beyond Lemon City’s protective borders. He once had to venture outside town to identify his best friend’s body. So when his firebrand granddaughter Faye, returns from college married to an Outsider, he must act fast to keep her in Lemon City’s safe embrace. It proves to be a challenge–and not just because the patriarch is distracted by the tensions arising from the heated tomato-growing contest for the annual county fair. Faye’s new husband, Harry, is a slick talker with a roving eye. Faye sees him as her ticket to New York City, where she hopes to fulfill big business dreams, but even the best-laid plans can be thwarted, as Faye discovers that marriage itself isn’t much of a honeymoon. No matter. She packs her bags, fully prepared to head north with or without her husband, when Harry turns up dead. Now the Dunlap family is trying to figure out–before the Thanksgiving turkey gets cold–who did the deed.From the Trade Paperback edition.

Lemon City: A Novel

Literature & Fiction

Brown, Elaine Meryl

United States

One World/Ballantine

This invaluable “mentor in your pocket” by three dynamic and successful black female executives will help all black women, at any level of their careers, play the power game—and win. Rich with wisdom, this practical gem focuses on the building blocks of true leadership—self-confidence, effective communication, collaboration, and courage—while dealing specifically with stereotypes (avoid the Mammy Trap, and don’t become the Angry Black Woman) and the perils of self-victimization (don’t assume that every challenge occurs because you are black or female). Some leaders are born, but most leaders are made—and The Little Black Book of Success will show you how to make it to the top, one step at a time.

The Little Black Book of Success: Laws of Leadership for Black Women

Haygood, Marsha

McLean, Rhonda Joy

Reference

One World

“Playing by the rules isn’t always easy–but in this quirky, self-cloistered community, Lemon City’s peculiarly delightful, eccentric residents do their best to follow the town’s ten mandates–even with outsiders. Elaine Meryl Brown’s storytelling is new and fresh, yet warmly familiar.” –Virginia DeBerry, co-author of Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made When there’s a knock on the Dunlap’s door in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner, Nana knows it can’t be good. The last time an outsider managed to worm his way into Lemon City, mischief followed. But despite her doubts, she can’t turn away the young man who’s kidnapped his baby sister from an unfit foster mother. Before long, Jeremiah and Ruby Rose are practically part of the family. But that’s not sitting well with everyone–especially Medford, the boyfriend of Nana’s spunky granddaughter, Louise. It seems Louise has taken a shine to Jeremiah, and Medford’s suddenly got some stiff competition. Of course he’s too busy tracking down his birth mother–who left him on a doorstep when he was a baby–to be bothered with Louise’s flirtatious nature. As Medford moves closer to the truth about his mom, young Ruby Rose finds comfort in her newfound home, Louise wavers between love and lust, and Nana prepares to give her feisty old neighbor a run for her money at the annual fair’s tomato contest. By summer’s end, a mystery will be solved as Lemon City secrets reveal themselves–and bring about more than a few changes of heart.

Playing by the Rules: A Novel

When Elaine Meryl Brown, Marsha Haygood, and Rhonda Joy McLean wrote THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF SUCCESS they had hoped it would touch and transform the lives of women who wanted to get ahead in their careers, change careers, find a new job, or start a new business. Not only did THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF SUCCESS help numerous women AND men get promoted, navigate challenging situations, cultivate skills and land new positions, it was a national bestseller, an NAACP Literary Award nominee, and the topic of talk on traditional and social media that moved the authors into the national spotlight. Readers, listeners and followers said they wanted to delve even deeper and reflect on their leadership potential, and thus, THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF SUCCESS WORKBOOK was born. Each chapter in the WORKBOOK correlates to a chapter in THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF SUCCESS and contains a number of questions and quizzes to help you tailor each lesson to your individual needs. Within the chapter, the Group Discussion section addresses the issues to a larger group and the Senior Executive sections add value to your journey--whether you are at the highest rung of leadership or if you are just starting out and want to get a glimpse into your future. THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF SUCCESS became known as the "mentor in your pocket", and this WORKBOOK will be your "personal call-to-action plan."

The Little Black Book of Success Workbook: Laws of Leadership for Black Women

Business & Money

Women & Business

Jill Grinberg Literary Management

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