The Devil and the Diva


Book Description

When pop diva Sheila Lews dies under puzzling circumstances, Clarisse Dufresne is approached by agents of a shadowy international crime syndicate with a proposition--"What if, after a period of time, say five years--yeah, make it five years--it was discovered that Sheila had left behind some unmixed tracks, songs she had been working on before she died but didn't release? What do you think a find like that would be worth?" Clarisse refuses to participate in the fraud and is rescued by a mysterious man named Maurice Crevier, who conceals both his face and his intentions behind a black, obsidian mask. But the savior soon becomes Clarisse's tormentor when she learns that she is not his guest as he professes, but his prisoner. Despite it all--and against her better judgment--Clarisse feels a growing fascination and affection for her jailer, as well as his odd henchmen--a voodoo-practicing Haitian and a young chef who is haunted by the ghost of her mother. Until a second attempt is made on her life. And a third. David and Renee have written a great story which is not easily classified. It has mystery, chases, gun battles, murder, sex...we're calling it a gothic suspense novel.




The Devil's in the Diva


Book Description

Bryan Stark describes himself as the "Greek Chorus," constantly watching the action and drama unfold around him in the arena with the most high school divas possible--the theater! At his posh private school in Malibu, Orion Academy, the teens are entitled, the boys are cute, and the theatre productions extremely elaborate. Bryan sees it all as he directs his best friend Samantha, the most talented of the Orion divas, through the throng. This bind-up is filled with friends, theatre, and romance, but underneath it all DRAMA! is a heartfelt comedic series.




To the Devil - a Diva!


Book Description

A spicy mix of showbiz, sex and black magic. Devil worship has never looked so good!




Hell's Diva:


Book Description

When Mecca's parents are killed in front of her by a family friend, she learns that true friends are few and far between. She is taken in by her aunt, and soon finds out who is really riding for her and who is just around because they fear the wrath of Aunt Ruby. Making a deal with the devil doesn't seem all that bad when you're sitting on top of the world, with endless amounts of money and designer everything, but it's not long before her beloved Aunt Ruby is snatched away from her. Mecca is forced to fend for herself. She learns to play with the hand she was dealt, but who will be left standing in the end? In Mecca's world, everyone is suspect, and no one can be trusted, not even family. When the truth is revealed to her, it is up to Mecca to decide if she'll do the right thing and lead a life of righteousness, or continue to walk down the same dark path as her aunt.




God, the Devil & James Brown: Memoirs of a Funky Diva


Book Description

Baptized 'Soul Sister Number One' by her producer and mentor James Brown, Kansas City funk siren Marva Whitney was on the cusp of stardom in the late 1960s. During that time she scored three US R&B hit singles, released two albums, picked up a Golden Mike Award and was voted second in Record World magazine's readers' poll for the Most Promising Female R&B Vocalist of 1969. She also made numerous appearances on US television but just as her star seemed to be in the ascendant, Whitney's career took a spectacular turn for the worse after personal problems forced her to quit the James Brown organization in early 1970. She then spent 35 years in the wilderness before successfully reviving her career in 2005. In her absorbing and sometimes shockingly frank memoir, God, The Devil & James Brown, Marva Whitney - who died in 2012 at the age of 68 - tells her story with an unflinching, tell-it-like-it-is directness. Her detailed account of life with James Brown is particularly disturbing but leavened with a laugh-out-loud humor that makes Marva Whitney's autobiography a compelling page-turner. "(An) eye-opening life-story. Whitney is an engaging raconteur ... she recalls her struggles and triumphs vividly, with humility and humour." Terry Staunton, Record Collector "Her tenure with 'The Godfather' is remarkably honest and forthright; sometimes unbelievable even. After reading this, and her candid remarks about her life - particularly the period spent with James Brown - I feel I know her like a friend... it's a cracking read!" Sharon Davis, SoulMusic.com




The Diva's Guide to Selling Your Soul


Book Description

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful... Call me V. I used to be a nobody, just a girl from New Jersey who was probably going to hell anyway -- or worse, mediocrity and a size 14. Now I get whatever I desire just by casting a little spell....a flawless body, a luxury penthouse, and a Fifth Avenue shop where rich women clamor for my overpriced handbags. Even better, I have power. I can taunt my ex-husband, break hearts without guilt, and love every minute of it. My secret? I lost the one thing I never needed in the first place: my soul. I sold it. And you'll never guess who's got it now. She's a devil in disguise. You know her as the dishiest gossip columnist in the city's trashiest tabloid. I call her Lucy. And our deal is this: the more clients I recruit for her Life Enrichment Program, the greater my rewards. But just between us, my fast track to heartless apathy has hit a few speed bumps -- lately, I've had the totally annoying impulse to do things that are...good. First there was rescuing a kid in the park. Then there was the date with the handsome, decent guy who wasn't even a celebrity. What's next, giving to charity or something? All I know is Lucy doesn't like it, not one little bit. And when she finds out, there will be hell to pay...




Divas on Screen


Book Description

This insightful study places African American women's stardom in historical and industrial contexts by examining the star personae of five African American women: Dorothy Dandridge, Pam Grier, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Halle Berry. Interpreting each woman's celebrity as predicated on a brand of charismatic authority, Mia Mask shows how these female stars have ultimately complicated the conventional discursive practices through which blackness and womanhood have been represented in commercial cinema, independent film, and network television. Mask examines the function of these stars in seminal yet underanalyzed films. She considers Dandridge's status as a sexual commodity in films such as Tamango, revealing the contradictory discourses regarding race and sexuality in segregation-era American culture. Grier's feminist-camp performances in sexploitation pictures Women in Cages and The Big Doll House and her subsequent blaxploitation vehicles Coffy and Foxy Brown highlight a similar tension between representing African American women as both objectified stereotypes and powerful, self-defining icons. Mask reads Goldberg's transforming habits in Sister Act and The Associate as representative of her unruly comedic routines, while Winfrey's daily television performance as self-made, self-help guru echoes Horatio Alger narratives of success. Finally, Mask analyzes Berry's meteoric success by acknowledging the ways in which Dandridge's career made Berry's possible.




Diva's Last Curtain Call


Book Description

Part-time GED instructor Kendra Clayton's spring break is proving to be anything but relaxing. First her best friend, Lynette, suffers a major panic attack days before her wedding and vanishes. Then her sister, Allegra, who craves attention the way Kendra craves chocolate brownies, arrives in town determined to land an interview with screen legend Vivianne DeArmond for the TV show Hollywood Vibe. But Allegra's interview plans hit a glitch when she discovers the diva's lifeless body in her dressing room, stabbed in the back with a letter opener. The police peg Allegra as the prime suspect, but Kendra knows her sister is no murderer, even if she is guilty of acting a little too friendly around Kendra's man lately. As Kendra starts to investigate and whittle down the list of Vivianne's enemies, she uncovers some surprising Hollywood secrets. But she'll need to act fast. Because every step toward the truth puts her in danger of becoming the victim of a ruthless killer's encore performance….




Divas Have Dilemmas Too!


Book Description

Bianca is a self-made diva perceived to have everything. beauty, body, bank, and brains. She utilizes every God-given asset to gain perks belonging to the elite. Bianca routinely attends the African-American high-class events while fulfilling her role as trophy girlfriend. But, there's a problem: Bianca's life is a sham. She conceals her humble beginnings and impoverished bloodline for fear of judgment and rejection. While her contemporaries live their lives of entitlement, Bianca works doubly hard just to maintain. Will her past be the demise of her superficial life? Running out of options, Bianca is forced to take drastic measures. The unconditional support from a coworker is her last vestige of hope as she conquers her toughest obstacle yet - a woman's self-discovery.




Ainslee's


Book Description