Showing results by author "Brian Smith" in All Categories

Not all leaders have fancy titles or high-paying jobs. Every human has the power to influence, and, therefore, is primed to be a leader. By coming to terms with our ability to affect others with our energies, words, and actions, we begin to grow in claiming this responsibility instead of remaining blind. Smith and Griffin continue the “I” in Team series journey by helping all humans (all leaders) consider how they will build themselves and others with the power of influence. Through real-life stories and summarized key takeaways, the authors promote out-of-the-box learning.

Josh and Stevie are two eleven year old boys who appear to be different. Josh is white, Stevie is black. Josh is poor, Stevie if from a middle class family. But, these two boys have one thing in common - they both are being molested by their mother's boyfriends. The two boys make a decision to get rid of their abusers once and for all...but will they be able to get away with their revenge?

Nothing can derail a wedding faster than a murder… Eli LaPomeret is a descendant of Pierre LaPomeret—the most notorious slave owner in Louisiana history. The LaPomeret family has benefited for generations from the wealth accumulated by their infamous ancestor, and still has a lot of influence within the city of New Orleans. So, when Eli announced his engagement to Khloe Francois the buzz that ensued within the city’s most exclusive social circles was predictable. But, no one could have predicted that Eli would find himself standing at the altar waiting for his soon-to-be-bride…who ...

The Club is a book club that consists of 7 women and 1 man who all have a passion for reading novels. Their love for books has created an unbreakable bond between them. But things take a dark turn when Amber, the baby of the group, reveals that her husband, Police Chief, Anthony Dunwoody, is a monster who has done horrible things to her and their daughter, Sophie. The members of The Club become enraged by Amber's confession, and once the alcohol starts flowing at the meeting, it isn't long before suggestions on how to kill the badge wearing abuser get tossed around. Those suggestions might ...

T.S. Eliot tells us in his poem “The Hollow Men” that the world will end not with a bang, but with a whimper. Well, he was wrong. Dead wrong. When death and destruction come, the screams of terror, horror, and excruciating pain will rend the blood-red sky and be heard across the world. When your number is up, there’s nowhere to run and no place to hide. You can't cheat death; death will find you. It always does.

Sonya Lucas is the model wife. Her husband Eric is not the model husband. The couple's marriage is in jeopardy because Sonya can't have kids and Eric desperately wants a son. Tired of waiting for his wife to give him a child, Eric has a "love child" with his mistress Ann. Will Sonya accept the baby to save her marriage? Or will she take matters into her own hands. Deceit has consequences...serious consequences.

Saxophone Bo has been playing jazz tunes on the same Bourbon Street corner for over fifty years. He's always been a crowd favorite because of his skills, personality, and the thing that makes him stand apart from the other musician's roaming the French Quarter...he's blind. When Saxophone Bo is found dead at the spot that he stood at for decades, the locals and police are baffled. Why would anyone murder such a kind man? And why did the murderer leave Bo's money and his most prized possession, his saxophone, untouched? Trying to catch the killer seems impossible since there were no ...

Step into the shadows where the line between flesh and nightmare blurs, where the body becomes both canvas and cage. In this chilling anthology, darkness reigns supreme as twisted minds explore the depths of human agony and transformation. From the grotesque to the surreal, each story delves deeper into the macabre, weaving tales of torment that will leave you breathless and disturbed.

Quincy Washington is an alcoholic and drug addict. He abandons his wife (Carmen) and their five year old son (QJ). Carmen tells QJ his father died. Ten years later, QJ and a few of his rowdy friends are beating up a homeless man. Just as QJ was about to hit the man, the man tells him he's his father.

Evelyn Quick is a feisty, smart, attractive young entrepreneur. But her troubled past has left her fractured emotionally and is the genesis for a deep dark secret she has struggled to keep from her friends and co-workers...she's a hoarder. Hoarding is a way for her to emotionally bury the secrets of her past...as well as some other things.

Robert Sumina, a successful entrepreneur, husband, and father, hates his own father, Enis, so much that he told his ten-year-old daughters their grandfather died. Why? Because Enis was so verbally and physically abusive that Robert's mother committed suicide to escape his wrath. When Hurricane Katrina demolishes New Orleans and sends thousands of residents fleeing from the city, Enis, now sixty-five years old, hobbled, and destitute because of the hurricane, lands—unannounced—on the doorstep of Robert’s suburban Dallas home. Robert’s lie is exposed. To make matters worse, Enis is ...

We are influenced by every person and interaction we have, and, in turn, we influence everyone and everything around us. We all have a choice about what to do with our influence: Will we leave a negative impact on others or use our influence to become a shining beacon of positivity? Smith and Griffin upskill listeners with tools to stay humble, lead themselves and the people around them well, and create opportunities to expand their influence in new and exciting ways.

Grief. We avoid talking about it. We avoid thinking about it. However, every one of us who lives long enough will experience it. Since you are interested in this, you are likely experiencing grief at this moment. It is also likely you’ve given little thought as to how you were going to cope with grief when it came to you, and the pain caught you off guard. In Grief 2 Growth, Brian Smith explores what grief is, what you can expect while in grief, and how you can best cope with the universal human experience of grief. Grief is not an emotion.

Treena Carter is about to marry the love of her life, Cedric Calderone, in one week. But, she has one problem - her ex-husband and thirteen year old daughter are determined to stop the wedding. And they come up with the "perfect lie" to make sure the wedding doesn't happen.

Do you want to start your own business and become a success? Have you looked at various ideas and are still stuck on what would be best for you? Is a food-truck business something that you could see yourself doing? If a new business seems like it could be for you, then this book, Food Truck Business, could be just what you are looking for. Inside it you will find plenty of information that will help you to succeed

Is voodoo real? Detective Lizzy Silverman is about to find herself face-to-face with that question. When Corey Simon, a delivery truck driver, is found dead with his throat slit near the tomb of Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, police are shocked by the gruesome crime scene. Guinevere Laveau, a woman who claims to be the descendant of Marie Laveau, confesses to placing a voodoo spell on the victim; a spell that assured his death. With no other suspects, Detective Lizzy Silverman feels compelled to arrest Laveau, but that would also mean Lizzy would have to believe that voodoo ...

A beautiful college student is killed in Audubon Park - just a few feet away from St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. There were no witnesses. The case is handed to newly minted detective, Elizabeth Silverman. It isn't long before Elizabeth realizes there are multiple people who had a motive to murder the young woman. Elizabeth is in over her head on this one, but she has a secret weapon - legendary detective Donald "Sleepy" Carter. But, there is one catch, everyone at the New Orleans Police Department believes Sleepy Carter is dead - and that's exactly the way Elizabeth and Sleepy like it.

Wood Mercer, a single father, works two jobs so that his only child, Ryan, can grow up in the suburbs of Dallas, TX. Wood has a lot of financial stress on him, but he has an everyday challenge that trumps the pile of bills in his mailbox...living in his predominantly all white neighborhood. Wood has been racially profiled numerous times by the police and insulted by neighbors who question why he's living in their community. The incidents - along with emotional baggage from his childhood - has left a bad taste in his mouth. Nevertheless, he deals with it all because he feels the suburban ...

On a sunny day in Big Sur, California, five people wander into a coffee shop intending to get their daily caffeine fix. Instead, they witness a disturbing verbal altercation between two customers. Slurs and innuendos are exchanged between the two adversaries and the normally quaint coffee shop fills with a tension that's thicker than the scent of java swirling in the air. The scene becomes combustible when one of the combatants pulls out a cellphone to film the incident. When police officers arrive on the scene and interview the five witnesses: Kim - an African-American nurse; Amy - a ...

Conway Jackson wanted his six adult kids to squash their "beefs" before he died, but he was unable to bring them together. So, in his will he stipulates that the only way each of them can receive their $100,000 inheritance, they must go on a scavenger hunt to find the money. They have 48 hours to find the money or all $600,000 gets donated to charity. But, there is one catch...the siblings with the biggest "differences" must team up to find the money. Will these six malcontents find their inheritance before they kill each other?