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This fall brings us great reads from first time author, rap extraordinaire Tip.’T.I.” Harris,  Terrance Dean and Scott Paulson  Bryant. Each one of their books tells stories that are  suspenseful, page turning reads in “Power & Beauty,  The V.I.P.’s” and “Mogul. Power & Beauty- Tip T.I. Harris Summary: Tip Harris, better known as Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum selling hip-hop artist and actor T.I., is at the top of his game. Now he displays yet another side of his remarkable talents with Power & Beauty, a love story of life on the streets. Set in the dangerous shadows of Atlanta, Georgia, Power & Beauty is a dark, gritty story of sex, violence, hustling, and redemption centered around Paul “Power” Clay and Tanya “Beauty” Long—two kids facing long odds and lethal temptations, yet whose miraculous, unbreakable bond ultimately becomes their salvation. A love story, a crime story, a survival story, Power & Beauty bristles with an electrifying authenticity born of Tip “T.I.” Harris’s hard life on the streets. This is exhilarating, brutally honest, page-turning urban African-American fiction at its very best. Review : The book is just good. It is fast read that is not the typical urban read, but a book that is clearly more on par with the Jackie Collin’s and Ricahrd Wright of the world. It is spiritual, yet grounded. It is heart wrenching, yet inspiring. The young travails of Power & beauty in the book are ones that are closely synonymous with the life discoveries of the two main characters. No fellas, there is no why mushy tales of romance here, but heart stopping deals, swindles, murders and life plans. Ladies, you will find the book races ahead a speed that will keep you gripped to the last page. The end is so shocking you will be talking about it for a long time after. Mogul- Terrance Dean Summary: After the sudden death of his father, a renowned jazz musician, Aaron “Big A.T.” Tremble clings to music as an escape. Making hip hop beats becomes his life. His love for music lands him at the estate of Larry “Pop” Singleton, a retired and respected Hip Hop music mogul who sees something special in Big A.T., and he also knows the truth about his sexuality. With Pop’s blessings and nurturing, Big A.T. is on the path to becoming the next great Hip Hop producer in New York.  With the help of Pop and “the family,” a network of secretly gay men in the Hip Hop world, Big A.T. finds success and starts his own music label. He’s signed and worked with some of the biggest Hip Hop artists in the country. One of them is Brooklyn native lyricist, “Tickman.” Together they are making sweet music together. Tickman and Big A.T.’s relationship goes beyond producer and rapper – they become secret lovers.  Nothing can stop Big A.T. All of the radio stations play his music. He has money, fame, and Jasmine, his girlfriend who doesn’t know about his secret love for men. However, at the pinnacle of his career, compromising photos of Big A.T. land on the desk of a national news program—and in the hands of his girlfriend. Big A.T., for the first time is at a crossroad in his career: come out publicly with his secret or watch his music empire crumble. Review : Mogul, breathes new life into the dreams of success and hip hop game. Terrance gives you a taste of the forbidden, expected and the unexpected. When the story opens up you are in the midst at the very pinnacle of “Big A.T”’s career. He can’t get much higher than what and where he is. The question arises when he must figure out what his truth is. Great read, that moves along at a quick pace. It harkened back to the Michael Baisden books of old. Watch the video below and see Terrance discuss the book. The VIPS- Scott Paulson Bryant Summary: On a steamy June day in New York City, mega-star rapper TNT gathers a group of four successful men together, childhood friends who called themselves “the VIPs,” signaling the big dreams they all once had. Leo Bradford is a gay publishing magnate who is learning to love again after a devastating tragedy. Barry Chambers is a playboy attorney with a working-class background who is starting to realize that the chip he’s carried on his shoulders all these years doesn’t go too well with the bespoke suits that have become his trademark. Joey Ramirez is a high-flying fashion designer who has managed to triumph over a life of abuse and neglect to become one of the most successful clothiers in the world. And Duke Maynard is a recently-retired NFL star facing the challenges of successfully transferring his competitive energies from his gridiron past to his entertainment world future. Having gone on to live their lives they are faced with a secret from a long time ago. These four men have a history and bond that could be torn apart by a night of passion one of them had long ago. The VIPs, who haven’t seen one another in years, are greeted at the Hotel Gansevoort by openly hostile TNT, who asks them the bombshell question: “Which one of you is my father?” Review : The story reminds you of a time when the “hot it books “came from Judith Krantz. The major themes of friendship, trust and betrayal are key throughout the novel. You will find yourself cheering and leering. I found myself recalling a scene from Scruples that is referenced early in the book that many 1980’s readers talked about for months when the book became a mini-series. It is a must read for commuters. Watch the commercial below for this page turner. Harrold Robbin’s  finally has company with these three men.

T.I.’s”Beauty & Power”,”V.I.P.” & “Mogul” Books Are Must Reads This Fall