Th e story begins with the lives of two sisters. One is a very good girl. Judy chooses to live a normal life and has a lovely daughter, Beth. Th ey are unaware of the disasters that will unfold. Th e other sister, Sarah pretends to be normal for her sister and her neice. Yet, she leads a double life. Little does Judy know, that Sarah is a stripper and a prostitute. She works at an underground strip club called Tangoes. Sarah begins to get black roses and threat letters in her mail box. She gets pulled into a haunted disaster. Suddenly, one by one her johns are getting murdered and she is one of the suspects. Suddenly she is afraid for her life and the ones that she loves are also in danger. She wants to change her life around. She meets someone who wants her to change for him. She suddenly is willing to risk everything for transforming her life and fi nding true love. Destiny reveals itself.

Love, affection, and affluence define the seemingly close-knit Adler clan. Though the family members reside in New England and beyond, patriarch and successful engineer Rick Adler, with his devoted wife, Kat, see to it—through lavish parties, fun festivities, and hearty Sunday dinners at their Barrington, Rhode Island home—that everyone stays linked and in touch with one another. One night, all of their happiness is shattered when Rick Adler dies unexpectedly... Miles away in Providence, after closing yet another difficult case, the lives of Detectives Stephen Bennett and Porscha Councill have begun to settle, though life-altering changes are at the helm. Bennett and his wife, Jen, are expecting a new addition and their daughter's return while Councill mulls over some new developments—one featuring Long Beach detective Andre Hernandez—and other future possibilities of her own. Everything is put on hold when Wayne Jacobs, Rick’s half-brother, accuses the widowed Kat Adler of murder and personally asks Bennett to get to the truth behind his brother's demise. The accusation seems little more than a family squabble. Until the first body turns up. Soon, Bennett and Councill find themselves thrust beneath skeletons and scandal. And digging for their lives.

The Black Rose. Once, the dread assassin’s name was whispered through the streets of three kingdoms. Her victims never saw her coming, and she never showed mercy. Until she fell in love with the prince she was hired to kill. Now, years later, the Black Rose slips on her old leathers and sharpens her knives. She will stalk the night again… …Unless the prince has his way. This short story is 12,000 words long. It is also available in Not Your Heroine, a fantasy short story collection.

It's an African American Tale about four courageous young Black people. It starts with their struggles at a racist, predominantly, White school. It's a place and time where they are abused by White students and teachers, where Tiana struggles with wanting to be a cheerleader in a squad where even high yellow Black girls were only there so that the school wouldn't seem so racist. But she is a Black girl the color of Iman (the model). That means, she's among the darkest of the Negro race. And she struggles with a love for a mulatto named Nicadeemius who has won the heart of the school, but who wouldn't give her a second glance except to abuse her. Will she win his heart? A good question when one of the four friends is a mulatto who is just as light skinned as he is and might seem better suited for his attention. It follows them to where Heracio - the Latino friend - enters college and finds Nicadeemius there. The question is raise: Is Nicadeemius a Muslim? And then there's Sally Turner. What can be said about Sally Turner? Later, Tiana and Phylisha work at the same job with their new friend Nancy Curtis. A beautiful, mulatto, co-worker has his eyes on Tiana; but he brings back too many memories of Tinkle High and Nicadeemius. Phylisha insists that Tiana give him a chance. But Tiana insists that he's just like Nicadeemius. Will he be able to break through the barriers in Tiana's heart? Will he fall for Phylisha? What will become of the beautiful Black roses?

Black Roses and Other Poems and Short Stories challenges readers to view the world from a new perspective. The collection of free verse poetry, haiku, and short stories delves into transcendent themes such as truth, beauty, and free will. Author Chandanie D. Hiralal explores the convergence and juxtaposition of apparent binaries like death and life, darkness and light. Although the themes may be dark at times, Hiralals word play infuses a touch of levity. Hiralal draws upon the Japanese language and Vedic teachings for inspiration. Mizu, meaning water in Japanese, reflects this influence and points to the primacy of nature in her work. Mizu They jump up and down. Like friends, they stand together. They die with the sun.

Wisdom, Apples & Black Roses by Robert M. Thompson From a lifetime of his own experience, and from scores of interviews and conversations with people from all walks of life and from all over the world, Robert M. Thompson has distilled what he considers the essential principles of wisdom and how to attain them. Concise and pithy, Wisdom, Apples & Black Roses is a guide to the most basic questions of how a human being should think and live. A salient feature of Thompson’s presentation is the “anecdotes” he gives to illustrate and prove his points. These charming short stories add wit and color to his ideas and provide refreshment for his readers, and the sketch he offers of his own life grounds his thoughts in the reality of trials and tribulations we all share.