"I really thought I had a handle on life -- then it broke off."

Opinionated, straight-talking, and witty, Tee is a fly forty-something. Divorced since her daughter, Amber, was young, Tee has been "handling her business," supporting herself after her would-be songwriter husband took off for L.A., and she's done all right. Organized, responsible, hardworking, and loyal, Tee went from being the first employee of a start-up purveyor of organic lotions to the right hand of the president of what became a major player in the home and personal fragrance market.

But then everything changes. First, she's outplaced from her longtime job and doesn't tell anyone. Then she gives her daughter the wedding of her dreams and, after overindulging in champagne, Tee wakes up in bed with the younger best man.

For the first time in twenty-five years, Tee doesn't know who she is or what she's going to do every day. Deep in denial, she continues to live her life as if nothing has changed. After a series of financial mistakes, miscalculations, and missteps compound her already shaky situation, she's soon teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. That's when Tee decides that it's time for her to wake up and face reality.

Beyond "making money," Tee never really decided what she wanted to do with her life. Then she just stopped thinking about it and invested her hopes in someone else's dream. Now it's her chance to invest in herself. Can she step out on faith to follow her own dream?

ENTER THE WORLD OF UPTOWN
Uptown . . . where money rules
Uptown . . . where ambition trumps tradition
Uptown . . . where politics come before everything
Uptown . . . where a family's secrets will bring them together--or down
After twenty years away, Avery Lyons returns to New York when her mother and uncle suffer a serious car accident. The tragedy brings the family together, but Avery is not happy about the impromptu reunion. She no longer recognizes the Harlem of her childhood, but the same old family dynamics and secrets are all too familiar . . .
Heir to a real estate empire, Dwight is willing to do anything to realize his aging and demanding father's dream: Dixon Plaza, a luxury high-rise development on Central Park North that will change the face of Harlem forever. There's only one thing in his way: his cousin Avery has inherited a share of the property. She's more than willing to sell until a reporter uncovers the truth behind the rumored shady dealings . . .
In "Uptown "a prominent Harlem family is strained to the breaking point by the high-stakes world of the Manhattan real estate industry, and one woman searches for her identity and the will to forgive. Steamy, provocative, and sexy, "Uptown "is a turbulent and triumphant read.

As a glamorous, successful fashion photographer, adored by New York and Paris trend makers, Brett Larsen has dedicated her life to capturing beauty. Yet the corruption and betrayals that lie just beneath the glittering surface of that world prevent her from recognizing her own beauty and its glorious possibilities.

The first collaboration by Virginia DeBerry & Donna Grant, award winning, bestselling authors of "Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made," among other works, shows the depth of character and plot twists that would become their trademark.

"It was an experiment to see if we could write together," says Donna.

"It worked," adds Virginia.