New Release Books by Crystal McCrary

30 extraordinary black women—including Michelle Obama, Soledad O’Brien, Shonda Rhimes and others—share their personal stories in this inspiring volume. Whether in the White House or on the courts of Wimbledon, in Hollywood or on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House, these trailblazing black women have influenced the social, cultural, and political landscape of this country, and even the world. Speaking in their unique voices, luminaries such as Patti LaBelle, Venus Williams, and Susan Taylor share the challenges they’ve faced and the victories they’ve won throughout their careers. Contributors include Iman, Misty Copland, Whoopi Goldberg, Mary J. Blige, Gayle King, Judith Jameson, and others. These women pass their knowledge and lessons on to a new generation of women in intimate first-person essays and stunning color portraits.

The sports pages trumpet the exploits of the superstar players of the New York Flyers basketball team -- while the gossip columns hint of their infidelities and steamy off-court activities. And in the shadows behind the bright spotlights, the wives and girlfriends struggle to keep the insanity at bay and their relationships alive in a world of fame, big money, shady dealings, and easy sex. Now, with the playoffs looming and the team's future in jeopardy, the temptations to sin are even stronger than ever. And before the season's out, the women behind "the great men" -- led by Casey Rogers, the beautiful, sexy, savvy lawyer wife of the Flyers' star forward -- are going to rock the NBA to its core.

A hilarious first novel that provides a peek into the world of the super-rich, super-connected African Americans in Manhattan. Lauren is trying to be an independent woman, starting her own documentary film company, but it's difficult when you're married to Ed Thomas, one of the wealthiest African-American businessmen in the country--and particularly when he seems to have a roving eye. Manny is an up-and-coming gay real estate agent who arrived in Manhattan from Alabama with only the clothes on his back. He's made his way to the top of his profession--yet he still wants more. Tandy is one of the "ladies who lunch"--but she's desperate to reinvent herself and find a new source of cash flow. As we follow these three and other characters in this compelling first novel, we see the fascinating world of New York City's upper-crust African American society with all their scandals, foibles and skeletons in the closet revealed.