Jamarr's Promise is the shocking true story of Kristin I. Morris' fight to protect a nine-year-old child, Jamarr Cruz, that ended in his tragic death and New Jersey's Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS)'s denial of its responsibility in the case. As a caseworker for DYFS, Kristin helped many children and families; it was her life's passion. Nine-year-old Jamarr was living with his grandparents after his mother's boyfriend, Vincent Williams, beat him repeatedly. Jamarr told Kristin it was not safe for him to return home. Kristin urgently tried to keep Jamarr safe with his grandparents, but was told by superiors that Latino children are kept in the home at all costs. This time, the cost was Jamarr Cruz's life. In 2009 after Jamaar's return to Omayra Cruz and Vincent Williams, Vincent beat Jamarr to death. Not only did Kristin's superiors at the DYFS block her efforts to help Jamarr, but when he was killed, they blamed Kristin for his death. Jamarr's Promise is a call to end corrupt loyalties in New Jersey's DYFS. It is a call to protect children from Jamarr's fate. It is a call for justice for Kristin Morris, who did the right thing and was punished unjustly for it.

What would you do if your first love tried to come back into your life after he's been gone for over 10 years with no explanation? In this new romance novel, TWO LOVES, ONE HEART, Lynnette Thomas is forced to choose between her first love turned abusive and an old friendship that develops into a passionate romance. Lynnette Thomas is a beautiful, ambitious and passionate young woman from Atlanta Georgia. She marries her childhood sweetheart, Billy Matthews and move to Charleston, S.C. to begin their life together. All goes well for a while, until Billy changes and becomes extremely possessive of Lynnette. He starts using drugs, alienates her from her friends and ambitions, emotionally and physically abuses her, then abandons her, leaving her pregnant, feeling ashamed, hurt and alone. At one of the loneliest points in her life Lynnette reconnects with a friend from her childhood and their friendship blossoms into much more. Lynnette and Steve's new life together flourishes until Billy resurfaces after a 10 year absence looking for a fresh start with Lynnette. Lynnette must decide whether to continue her life with Steve or give her first love a second chance. Will two old friends allow their chance at happiness to slip away? Not if they reach out to each other, give in to their desires, and let love bind their hearts and join their souls. Their lives could be changed forever . BY A THING CALLED LOVE. Anyone who has ever felt the heartbreak and trials that love can bring, especially those who have experienced abusive or controlling relationships, will relate to Lynnette's journey to find true love within herself. It also gives readers hope that they can bring their lives around from the brink of devastation and despair if they have the desire to help themselves.

After her father, a reputed crime boss, suffers a stroke, Lily Wolfe returns to Atlanta to help his real estate empire. Meanwhile FBI undercover agent Garrick Pratt has been assigned to the Wolfe investigation, and when he moves next door to Lily and they become involved, their relationship becomes complicated by passion and deceit. Original.

Nearly every city has a Ghetto, a Gutta, a Trap, and products of those very environments. In Trapstarz Raine Carter and Davae Sanders are doing all the Trappin; as well as reaping proceeds from their actions. Along with rubberband bundles of blood-stained cash, expensive cars and promiscuous womenled on by the alluring street lifecomes dishonor, deception, betrayal, and oh, murder, as the two childhood friends fight for a more substantial position on the totem pole of life. Like every other obstacle-course, theres hurdles and surprises around nearly every corner. So many in Trapstarz that Raine and Davae manage to lose themselves in the thick of things. Could it be the newly discovered drug Ecstasy abruptly interjected into their world? Wear and tear from the coarse streetz taking its toll on their lives? Or even worse, the wrath of Karma vindictively finding her way back to the two? Even though the game has a predictable ending in most cases, this grimy street tale will definitely leave your stomach twisted in knots. Will they finally make it up and out of the traps, or will they remain Trapstarz for the rest of their lives?

Petitions and briefs filed with the U.S. Supreme Court.

Jewish Noir II is unique collection of twenty-three all-new stories (and one reprint) by Jewish and non-Jewish literary and genre writers, including numerous award-winning authors such as Gabriela Alemán, Doug Allyn, Rita Lakin, Rabbi Ilene Schneider, E.J. Wagner, and Kenneth Wishnia, with a foreword by MWA Grand Master Lawrence Block. The stories explore such issues as the perpetual challenge of confronting resurgent anti-Semitism in the US, the enduring legacy of regional warfare in the land of Israel since biblical times, how the “entitled” behavior of certain ultra-Orthodox communities can fuel anti-Semitic attitudes, Jewish support of the civil rights movement, greedy Jewish businessmen who reinforce negative ethnic stereotypes, the excesses of “golden ghetto” American Jews, the appeal of “tough” Israeli-Jewish soldiers and mercenaries, how real estate fortunes are made, and the consequences of political corruption that feed into an exploitive system, how obsession can lead “good” people to do “bad” things. The stories in this collection include many “teachable moments” about the history of prejudice, and the contradictions of ethnic identity and assimilation into American society.

The keepers of the Black Stones, with five black stones, the second order of the Ward is now formed. We must unite to fight, creatures of the night that seek to do harm. Defend all people. defeat all evil. By my sword, innocents are protected by the Ward. Blue Moon is a werewolf, Wraith walks among the living and the dead. Zodiac is a sorceress, Whisper is her fairy companion. Red Dagger is a vampire, and the leader of the squad. Madman is a young mad scientist, a modern-day Jekyll and Hyde.

Stella Gunn is the lead singer and lead guitarist of the Blue Moon Gypsies and Stella used to be Mace's girl. But Kai "Mace" Mason ended things and the loss of him rocked her world. One night, Stella gets a call, late (again), from one of the members of her crazy band. She has to go play clean up (again), runs into Mace (and a shed load of police) and ends up getting shot. Mace finds he doesn't like it much that his ex-girlfriend got shot right in front of him, but it's worse. A very bad man has thrown down the gauntlet and all the Rock Chicks are in the firing line. Stella doesn't want Mace to be the one to keep her alive, but she has no choice. Mainly because Mace isn't giving her one.

After fifteen years of teaching anthropology at a large university, Rebekah Nathan had become baffled by her own students. Their strange behavior—eating meals at their desks, not completing reading assignments, remaining silent through class discussions—made her feel as if she were dealing with a completely foreign culture. So Nathan decided to do what anthropologists do when confused by a different culture: Go live with them. She enrolled as a freshman, moved into the dorm, ate in the dining hall, and took a full load of courses. And she came to understand that being a student is a pretty difficult job, too. Her discoveries about contemporary undergraduate culture are surprising and her observations are invaluable, making My Freshman Year essential reading for students, parents, faculty, and anyone interested in educational policy.

Financial struggles of American families are headline news. In communities across the nation, families feel the pinch of stagnant and sometimes declining incomes. Many have not recovered from the Great Recession, when millions lost their homes and retirement savings. They are bombarded daily with vexing financial decisions: Which bills to pay? Where to cash checks? How to cover an emergency? How to improve a credit report? How to bank online? How to save for the future? Low- and moderate-income families have few places to turn for guidance on financial matters. Not many can afford to pay a financial advisor to help navigate an increasingly complex financial world. They do their best with advice from family and trusted individuals. Social workers, financial counselors, and human services professionals can help. As "first responders," they assist families and help in finding financial support from public and private sources. But these professionals are too often unprepared to address the full range of financial troubles of ordinary working families. Financial Capability and Asset Building in Vulnerable Households prepares social workers, financial counselors, and other human service professionals for financial practice with vulnerable families. Building on more than 20 years of research, the book sets the stage with key concepts, historical antecedents, and current financial challenges of families in America. It provides knowledge and tools to assist families in pressing financial circumstances, and offers a lifespan perspective of financial capability and environmental influences on financial behaviors and actions. Furthermore, the text details practice principles and skills for direct interventions, as well as for designing financial services and policy innovations. It is an essential resource for preparing the next generation of practitioners who can enable families to achieve economic security and development.