(The evocative story of twin brothers - one a straight man...)
The evocative story of twin brothers - one a straight man, the other gay - who find each other in adulthood and struggle to uncover many questions about themselves and one another, while also becoming entangled in a plot thick with deceit and suspense. A spirited and tender novel, No One in the World focuses on two seemingly different men - Cobi Winslow, a gay, educated, affluent social climber, and Eric Reed, a straight, career criminal raised in the foster care system - who, separated as young children, reunite upon their parents’ death after thirty years apart. Their reunion, however, is marred by the crooked plans of Eric’s former cellmate and Cobi’s struggles to raise enough money for his campaign for city council. With corruption, drug deals, and homophobia rearing their ugly heads, the two brothers may face the most difficult test of their relationship.
(E. Lynn Harris's blend of rich, romantic storytelling and...)
E. Lynn Harris's blend of rich, romantic storytelling and controversial contemporary issues like race and bisexuality have found an enthusiastic and diverse audience across America. Readers celebrate the arrival in paperback of his second novel, Just As I Am, which picks up where Invisible Life left off, introducing Harris's appealing and authentic characters to a new set of joys, conflicts, and choices. Raymond, a young black lawyer from the South, struggles to come to terms with his sexuality and with the grim reality of AIDS. Nicole, an aspiring singer/actress, experiences frustration in both her career and in her attempts to find a genuine love relationship. Both characters share an eclectic group of friends who challenge them, and the reader, to look at themselves and the world around them through different eyes. By portraying Nicole's and Raymond's joys, as well as their pain, Harris never ceases to remind us that life, like love, is about self-acceptance. In this vivid portrait of contemporary black life, with all its pressures and the complications of bisexuality, AIDS, and racism, Harris confirms a faith in the power of love - love of all kinds - to thrill and to heal, which will warm the hearts of readers everywhere.
(A stellar quarterback, an ambitious sportscaster. What ha...)
A stellar quarterback, an ambitious sportscaster. What happens when rising stars collide? In And This Too Shall Pass, Harris takes us into the locker rooms and newsrooms of Chicago, where four lives are about to intersect in romance and scandal. At the heart of the novel is the celibate Zurich, a rookie quarterback for the Chicago Cougars whose trajectory for superstardom is interrupted by a sexual assault charge by Mia, a sportscaster with her own sights on fame. With his career in jeopardy, Zurich hires Tamela, a high-powered attorney, to defend him, while Sean, a gay sportswriter, covers the story and uncovers his heart.All of these characters face the challenge of keeping the faith - in themselves and in God - while Harris's heartfelt storytelling reveals how the love of family can help one to face the terrible legacy of long-held secrets. Throughout these characters' search for self-knowledge, Harris weaves the stories of MamaCee, Zurich's grandmother, whose lessons of faith teach one and all that "this too shall pass. "Breaking new ground in contemporary fiction, And This Too Shall Pass entertains and affirms with its stirring message about the healing power of family and faith.
(In this hotly anticipated conclusion to his popular Invis...)
In this hotly anticipated conclusion to his popular Invisible Life trilogy, E. Lynn Harris delivers a masterful tale that traces the evolving lives of his beloved characters Nicole Springer and Raymond Tyler, Jr., and reintroduces readers to their respective lovers, best friends, and potential enemies. Abide with Me moves between the worlds of New York City, where Nicole has recently settled in order to pursue her dream of returning to the Broadway stage, and Seattle, where a late-night phone call from a U.S. Senator is about to change Raymond's life dramatically. Relationships and ambitions are tested as Harris deftly guides us toward this entertaining novel's conclusion. Sexy and heartwarming in equal measure, Abide with Me will thrill new readers as well as fans already familiar with Harris's unique take on the universal themes of love, friendship, and family.
(Four friends, all graduates of Hampton Institute, keep a ...)
Four friends, all graduates of Hampton Institute, keep a collective journal they call "If This World Were Mine," and share their personal diaries each month at a gathering filled with humor, gossip, and affirmation. The four group members are as different as the seasons, yet they all share a love of one another. Yolanda, a media consultant, keeps it going on with a no-nonsense attitude and independence that are balanced by the theatrics of Riley, a former marketing executive whose marriage has reduced her to a "kept woman with kids." Computer engineer Dwight's anger at the world is offset by the compassion of Leland, a gay psychiatrist whose clients make him question why God ever invented sex. But after five years, the once-strong bonds of friendship are weakening, and the group must handle challenges of work, lost love, and a stranger in their midst. As the group members confront their true feelings toward each other, resentments and long-held secrets surface, and the stability of the group begins to disintegrate. Is their past friendship strong enough to survive the future?
(John “Basil” Henderson has always played the field, both ...)
John “Basil” Henderson has always played the field, both as a professional football player and as an equal opportunity lover. After retiring his jersey for a career as a sports agent, the dashing playboy is surprising everyone - including himself - by deciding to settle down and commit to his new love, Yancey Harrington Braxton. A fiercely driven Broadway star on the rise, blessed with beauty, charm, and a fondness for the finer things in life, she appears to be his ideal mate. A lavish wedding is planned, but just before the nuptials, fate and a little comeuppance threaten the happy couple’s future. Charged with narrative exuberance and sumptuous detail.
(When her wedding to John “Basil” Henderson didn’t come of...)
When her wedding to John “Basil” Henderson didn’t come off as planned, Yancey Harrington Braxton flew off to L.A. and remade herself as mega-diva Yancey B. And Basil started concentrating on his career as a high-powered sports agent. But then Yancey’s first single, “Any Way the Wind Blows,” hit the charts, and now it threatens to blow Basil’s cover - if anyone learns who it’s really about. And it looks like the gorgeous (and ambitious) hunk Bart Dunbar might just have it all figured out.
(For almost a decade, beloved storyteller E. Lynn Harris h...)
For almost a decade, beloved storyteller E. Lynn Harris has welcomed you into his family with his passionate, warm and trail-blazing novels. Now, he invites you into the most intimate world ever - his own. Since his first book Invisible Life was published in the early 1990s, New York Times bestselling author E. Lynn Harris has wowed, charmed and romanced millions of readers. As a master storyteller, E. Lynn Harris has created an intimate and glamorous world centered around his signature themes of love, friendship and family. People all over the world have fallen in love with his characters and laughed and cried with them. Now, in his most daring act yet, E. Lynn Harris writes the memoir of his life–from his childhood in Arkansas as a closeted gay boy through his struggling days as a self-published author to his rise as a New York Times bestselling author. In What Becomes of the Brokenhearted, E. Lynn Harris shares an extraordinary life touched by loneliness and depression, but more important, he reveals the triumphant life of a small-town dreamer who was able through writing to make his dreams–and more–come true.
(After Zola Denise Norwood meets media mogul Davis Vincent...)
After Zola Denise Norwood meets media mogul Davis Vincent McClinton on a New York-bound flight, he makes her a couple of offers before they even land. One is editing his hot new urban style magazine Bling Bling. The other is more personal. As Zola and Raymond Tyler, Jr, Bling Bling’s CEO, pursue their ambitions and search for love, secrets from the past and events out of today’s headlines (plus the shenanigans of John Basil Henderson and Yancey B.) keep the action moving.
(A USA Today, New York Times, Washington Post BestsellerCh...)
A USA Today, New York Times, Washington Post BestsellerChauncey Greer, the suave and successful owner of the Cute Boy Greeting Card Company, never wants for the attention of guys just as hot as he is. After a couple of bad dates Chauncey finds himself in church, where the minister’s message inspires him to return to the singing career he had launched as a teenager. Things heat up when Chauncey’s rediscovered singing talent lands him in the middle of a protest over homophobia in the black church, and Chauncey’s old singing partner–and former lover–makes a dramatic and unexpected entrance.
(A New York Times Bestseller Brady Bledsoe and his mother,...)
A New York Times Bestseller Brady Bledsoe and his mother, Carmyn, have a strong relationship. A single mother, faithful churchgoer, and the owner of several successful Atlanta beauty salons, Carmyn has devoted herself to her son and his dream of becoming a professional football player. Brady has always followed her lead, including becoming a member of the church's "Celibacy Circle." Now, in his senior year at college, the smart and very handsome Brady is a lead contender for the Heisman Trophy and a spot in the NFL. As sports agents hover around Brady, a beautiful and charming cheerleader named Barrett enters the picture. Barrett is set on seducing Brady and getting a piece of his multimillion-dollar future. But is that all she wants from him? Is she acting alone? In a story that combines football, family, faith and secrets.
(AJ Richardson is living the good life. Thanks to his long...)
AJ Richardson is living the good life. Thanks to his longtime lover, NBA star Dray Jones, he has a gorgeous townhouse in New Orleans, plenty of frequent-flier miles, and an MBA he’s never had to use. Built on deep and abiding love, their hidden relationship sustains them both. But when Dray’s teammates begin to ask insinuating questions, Dray puts their doubts to rest by marrying Judi, a beautiful and ambitious woman. Judi knows nothing about Dray's “other life.” Or does she? In Basketball Jones, E. Lynn Harris explores the consequences of loving someone who is desperate to conform. Filled with nonstop twists and turns, it will keep readers riveted from the first page to the last.
(One of E. Lynn Harris's incomparable heroines, Yancey Har...)
One of E. Lynn Harris's incomparable heroines, Yancey Harrington Braxton, is working her way back to Broadway and beyond. And this diva supreme always stirs up the drama in and out of the spotlight... New York City, you've been warned: Yancey Harrington Braxton is back. The ambitious singer and actress is fired up to move past her recent professional and personal setbacks - including an explosive romance with NFL tight end John Basil Henderson - and prove her talents are stronger than ever. After being out on tour, Yancey realizes what she really wants is to star in her own reality TV series, and she's even found a rich and well-connected lover to make it happen. There are, however, two women fierce enough to derail Yancey's plans with ambitions of their own: Madison B., a hot new bombshell taking the music industry by storm, and Ava Middlebrooks, who happens to be Yancey's own mama dearest. Ava is out, about, and ready to reclaim her throne. Not even a stint in prison for attempted murder has curbed Ava's competitive nature, and it doesn't faze her in the least that her #1 rival is her own daughter. Ava is willing to do whatever it takes to make Yancey pay, including using Madison B. to turn Yancey's world upside-down by forcing her to confront the past...and making her comeback dreams more exciting and dangerous than she ever imagined. Taking readers on a wild, passion-filled tour of the entertainment world, E. Lynn Harris's Mama Dearest delivers sensual thrills and electric plot twists - with one unforgettable woman of radiant star power, sexual magnetism, and unapologetic ambition at the heart of the action.
(Bentley L. Dean, owner of the hottest modeling agency in ...)
Bentley L. Dean, owner of the hottest modeling agency in Miami's sexy South Beach. Only the world's most beautiful models make the roster of Picture Perfect Modeling agency and they only do shoots for the most elite photographers and magazines. They are fashionista royalty - and the owners, Bentley L. Dean and his beautiful partner Alexandra, know it. But even Picture Perfect isn't immune from hard times, so when Sterling Sneed, a rich, celebrity party planner promises to pay a ludicrously high fee for some models, Bentley finds he can't refuse. Even though the job is not exactly a photo shoot, Bentley agrees to supply fifteen gorgeous models as eye candy for an "A" list party - to look good, be charming and, well, entertain the guests. They don't have to do anything they don't want to, but... His models are pros and he figures they can handle the pressure, until one drops out and Bentley asks his protégé Jah, a beautiful kid who Bentley treats as if he were his own son, to substitute. Suddenly, the stakes are much higher, particularly when Jah falls in love with the hottest African American movie star in America. Seth Sinclair is very handsome, very famous, and very married - and his closeted gay life makes him very dangerous as well. Can Bentley's fatherly guidance save Jah from making a fatal mistake?
Everett Lynn Harris was an American author. Openly gay, he was best known for his depictions of African-American men who were on the down-low and closeted.
Background
Everett Lynn Jeter was born on June 20, 1955, in Flint, Michigan, but since the age of 3, he was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, with three sisters. His mother Etta Mae Williams was an assembly worker. Upon his mother's marriage to Ben Harris, his surname was changed to Harris. By the time he was 13 years old, his mother divorced his stepfather who had abused Harris for years. After his parents divorced in 1970, Harris discovered and was reunited with his biological father, James Jeter. The reunion, however, was short-lived, as Jeter died in an automobile accident a year later.
Education
Harris was one of the first African-American students at Forest Heights Junior High and Hall High School in Little Rock. He was generally well-liked by his classmates. Then he studied journalism at the University of Arkansas and graduated in 1977 as a Bachelor of Arts with honors. Harris became the first black male cheerleader as well as the first black yearbook editor while attending the University of Arkansas.
After graduation, Harris became a computer salesman with IBM, AT&T, and Hewlett-Packard for 13 years living in Dallas, Texas, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. During this time he was unhappy, lonely and even attempted suicide, but he found the will to live through the writing.
Harris relieved himself of his salesman duties and quit in order to begin writing a semi-autobiographical novel in 1991. Harris was initially unable to land a book deal with a publishing house for his first work, Invisible Life, so he published it himself. The author filled the trunk of his car with books and began distributing them to blackened bookstores in Atlanta; he also left copies in black beauty shops, asking that they are kept in the shops for patrons to read. Word of mouth finally created a demand for the book and stores began to order copies in greater numbers. Subsequently, Essence named Invisible Life one of its ten best books and a story in the Atlanta Constitution led to a trade paperback publishing contract with Anchor Books in 1994.
Among Harris's other novels are Just As I Am (1994), And This Too Shall Pass (1996), If This World Were Mine (1997), Abide with Me (1999), Not a Day Goes By (2000), Any Way the Wind Blows (2001), A Love of My Own (2002), and I Say a Little Prayer (2006). His books tell ultimately optimistic stories that explore friendship, careers, romance, sexuality, and race. Harris wrote with an ear for black dialect, with descriptions, slang terms, and dialogue. Just As I Am, Any Way the Wind Blows, and A Love of My Own all won Novel of the Year designations by the Blackboard African American Bestsellers Inc. In 1997, If This World Were Mine won the James Baldwin Award for Literary Excellence. Today, there are more than four million copies of his books in print.
In 1996 Harris began working on a nonfiction project, a memoir tentatively titled For Colored Boys Who’ve Considered Suicide When Being Gay Was Too Tough, a title reminiscent of Ntozake Shange’s play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf. His memoir, What Becomes of the Brokenhearted, which he wrote over a period of seven years, was published in 2003, which was also a New York Times bestseller.
Harris returned to the University of Arkansas in 2004 to teach African American Fiction, quickly becoming a student favorite.
(E. Lynn Harris's blend of rich, romantic storytelling and...)
1995
Views
Openly homosexual, Harris was best known for his depictions of gay African American men who were concealing or “closeting” their sexuality. Although he did not participate in gay rights activism, Harris introduced millions of readers to the “invisible life” of gay black men.
Quotations:
"I want people to know they don’t have to live their lives in a permanent ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ existence. Truth is a powerful tool."
"Memories and loneliness look backward, fear looks around, but faith always looks forward."
"Truth, like love, is never absolute."
Membership
E. Lynn Harris Better Days Foundation
,
United States
Personality
Harris was the school’s first black yearbook editor, the first black male cheerleader and president of his fraternity. In 1990, Harris attempted suicide during a dark phase of depression and heavy drinking but later found the will to live through his writing. He used writing to help liberate him from a depression born of hiding his homosexuality. Harris was successful but unhappy in his work, he was lonely and still was a heavy drinker.
Connections
Harris had three sisters. He never had an opportunity to create a family of his own.