Diamonds On A River Of Tears

In this stunning work of historical fiction, LR Penn has concocted a breathtaking epic adventure that begins in 1890 in a small Zulu village in South Africa but spans three centuries and two continents. It is also a personal memoir that tells the story of a family torn apart by a racist totalitarian regime. The book examines a series of powerful conflicts: the cultural clash between ancient ethnic traditions and encroaching Western values; the political battle between the underground resistance movement and the repressive military strength of a modern nation state; and stirring personal conflicts, as illustrated by the impossibly difficult choices that the novel's heroes are forced to make - between the quest for liberation and the pursuit of love, between a family's security and a people's freedom. Diamonds on a River of Tears presents an in depth portrait of day-to-day life in a society altogether out of balance, playfully juxtaposing its comic absurdities and tragic injustices, but ultimately handing down a moral indictment that all of contemporary civilization will have to face.

"When we surrender the polarized distinctions that catalogue our life experiences from dualistic perceptions, we will live in an enlightened state where there are no opposites."--Back cover

Martyr was written over a three year period between 2015 and 2018. It was begun while Kathleen was living in Algiers, Algeria with her daughter and continues through the summer of 2018 in Oran, Tlemcen, Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria and through the fall of 2018. In 2008, Kathleen's son Rayan Mehdi passed away and she was inconsolable. This book, MARTYR, is the result of three years of therapeutic writing. Kathleen writes in English but often incorporates Algerian Dardja or Algerian Arabic into her writing. Martyr is the sequel to THE BOOK OF MOULAY, published in 2015. There are also poems written after Kathleen visited Morocco in 2015. There are influences from both countries in the body of her work. Kathleen took her daughter Zahra to Algeria in the winter of 2015 2016 and lived in Algiers in an apartment in a neighborhood called Birmourad Rais. She returned to Algeria in the summer of 2018 and travelled to Batna and drove across the country and wrote and filmed.

Vividly imagined, stunningly prophetic, and epic in scope, The Diamond Age is a major novel from one of the most visionary writers of our time Decades into our future, a stone’s throw from the ancient city of Shanghai, a brilliant nanotechnologist named John Percival Hackworth has just broken the rigorous moral code of his tribe, the powerful neo-Victorians. He's made an illicit copy of a state-of-the-art interactive device called A Young Ladys Illustrated Primer Commissioned by an eccentric duke for his grandchild, stolen for Hackworth's own daughter, the Primer’s purpose is to educate and raise a girl capable of thinking for herself. It performs its function superbly. Unfortunately for Hackworth, his smuggled copy has fallen into the wrong hands. Young Nell and her brother Harv are thetes—members of the poor, tribeless class. Neglected by their mother, Harv looks after Nell. When he and his gang waylay a certain neo-Victorian—John Percival Hackworth—in the seamy streets of their neighborhood, Harv brings Nell something special: the Primer. Following the discovery of his crime, Hackworth begins an odyssey of his own. Expelled from the neo-Victorian paradise, squeezed by agents of Protocol Enforcement on one side and a Mandarin underworld crime lord on the other, he searches for an elusive figure known as the Alchemist. His quest and Nell’s will ultimately lead them to another seeker whose fate is bound up with the Primer—a woman who holds the key to a vast, subversive information network that is destined to decode and reprogram the future of humanity.

Where Is the Love? By: Mary Serena Stovall “FIFI” What the world needs now is lots of love! Through our trials and tribulations, our heartache and pain, we must always remember the little things in life. Where Is the Love? is a delightful little collection of true stories by FIFI, her kindergarten class, and her “Babys.” Read this collection with your little ones to remind yourself of the most important things in life.

Diamond and Mica have been best friends since grade school, and have always watched each other’s backs. After Mica moves out of their drug-infested neighborhood, they have a scandalous falling out and lose touch. It isn’t until Diamond hooks up with one of North Philly’s most notorious drug dealers that she’s able to leave the place that she’s always called home. Under extreme circumstances, Mica and Diamond meet up and are back on the map as the Laverne and Shirley of the ghetto, but unfortunately, both friends have ulterior motives for rekindling their friendship. The two plot to get rid of the dealer and hit the road with his fortune, but one of them has her own sinister plan that could leave the other staring death in the eye. Jealousy and greed create plenty of drama for Diamond. Even when she thinks she’s on her way to a happily-ever-after ending, she finds herself fighting against foes she never saw coming. Will her “I rule the world” disposition keep her on top, or will Diamond lose the things she cares about the most?

Faith Over Fear By: Yolanda Diamond Faith Over Fear signifies the closest moments of difficulties and feeling God’s presence while having served a life sentence, plus twenty-five years, in prison. By any measure, author Yolanda Diamond is one of the most caring, encouraging, and tenacious individuals, though she is the first to admit that she’s not perfect. Diamond struggled with her emotions, haunting family secrets, and the hopes of gaining parole, as she was continuously betrayed and wracked by envy and ignorance daily. She tried to become a better being as she gained an unshakable strength. When Diamond discovered the shocking news that her mother has terminal cancer, she put her fright and sadness into perspective and gained courage. For the fierce love of her children, Diamond decided to face her fears, open her heart and mind. She pursued forgiveness in this remarkable, heart-wrenching story. She courageously take readers on her journey. It is a life changing experience as she walks in strength after serving twenty years in a cutthroat penal system. Hers is unique because she is able to give you a firsthand account from true life events. Her hope for forgiveness was comprehensible during the traumatic aftermath of an unintended vehicle accident that took the lives of three family members and an unborn child.