New Releases by Crystal Hubbard

Read all about about the first Black woman to be elected to Congress in this empowering addition to the Who Was? series. Shirley Chisholm showed interest in politics early on, majoring in sociology at Brooklyn College in New York City. During this time she was awarded for her debate skills, became a champion for inclusion in the Harriet Tubman society, and graduated cum laude. She dedicated much of her career to fighting for the rights of Black people and women, eventually becoming the first Black woman elected to Congress in 1968. Remarkably, Shirley represented New York''s 12th district, including the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, from 1969 to 1983. She fought for the rights of the people, becoming a founding member for the National Women’s Political Caucus and advocating for the Equal Rights Amendment. Learn all about Shirley’s life, from her early activism to her presidential candidacy and her lasting political legacy, in this illustrated biography.

How did a young girl born in South London grow up to be a Tony and Grammy Award–winning star? Find out in this Who HQ Now biography about Cynthia Erivo and her exciting career from The Color Purple on Broadway to starring as Elphaba in the Wicked movie! Cynthia Erivo fell in love with performing when she was only five years old and sang "Silent Night" as a solo in a school Christmas play. When she grew up, she trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before beginning her career as a professional actress and singer. Cynthia made her Broadway debut in 2015 as Celie Harris in The Color Purple. This performance earned her the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. In 2017, she won her first Grammy Award for the cast album of The Color Purple. Cynthia went on to play Harriet Tubman in the blockbuster film Harriet in 2019. This movie earned Cynthia her first Academy Award nomination as a lead actress. In 2024, Cythia will star as Elphaba in the blockbuster movie muscial Wicked.

Learn about the incredible legacy of civil rights legend and Georgia congressman John Lewis in this inspiring addition to the #1 New York Times Best-Selling series. Starting in the 1960s, John Lewis began his activism alongside civil rights legend and good friend Martin Luther King Jr. He participated in many now-historic events, including the 1963 March of Washington, the Freedom Rides, and the Selma to Montgomery marches across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. John continued his impactful career when he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1986. He went on to serve seventeen terms until his death in 2020. A recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, John Lewis is considered an American hero and an icon of the civil rights movement. Learn about his life of "good trouble" in this book for young readers.

How did a young boy from Ohio go on to become one of the greatest basketball players of all time? Read about the incredible life and career of LeBron James in this addition to the #1 New York Times best-selling Who Was? series. Today, LeBron James is an international superstar who has won four NBA Championships, earned two Olympic gold medals, written books, and starred in blockbuster movies. He has played for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Miami Heat, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and has gained fans across the country as he led each of those three teams to victory. Many basketball lovers consider LeBron James to be one of the greatest players of all time. But how did LeBron come to be "King James?" Find out all about LeBron''s childhood, how he started playing basketball at the age of nine, and went on to rule the court in this new book for young readers!

"A picture book biography highlighting the early years of African American figure skater Mabel Fairbanks, who later became an Olympic coach and was inducted into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame"--

This is the story of a boy who loved tennis. This is the story of a player who shook up the game. This the story of the first African American man to win the Grand Slam tournament. This the story of an activist who changed the world. This is the story of Arthur Ashe.

An unknown benefactor invites a diverse assortment of singles to a New Year''s Eve matchmaking ball. Scientist Vivienne DeNoue, a woman of reason and logic, ignores the invite, considering the event frivolous and a waste of time. Vivienne denies inventor Brian Cord his New Year''s Eve opportunity to meet Vivienne, but Fate grants him a second chance. Brian possesses every quality a could want in a man, including the temerity and intelligence to overcome a physical disadvantage that Vivienne struggles to overlook. Love at first sight might be impossible for scientist Vivienne and Brian, but love isn''t...if only Vivienne would open her eyes to it.

"Golden boy" quarterback Camden Dougherty''s involvement with smart and pretty new senior Siobhan Curran starts a chain of events that leads his self-proclaimed best friend, Michael Littlefield, on a path of jealous fury that results in terror for the whole school, particularly Siobhan, on opening night of the last school play. Failing to acknowledge his own role in his troubles, Michael focuses his rage and vengeance on the one person he blames for the losses of his friend, his starring role in the play, and his school, while demonstrating the insidiousness of prejudice and violence. Without providing easy solutions to difficult issues, A Twist of Hate is a timely and thoughtful illustration of the failure of personal accountability as well as the curative powers of hope and love.

In this collection of chilling tales, survivor''s guilt drives a young woman to take a life, an unusual woman serves a just dessert to a serial rapist intent on making her his next victim, and an old-timer recalls the night he and two friends took lethal action to save the life of the child he loves.

When sitcom star Logan Maddox enrolls at Prescott High School to live his senior year as a "normal" teenager, his presence sends the school into a frenzy -- with one exception. Introverted Emy Okiwe, a bookworm with a penchant for photography is unimpressed with the handsome young celebrity. Assigned to tutor him, Emy builds a friendship with Logan, drawing him into her quiet world of school and family, which becomes Logan''s refuge from constant media attention and his materialistic parents. When Hollywood comes knocking with a prized movie role and a million dollar payday, Logan is forced to make a decision: pursue his dream of furthering his acting career or abandon the happiness he''s found with Emy.

Prince Philippe eagerly embarks on a quest for adventure, yet he has one problem: he has no idea what to do or where to go. He encounters a peculiar stranger who sets him on the path to The Tower of Solitude, which has been the substance of rumour and legend for most of Philippe''s life. Philippe''s odyssey is rife with peril, the worst being the King of the Red Trolls, violent, bloodthirsty creatures situated between the prince and his goal. Philippe makes friends along the way in Artus, a magnificent stallion, and John, an irascible English goat. With courage, tenacity, and the power of friendship on his side, Prince Philippe experiences the adventure of a lifetime in The Tower of Solitude, the second fairy tale by bestselling and award-winning author Crystal Hubbard.

As his thirtieth birthday looms, King Austyn must marry or forfeit his throne to his first cousin, the diabolical Lord Wolftraap. Marcelline, the eldest of the Blacksmith''s daughters and keeper of the family forge, reluctantly competes for the king''s hand, for with it, comes a prize with the power to save her dying sister''s life. A king in need of marriage and a maiden in need of a miracle will do whatever it takes to preserve the well being of the people they love. Perhaps, and if they are lucky, their wishes will come true in The Blacksmith''s Daughter, the first fairy tale by award-winning and bestselling author Crystal Hubbard.

Surviving the truth almost kills them. Living the lie is far worse. Drugged and carried off to a dilapidated homestead in central Missouri, 18-year-old Christopher August Daley III - St. Louis''s spoiled, snobby "Billionaire Boy" - finds himself at the mercy of kidnappers greedy for ransom and brutal for sport. Literally caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, Reece Wyndham is abducted along with Christopher. The popular, athletic and pretty teenager has nothing in common with Christopher, who uses his very worst personality traits to keep Reece safe. The traumatic event brings Christopher and Reece closer, but in the aftermath of their rescue, it is Reece''s strength and caring that saves Christopher from his living nightmare.

On the last day of her junior year at Lesterville High, Charysse DiGregorio gets a letter that changes her life: an invitation to take the one coveted spot in the senior class at the prestigious Eichorn High School in Wakefield, Massachusetts. Nicknamed IQ High because of its highly gifted student body, Eichorn seems to be the perfect home for Charysse, who leaves behind her lifelong best friend Bonnie and the stigma of being “the smartest kid in school.”Charysse finds instant acceptance among a group of fellow Transfers: Marty Kosh, who creates intricate mazes; the Achearn twins – Lotus, a stylish and carefree artist, and her sister Chrysanthemum, a successful poet; and Candice, a plain Jane who hungers to be a part of the popular clique.When Charysse captures the interest of class heartthrob Shane McKenna, she makes an enemy of classmate Mackenzie Cole. Mackenzie''s hostility escalates into a cruel prank with repercussions that show the young geniuses that intelligence requires more than good grades, and true friendship leaves nothing to the imagination.

Mwandishi wa habari za burudani Faith (Fortunata) Wheeler anajua siri ambayo inaweza kumpa umaarufu mkubwa Hollywood. Kwa bahati mbaya siri hiyo inaweza kumuharibia umaarufu wake mkubwa msanii nyota Zander Baron. Nyota mpya kabisa anaechipukia kwa kasi wa filamu za ngumi waHollywood Zander ana kila sifa ambazo mwanaume yeyote angependa kuwa nazo – na mwanamke anazovutiwa nazo. Mtanashati, ana akili, huruma na mcheshi. Zander ana hewa ya ajabu ambayo inamfanya alete mshawasha wa kutaka kumjua zaidi. Hakuna mtu anayejua ukweli kuhusu asili na pengine hata jina lake halisi. Isipokuwa Fortunata. Fortunata anajua kila kitu kuhusu mwanaume huyu aitwaye Zander Baron, kwa sababu alishawahi kuwa na uhusiano naye wa kimapenzi usiku mmoja wa ajabu na kusikitisha walipokuwa bado vijana katika mji mdogo wa Booger Hollow, Magharibi mwa Virginia. Faith anamfahamu alivyo na zaidi ya hapo anamjua Zander ni nani. Akijawa na mipango ya kumfichua , Zander anatafuta kila mbinu ya kumnyamazisha. Anatumia uwezo wake wa akili , muonekano wake, uchangamfuwake na njia zote kumshawishi afiche siri yake, lakini maafa yanapoikumba tena Booger Holow, Zander anagundua ukweli kwamba hawezi kuishi bila ya mwanamke huyu – ni ufunguo wa kuaw na Fortunata.

Career-minded widow Zae Richardson and unfocused libertine Chip Kish couldn''t be more different. Zae, whose beloved husband died too young, holds on to his memory to shield herself from the pain of further loss. Veteran Marine Chip enjoys a string of emotionally empty relationships until he realizes the older woman worth his heart is the one who seems least attainable. Call it May-December and everything in between, Zae and Chip meet on common ground to discover that love is a force greater than the calendar, social status, politics and everything else in between.

Cinder Wyatt wants only one thing—a chance to start over. A new life seems pos- sible when she moves across the country to the quiet town of Webster Groves, Missouri. Cinder finds an ally in Giancarlo Piassanti, an ex-Marine turned martial arts instructor whose private lessons teach Cinder more than simply how to defend herself. But just when Cinder thinks she no longer has to look over her shoulder, her past nightmare returns and threatens her new life. . .her very life.

"A biography of African American tennis champion Arthur Ashe, a pioneering minority athlete known for his character, sportsmanship, and activism in social causes such as civil rights and HIV/AIDS awareness. Includes an afterword, author''s note, and photographs"--Provided by publisher.

Sometimes love is all there is...Alyssa Verdieu didn''t survive a hell on earth only to see the fantasy lover of her childhood destroy the one thing she holds dear. Beaux Elysees, the only home she''s ever known, is nothing less than paradise. No matter the cost or sacrifice, Alyssa resolves to hold on to it...even if it means marrying a man who would awaken her hottest desires and leave her with only his name.Sometimes love isn''t enough...The last thing Captain Marc Ghiradelli expected to find in the wild heart of the bayou was a young woman willing to sacrifice everything to preserve her father''s legacy. Marc''s self-imposed life of loneliness at sea is threatened by the defiant courage, steely strength and ethereal beauty of the emerald-eyed warrior he reluctantly takes to wife...Always, love conquers all...He''s made his life on the sea. All she has left is Beaux Elysees. Together, they must fight to vanquish an enemy who will stop at nothing to destroy all they hold dear.Will they be able to vanquish the enemy and find love? Or will all that they hold be destroyed?

A Hollywood heartthrob and a gutsy entertainment reporter engage in a high-stakes game of emotional chess as he strives to protect his secrets and she tries to boost her career. Original.

Awl''s well that ends well? On the eve of her acceptance of the Torchbearer Award, an industry award for the romance writer who best represents the genre, Khela Halliday reveals the deepest, darkest secret of her heart: she doesn''t believe in love. Not at first sight, second glance, everlasting or springing eternal. But love might just be in Khela''s future when handsome handyman Carter Radcliffe helps her save face during the award''s weekend ceremonies. Alluring, intelligent and delightfully wacky, Khela interests Carter more than he''d like. Women typically only wanted one thing from him, and rarely was it the one thing he wanted to give. Through Khela''s books, Carter finds the tools to unlock her impenetrable heart, all the while wondering if he can raze his own defenses to let her into his.

Nothing comes between Jackson DeVoy and his briefs--his legal briefs, that is--until the ace attorney is sent to Darwin Island to secure the rights to a "miracle" weight-loss aid from the island''s enigmatic benefactor, JT Marchand. The last person the money-driven workaholic expects to find is Lina, an ebony goddess who seduces him on his first night. Forced to return to Boston without saying goodbye, Jack leaves Darwin convinced that his hasty exit is for the best. Never mind that he feels like he''s leaving behind true love and not just a lover. Lina turns up in Boston, her unexpected reunion with Jack generating a heat that makes it easy to forget feelings of abandonment and deception. Once she''s in Jack''s world, Lina finds herself falling in love with clam chowder, Sam Adams lager, and a man who''s convinced that money is the only thing worth living for. But when Lina awakens Jack''s longing for things money just can''t buy, he has to decide which means more to him: his wallet or his heart.

Arriving at Raines-Hartley Hospital to care for her ailing grandmother, Cady Winters meets her match in Dr. Keren Bailey who, building a life without friendship, family, or love, finds his carefully structured existence thrown into chaos by this strong-willed woman. Original.

Born into an African American sharecropping family in 1880s Kentucky, Jimmy Winkfield grew up loving horses. The large, powerful animals inspired little Jimmy to think big. Looking beyond his family''s farm, he longed for a life riding on action-packed racetracks around the world. Like his hero, the great Isaac Murphy, Jimmy "Wink" Winkfield would stop at nothing to make it as a jockey. Though his path to success was wrought with obstacles both on the track and off, Wink faced each challenge with passion and a steadfast spirit. Along the way he carved out a lasting legacy as one of history''s finest horsemen and the last African American ever to win the Kentucky Derby. The Last Black King of the Kentucky Derby brings to life a vivacious hero from a little-known chapter of American sports history. Readers are transported trackside to witness the heart-pounding story of a vibrant young man chasing down his dream.

Sportswriter Miranda Penney knows all about men with balls and big sticks, but she hits all the wrong notes when she finds herself reluctantly falling for rock star Lucas Fletcher. No stranger to the pitfalls of dating a celebrity, Miranda would rather shun true love than risk having her heart broken by the one man with whom she might find it. The daughter of an African-American baseball player who frequently cheated on her beautiful, accomplished Brazilian mother, Miranda also bears the wounds of having been cheated on by the ballplayer she herself dated. Although she can''t deny her attraction to Lucas, Miranda can''t force herself to accept the love the handsome Welshman wants to give her. Their careers keep them surrounded by gorgeous, wealthy men and women of every color and description, but for Lucas and Miranda, when it comes to love, race doesn''t matter. . .but fidelity and trust do,and those are the two things Lucas is determined to teach Miranda to believe in.

A meteoric rise to mediocrity in Hollywood not only forces Kyla Winters to return home to St. Louis, but it also shakes her confidence in all areas of her life -- particularly her desire to rekindle the torch she still carries for the man who proposed to her three years ago after a whirlwind six-week affair. Dr. Zweli Randall is more in love with Kyla now than he was when she shot down his proposal. When she unexpectedly moves back to St. Louis, he can see that she''s nursing a wound that won''t heal, one that makes it impossible for her to believe that he truly loves her. With an army of sisters and brothers-in-law taking sides and launching strategic assaults, Sunday dinner at the Winters house becomes the battleground on which Kyla and Zweli fight for mutual surrender. . . or mutual annihilation.

The "baby" of the Winters family, Chiara Winters is a top technical sales rep for United States IntelTech, Inc., one of the world''s elite software companies. The job sends Chiara all over the world—and into a world of trouble when she inherits a secret about her boss''s premier product that might have led to her partner''s death. In uncovering the truth and exposing her boss, Chiara finds a steadfast ally in John Mahoney, who is much more than a co-worker and friend. But Chiara and John have secrets of their own, which affect every decision they make as they pursue justice. As their peril grows, Chiara is forced to accept the fact that the family she''s fought so hard to distance herself from is her greatest defense against the threat posed by powerful forces determined to protect a valuable secret.