Welcome to Nothing But Books. Today's featured author is
Chicki Brown. She is promoting her latest release
Inner City Blues.
About The Book
Dr. Jesse Stafford, successful surgeon, husband
and father of three lives in an exclusive enclave in Atlanta. He
volunteers his time at a neighborhood free clinic in one of the roughest parts
of Atlanta where his wife, Cydney's family still lives. When an unarmed
thirteen-year-old boy is shot and killed by the police in this neighborhood,
Jesse finds himself in an ethical dilemma and at odds with some family members.
His involvement puts everything he’s achieved on the line.
About The Author
Contemporary women’s fiction/romance author Chicki Brown has
been featured twice in USAToday. She was the 2014 B.R.A.B. (Building
Relationships Around Books) Inspirational Fiction Author and also the 2011 SORMAG (Shades of Romance Magazine) Author of the
Year. Chicki was also a contributing author to the Gumbo for the Soul: Men of
Honor (Special Cancer Awareness Edition).
A transplanted New Jersey native who lives in Atlanta,
Georgia, Brown still misses the Jersey shore, the pizza and the hot dogs.
Nia Forrester, Beverly Jenkins, Iris Bolling, Lisa Kleypas,
and J.R. Ward are among her favorite authors.
Two days later, the family gathered at his parents’ house
for their annual July Fourth barbecue. Before they needed to start setting up
the tables and chairs under the tent their mother rented every year for the barbecue,
the brothers met in the kitchen early to share a rare cup of coffee and
conversation. “How long are you staying?” Jesse asked, directing his question
to Marc and Greg who’d arrived with their families the night before.
“Gianne is out of school for the summer, so we’re taking the
week off. When we leave here, we’re going down to Miami for a couple of days,”
Marc replied. “Lance is handling the studio while I’m gone, so I can take my
time.”
“Lucky you. Between the practice and the clinic, I haven’t
had a week off in ages.”
Nick wore a confused frown. “And Cyd doesn’t get upset?”
“You know, Cyd. She doesn’t complain about much.”
“Neither does Cher, but she’s made it plain that we need our
time away together. We haven’t been away for a whole week. She makes sure we
take weekend trips, though.”
“You have to get it in,” Vic agreed. “Mona and I both are
crazy busy now since she’s started her business. We do make it a point to get
away with and without the boys every now and then. And you have three kids. Cyd needs a break sometime,
man.”
Jesse nodded his agreement but said, “Do you know Cyd told
me she never had a vacation until we started seeing each other? She said a
vacation to her was just days she didn’t have to go to work. Her first real
vacations were when I took her down to Miami for the weekend when we were
dating and when we went to Vegas for Marc and Gianne’s wedding.”
“All the more reason to show her what it’s supposed to be
like,” Greg chimed in. “And you two need to go someplace where you can get
loose and get loud, if you know what I mean.”
Jesse gave him the side eye. “We always know what you mean.” They all laughed, but their smiles
faded as their father entered the kitchen waving a newspaper in the air and
wearing an expression like a storm brewing over an angry sea.
“Jesse, do you want to tell me what the hell this is all
about?” He threw the folded paper into Jesse’s lap.
He swallowed hard, gave Vic a fleeting glance and then gazed
down at the article his father had so helpfully circled with a bold marker. The
headline read, Dozens of arrests at
Hollowell Parkway protests. He cleared his throat and answered. “I didn’t
think it was worth mentioning.”
“Why the hell not? Your name is in that list. What were you
thinking? First Greg ends up behind bars, now you. What is wrong with you
boys?”
Greg snatched the paper from his lap and the brothers
huddled around him to read it.
“First of all, we’re not boys.
Second, it’s only considered news because of the recognizable people who
participated. I’m the least well-known of the bunch.”
“But you’re a prominent physician in this city, son, and
people talk.”
“That’s fine with me. I don’t mind them talking about me for
this.”
“So you’re proud of getting locked up?”
Jesse raised his chin. “Yes, sir, I am. The police killed Darren
Givens in cold blood. The officers involved all got off. If we don’t stand
against police brutality, it will just accelerate.”
“It’s bad enough you were Twittering about it. You have a
career and reputation to protect!” The elder man bellowed.
“It’s tweeting,
Daddy, “Jesse replied equally as loud. “You were very proud of yourself for
participating in demonstrations back in the day. Wasn’t it you who used to tell
us if we didn’t stand for something, we’d fall for anything? Why is it
different for me?”
“It was different
back then. Nowadays everything you say and do is plastered all over the
Internet. Do you think your patients want a jailbird for a doctor?”
“For God’s sake, Daddy! Nobody cares. If they do, they can
find another doctor! You don’t understand how out of touch we are.”
“Who?” His father
asked.
“All of us. Our major concerns are which private school
we’re going to send our kids to, or whether we’re going to put in a pool or
tennis court in the back yard.”
“Are we supposed to be ashamed? We all worked hard to earn
that right. We’ve had nothing handed to us.”
“I know that, Daddy, but look at us. We’re here getting
ready for an all-you-can-eat buffet, and haven’t given a single thought to the
people in our community who are literally trying to figure out how they’re
going to feed their kids today.”
“Are you saying we don’t care because we aren’t sitting
around agonizing over their plight? I resent you getting so high and mighty.
All of us donate our time and money to a variety of causes that benefit our
people.”
Their argument came to a screeching halt when they saw his
mother standing in the kitchen doorway with her hands on her hips looking as
though she were about to explode. “It’s a holiday, and one of the few times we
all get together. I can’t believe you two are acting this way!” Her flashing
gaze bounced from his face to his father’s. “If you continue carrying on, you
can both find somewhere else to eat. Now all of you guys please go outside and
set the tables up.”
“We’re not done talking about this,” his father groused as
the male procession moved toward the back door.
2 comments:
Thanks for having me today, Paulette!
Anytime. All the best on your book.
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