Holden

Writer Carlton Holden condenses four novellas and a book of short stories into one diverse and riveting book of African-American fiction: S. O. O. T. (Earl Caesar is a dedicated school teacher and health enthusiast who loves life and those around him, but things take a u-turn to hell when he hires a deranged personal trainer who gets what she wants out of Earl no matter the cost. She is definitely out of touch, but is she alone in her disconnect from reality and what's right? Earl learns a heap more than personal fitness from her and confronts mind-blowing drama when Tina Blocker eases into his life.); When Leaves Cry (Mothusi lives a heady life in Johannesburg as a sharp investigative journalist, but going after hard-nosed thug Biggs wrecks everything he loves. When the body count of teens in the city of gold spikes, Mothusi returns to topple Biggs once and for all, but he and his ex Lerato must plunge into the seedy underworld of sex trafficking to make that happen.); Stand-Up On A Leash (Wilder Frank is a successful Jamerican comedian based in Chicago who suffers from an inherited illness. He leads an upright life and is content bringing laughter to the world until he falls into a side hustle--dogfighting--and loses his identity. Will he find himself? This story offers a peek into the dangerous and cruel world of dogfighting and the fateful human tendency to never have enough.); Naija Baby (Jaiyesimi Popoola--a young, ambitious, and pregnant young lady from Port Harcourt--yearns to escape from her ham-fisted mother Bako, a stark contrast to her attentive and tender father Kalu. She soon lands on one of countless Nigerian baby farms on her rite of passage for independence and brings to light egregious family secrets in the process.); and Trust Issues: A Collection of Short Stories (This small collection of short stories of riveting and dark plots dabbles in politics, religion, martial arts, social identity, and various other facets of life like baby farms, revealing what man proves to be when tried! Titles include "A Cold One," "Lagos Hustle," "Cornbread, Fried Chicken, and Sauerkraut," "Rest In Peace," "Alpine Nightmare," "My Style Is Better Than Yours," "Furqaan," "Turf," and "The Part: The Re-assassination of Abe Lincoln.")