Hello Dear Readers!

This is a special preview of my upcoming tank top line celebrating my Ethiopian Heritage. Stay tuned!

Ayana Dinha, Editor-In-Chief

Cabbage Patch Kids have been well-loved for over three decades. Each Cabbage Patch Baby or Kid is looking for a loving home. Why not adopt one and welcome them into your heart today? You will receive your new baby’s birth certificate, official adoption papers, and their baby book that lets you see their origins of birth in the cabbage patch. Taking care of a baby is hard work! Don’t worry; we have you covered. Please accept our compliments, a nutritious food box needed for healthy babies, brand new feeding bottles, a comfy high chair,  and a stroller for lovely summer day walks. Congratulations on your new bundle of joy

Cabbage Patch Baby Set. 7 items. Ages 2&UP

Doll 10 babies. High chair 10 variants. Stroller 9 variants. Adoption Certificate found in Kids Decor. Birth Certificate and Baby Book found in Kids Decor. Food Set found in Kids Decor. Baby Bottle found…

Bash Banks’ POV

I met up with Rico downtown the night before about the “progress” I made on getting Cypher’s technology for him. Tim and I had grown “closer”, and he was very forthcoming with information on what management discussed regarding the issues and bugs with the application and what they were doing to address the problems.

“Do you have what I need?” Rico asked me.
“No, but I’m getting close,” I tried to reassure him.

“Maybe I was wrong about you, Bash. Maybe it’s best if you were to stay on at Jupiter and the let the chips fall where they may,” said Rico. Behind his dark tinted shades, I could see his eyes; it felt as if they were piercing through me.

“No, you weren’t wrong; I need more time.”

“You have seventy-two hours,” replied Rico and walked off.

*****************************

After my conversation with Rico, I could think…

The Carters

The Carters are one of the most prominent black legacy families in the south and the DMV.  They are one of the founding members of  John&Jenn, an old societal club that formed during the Reconstruction period for black families that grouped together in their communities to support each other and fight for civil rights but on a much smaller scale than what came several decades later.

If the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts are what is considered WASPs blue-blooded American aristocracy, then the Carters, the Livaudaiss, and the Carmichaels were the “black equivalent.” While the J&Js legacy families are located in many states, their “unwritten” membership requirements and traditions are very southern. No one person could apply for membership. You either had to be brought in through family legacy, sponsored, or marry someone that was already in the organization.

Judge Corliss Carter sits on the bench of the US Court…

Lupita Noriega’s POV:

(some language)

I had arrived at the New Crest Regional Justice Center’s visitor’s lounge, but there was nothing “lounge-worthy” or comfortable about A room with the dingy walls, old wooden tables, and hard metal fold-out chairs. I was here for my monthly visit with my father, Carmine Noriega.

Papa was being held awaiting trial on multiple drugs and racketeering charges. His lawyers, one of the best criminal defense firms in the country were working on getting him house arrest until his trial started. In the meantime, I had been tasked with overseeing our family’s principal operations, while two of my older brothers handled out of state business. I didn’t see Junior and Felix very often; it was better for them to stay out of my sight.

I heard a guard unlock the door to the visitor’s lounge. The other families who had been waiting looked up as…

Det Bella Vega’s POV:
(Some graphic language, sexual situations, no nudity)

“Moynihan, did you get anything back from forensics?” Erik and I had been reviewing the evidence seized from Meech’s apartment over the last couple of days. Most of what was recovered by the team had been useless. “Uh, yeah. There was nothing on those phones we recovered. I didn’t suspect there would be.” He whizzed around in his chair; slamming down a stack of folders. “It’s bullshit, Bella. If we had gotten the warrant earlier, maybe we would’ve found something to tie McQueen to the Caribbean importers or Hector Noriega and by extension his brother and Lupita.”

It was getting late in the afternoon, and I was gearing up for another twelve-hour workday. The tension was rising within our department because we were feeling the heat. Ever since cartel boss DM Sanders was killed, there’s been uprisings from smaller…

Okay, so you know how you end up writing several pages whether it’s your character’s inner dialogue or between two or more characters, only to find that you need to cut, cut, and cut some more? But what if some of that dialogue is important either to the storyline or the development of the character? I’ve come across this issue in the past, and I am dealing with it as I write chapter 8 of Game of Power.  What I found out is that sometimes certain scenes, detail, or dialogue is unnecessary for what the storyline calls for at the moment. Having too much text that doesn’t further along anything at the time can weigh the momentum of the story down. However, the same informational dialogue could be essential for your character’s development. I’ve often had to cut it and add it later either by presenting it differently through the…

Rico Thomas’ POV

I was in New York for a meeting with Harrison to discuss the Jupiter Works acquisition. Edward Enterprises L.P. is a diversified holdings conglomerate located in the 9 West building in Manhattan. One of Harrison’s subsidiaries is Edward Capital L.P., an activist hedge fund with just over seventeen billion in assets under management. Aside from being a businessman and billionaire philanthropist, Harrison is an old family friend and my mentor. He’s currently married but separated from his wife.

I had the highest respect and admiration Harrison, even more so than my father. He taught me everything I know about my business, how to obtain power; ultimately he’s shown me how to survive.

Harrison had gained a reputation a pit bull corporate raider in the nineties; the preferred modern term is “activist investor or shareholder.” He told me once when I was at Harvard that he preferred the…

 Marquez “Big Meech” Flex

Marquez had the Deviance Aspiration

Marquez’s traits are: Ambitious, Insider, and Romantic

Marquez “Big Meech” Flex is a mid-level underboss in the newly formed McQueen cartel. Ever since the execution of former boss D.M. Sanders by unknown assailants, there’s been a power grab over territory within the four boroughs in San Myshuno: The Spice District, Uptown, Fashion Row, and Art of the City. Not only are smaller factions on the rise and seeking to take over, but the bosses from the surrounding cities know that San Myshuno is ripe for the pickings.

Outside cartels threaten Lamar McQueen’s reign as the new boss. Meech and his crew; The Thetas report directly to McQueen. Pressure is starting to build within the organization as there are many including the Thetas who feel disenfranchised by McQueen’s erratic actions and increasingly ineffective operations.

Lamar was a mentor to Marquez and showed…