Books published by Meredith McGee DBA Meredith Etc

THE SOUTHERN PHOENIX was born out of the Black experience in America during the mid-1900s. It is an intense story reflecting the lives of very real people. Throughout this historical fiction novel, the reader is introduced to events such as the sit-ins down South, the 1965 riots in Watts, fair housing issues, and scenes--poignant, joyous, riveting, and sad-- portraying daily life for families of all stripes. In the beginning, we meet the main characters among whom is the protagonist, John David Johnson (otherwise known as Ba' Bro'). We learn of their wants and needs, their frustrations and triumphs. We witness Mr. Johnson's personal growth, though subtle at first, as he evolves from an emotionally devastated Southern farm kid to a mature, determined young man who encounters many harsh travails. He becomes a strong Black man, a devoted family man, and a civil rights attorney of note who triumphs over innumerable crushing challenges. Ba' Bro's life is a testament to what education and enlightenment can mean to any individual-to all of us--and to how the world can change. His is a story of how one can rise from the ashes and become a Phoenix in his own right.

A Book Review by Brian Grossman, PhDRosemary Jenkins-activist, journalist, teacher-has written a masterpiece! In Juvenile Offenders, you will hear directly from those incarcerated souls who have been able to change their lives while still incarcerated. She has written a book that will inspire you. Your own views on justice issues will be unalterably changed. There is much each of us can do. If we as a Society can provide viable alternatives for our at-risk youth, we can reduce recidivism and crime itself. After all, as Benjamin Franklin's old adage suggests, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!"As a prison psychologist, I have worked with scores of inmates from every background and have come to have a better understanding of their early triggers and their current needs. Instead of spending enormous sums of money on building and maintaining more prisons, we can expend those funds on crime prevention, just sentencing, restorative justice, post-incarceration transitions, and successful re-entry.This book not only serves as a source of enlightenment on our justice policies, it also offers important insights into how to rectify many of the problems inherent in the system. Juvenile Offenders is well-worth the read!Dr. Brian Grossman, PhD, California Prison Psychologist

The New Populist Party, a novella, by William Trest Jr. introduces a third political party which shakes up modern-day politics in 2020 with the unprecedented election of a gorgeous, intellectual former news reporter turned political consultant named, Susan Crosby Wilson. Her historical presidential bid renders her new and third husband, Charles Wilson, the first man of the first female USA president and popularity around the world.When the story unfolds, Charles Wilson, an ex-convict, has seized enough political will to get the Governor of Mississippi to restore his voting rights and becomes the spokesman of The New Populist Party. Wilson's fiery rhetoric generates local buzz including the interest of Susan Crosby. He draws strength as a political historian and as a descendant of one of the small Mississippi farmers who founded the Populist Party in the 1890s. Despite his past, Charles is honest and pious, but quite gullible to matters of the heart.Susan Crosby's character evolves from the victim of both physical and verbal abuse by her first two husbands into an ambitious woman who reinvented herself into a powerful politician. Steve Jackson, a Floridian, who founded The New Populist Party, became Susan Wilson's running mate. The candidates draw upon the resources of party loyalists and new enthusiasts and capture the hearts of voters. Some characters like Henry Evans and B¿etsy Ross - jump off the pages. Readers should relate to the flaws in American politics. In the end, Susan Crosby Wilson's presidency moves politics to the center.By Meredith Coleman McGee