ONYX Reads – Stories to wrap you holidays in

COZY CURL UPS

BOOKS TO WRAP YOUR HOLIDAYS IN.

SELECTIONS BY PATRICIA BROWN DENIS

ON THE CORNER OF HOPE AND MAIN By Beverly Jenkins Trent July has been the mayor of this historic town for the past four years, but now he’s ready to let someone else take up the mantle. Barrett Payne, a former Marine, decides he wants the job. But when a surprise candidate also enters the ring, the town has opinions on who would be the best candidate. And of course, that’s not the only drama, as Malachi “Mal” July continues to make reparations for the damage he’s caused and to the people he’s betrayed, especially his lady love Bernadine. Is she finally ready to forgive him and let the past go? As the residents of Henry Adams have learned, life will throw obstacles their way, but it’s how they come together and rise above these challenges that keep the bonds of their closeknit community strong.

ALL THEY WANT By Rhonda McKnight Christmas wishes all begin with a desire. Lauren Ingram is out of time. The secrets she’s kept and the lies she’s told are unraveling all around her. It doesn’t help that the love of her life, Ethan Bennett, has changed into a shrewd businessman who is determined to have his way no matter who he hurts, including her. A SHOULDA WOULDA CHRISTMAS By Michelle Stimpson After being fired twice in the same day, Chaka Stringer wonders how much worse her pointless life as the wife of an underachieving husband and mom of two musty pre-teen boys can get. If only she had finished college and picked a different husband, her life would be better… or would it? Through a mysterious haze, Chaka gets her shot at fame, fortune and the passionate relationship with her high school crush who never quite left her heart. But what ugly truths about herself will be revealed in the process? And what about the life she left behind? Anyone who has ever wondered what “shoulda” or “woulda” happened if they had made different choices will enjoy this funny, inspirational Christmas novella by bestselling Author Michelle Stimpson. MY NAME IS MARY MAGDELINE: ONE WOMAN SEVEN DEMONS By JC Miller Plagued by a lifelong curse of mental illness, Mary Magdalene finds herself spending her golden years in a mental asylum. Her once zealous life becomes minimized to an endless routine of over-stimulating antipsychotic drugs. That is until Salmone Abrams, a hidden jewel from her past, resurfaces and helps her remember who she once was—The Queen of Harlem. Madame Mary Mags. Inspired by her jazz playlist, JC Miller's current novella, My Name is Mary Magdalene, shakes the family tree while exploring the often-stigmatized topic of mental health. This fictional spin on the biblical account of Mary Magdalene and her seven demons travels from the late 1940s into the mid-1990s as Mary recalls the battles that tore her life apart. Fear, Lust, Entitlement, Greed, Misery, Dependency, and Guilt—emotional baggage that once achingly held her down propels her to victory.

I'M DREAMING OF A BROWN CHRISTMAS By Steven T. Gray & Vernon D. Gibbs "I'm Dreaming of a Brown Christmas" is a full color picture book and poem inspired by the lyrics of the classic Christmas song "White Christmas", but as imagined through the eyes of a young African-American child living in the city. Written and illustrated by cousins Steven T. Gray and Vernon D. Gibbs II, the words and images celebrate many of the wonderful brown things we all enjoy at Christmastime like fresh-baked cookies, warm cups of hot chocolate, and a golden brown turkey hot from the oven. But most importantly, this book celebrates the many shades of brown skin the young child sees on the faces of his family and friends. We hope that reading "I'm Dreaming of a Brown Christmas" will become a new holiday tradition for you, and the ones you hold dear for many years to come.