Starkishia: Estrella is a story about a little girl who grew up too fast to feel the grass wear thin under the soles of her shoes. Abuse thickened her skin, yet her nightmares were as dark as they were real. The library became her sanctuary where stories took her to another place and time. But, in reality there was nothing imaginary about the bruises under her clothing as she advanced from one classroom to another during middle school, or nothing fictitious about being molested by the maggot hands of a despicable relative. Her plight was hidden in a small town in Georgia, just as her physical abuse was disregarded by the school's social worker. This colored child was brought into this world by her 14 year old mother who was ruthlessly dominated by her husband. Starkishia loved her mother above all else; her step-father who provided shelter for them witnessed her birth and helped raise her. She consumed pieces of joy, but sometimes she received broken reprisals and ended up walking down the dark road alone; yet in some fortunate way humanity was always within reach. After her parents split up, Starkishia and her family ended up in Texas. Single parenthood changed their family structure forevermore. Starkishia became a wage earner at age 13; she also became homeless the following year. She was, for years, engulfed by her impoverished and dysfunctional environment. She married a native of Mexico a few days after her 15th birthday. He nicknamed her 'Estrella' a Spanish term which means 'Star.' It goes without saying that Starkishia was born in the land of opportunity, but it was not exactly within her reach. Yes, she was her grandmother's star, but she was a statistic of minimal proportions as far as small town and suburbia America was concerned. Shortly after marriage, she became a mother. Afterward the life of this teen went downhill at lightning speed. Many readers will identify with her; for, she walked away from her husband broken hearted; then, she fell in love with another man, and as new babies arrived, she took her limited funds and focused on the lives of those under her roof; in time, her parental absence to her oldest two children turned flat out into abandonment. Have mercy Starkishia was a lost teen, but through grace she eventually became a productive woman in American society. Meredith Etc., a small press, proudly introduces readers to Starkishia: Estrella, a story about the perils of teen parenthood, economic dispossession, and the charity of new beginnings. Meredith Coleman McGee, Acquisition Editor Meredith Etc., a small press Jackson, Mississippi, USA www.meredithetc.com

Mississippi author Meredith Coleman McGee presents the reader with a triple expression of literary form in ODYSSEY, a uniquely written, well researched work which produces a family of fiction and nonfiction writings under one cover. This book is an interesting read especially for the poetic minded, the Civil Rights activists, students of history, and small business leaders. Of special notation is the prelude written entirely in a poetic fashion by the author's sister and niece. This one volume contains 228 pages with pictures, charts and references. The first three chapters consist of poems that mirror the behavior and conditions that are often seen in today's world. These human conditions exist in one's engaging journey for self-identification. Some of the poems are based on factual events; in one poem the author includes the experience of her ancestor in a four line stanza. Chapter four consists of pre-published articles by the author which respond to current and historically charged issues which provide valuable resources for a bevy of audiences. The articles include statistical and timely information about numerous topics and record facts about McGee's uncle Civil Rights Icon James Meredith's 2009 Walk for the Poor and his & 2012 Walk for Education & Truth. In the final chapter, McGee shares the findings of her research project which was submitted to Antioch University McGregor, now known as Antioch University Midwest, Yellow Springs, Ohio, in partial fulfillment of her Master of Arts Degree. This study compared the leadership characteristics of Sam Walton and Ray Croc with southern small business leaders. Walton and Croc turned Walmart and McDonald's respectively into global conglomerates. This study is heralding for leaders interesting in mirroring the leadership styles of successful entrepreneurs. Alma M. Fisher, Tougaloo College Retired Librarian and Archivist

This book provides an honest look at the life and times of Civil Rights icon James Howard Meredith within the context of the America that created him and his generation. James Meredith is a Civil Rights icon who took on the U.S. federal government and forced it to take a stand on whether African Americans were entitled to receive higher education at the same schools as whites. James Meredith: Warrior and the America That Created Him provides an insightful, revealing examination of the state of the United States that engendered James Meredith and others of his generation who stood up for equality. The book examines Meredith's early life; his actions that resulted in the integration of Ole Miss; his 1966 "March Against Fear," during which he was shot by a shotgun-wielding sniper; and voting rights stories from the Civil Rights era. The book also explores the roles played by famed Civil Rights activist Medgar W. Evers, Meredith's legal team, and the NAACP in shaping the events that prompted President John F. Kennedy to send in armed troops to restore order and break Mississippi's Jim Crow laws. The last two chapters focus on closing America's wealth gap in modern-day society. Includes information on Meredith's family history that has not previously been available to the general public Discusses how America's wealth gap can be closed Ideal for high school and college students, history lovers, and readers interested in exploring the Second Reconstruction Covers Meredith's 2009 Walk for the Poor and his 2012 Walk for Education & Truth Explores Black Power, race riots, poverty, and educational, political, and economic lopsidedness Introduces readers to known and unknown participants in the Second Reconstruction Features Fannie Lou Hamer, Unita Blackwell, Charles Sherrod, Bob Moses, and Stokely Carmichael

"Married to Sin (Casada al pecado) es una descripcion obligada de disfuncion y pobreza familiar. Las autoras recrean un mundo abundando con vida, sufrimiento y destruccion, marcada con notas con gracia de aguante, fe, auto-asercion y esperanza." Starry Krueger, Autor The Whole Works: The Autobiography of a Young American Couple (Las obras enteras: La autobiografia de una joven pareja Americana)