In his third novel, author Michael Snyder delivers another honest, authentic, and intriguing plot carried along by quirky characters whose actions and reactions still manage to look and sound like the rest of us. It is often said that every good joke contains some basic truth. In A Stand-Up Guy, aspiring comedian Oliver Miles puts that axiom to the test when he revamps his comedy act by filling it with darkly personal truths about friends and family. But, as the edgy humor begins to attract more attention, the young comic's personal life gets more complicated. When he realizes he has managed to turn the two women he cares about most into props for his act, he wonders if his honesty on-stage is making him dishonest in life. Despite the sobering reality of his world off stage, the laughter and the success is intoxicating, even for a stand-up guy. A Stand-Up Guy is a real story about real people struggling with life's rights and wrongs. It will appeal to anyone who enjoys a uniquely-woven relational drama threaded with a little mystery and delivered with a lot of humor and insight.

CHARLIE MURPHY is the outrageously funny comedian fromChappelle's Show,whose breakout role -- as himself -- in his True Hollywood Stories about Rick James and Prince rank among the best sketch comedy performances of all time. A successful stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and actor, Charlie has led an incredible life of highs and lows on his way to becoming a stand-up guy.In his raucous and revealing memoir, Charlie details his life on the road with Eddie Murphy, his nights on the town with Rick James ("the first man I ever met who had a swimming pool in his living room"), and his crazy movie audition with Chris Rock. He takes us backstage with Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx; on the set with costars Denzel Washington, Vanessa Williams, and Sammy Davis, Jr.; in the studio with Stevie Wonder; and off the wall with Michael Jackson and Mike Tyson.Along the way, Murphy reveals the ups and downs of his fascinating life -- growing up in Brooklyn, getting in trouble with street gangs on Long Island, doing time in jail, serving in the Navy, and supporting his brother's meteoric rise to fame as both protector and collaborator. After selling screenplays and landing roles in seminal films likeJungle FeverandCB4,Charlie decided to get up on stage -- at the age of forty-two -- and give stand-up comedy a try. And the rest, as they say, is history...Filled with hilarious Hollywood antics and raw personal insights,The Making of a Stand-Up Guyis Charlie's story of finding his passion, seizing the day, and finally stepping into the spotlight with mic in hand. This is the real Charlie Murphy, unfiltered and unapologetic, in his own words.

Stone Barrington’s newest client brings mayhem in his wake in this “edge-of-your-seat adventure”* in the #1 New York Times bestselling series. After giving some legal advice to a walk-in client, Stone Barrington thinks he’s done with the man. But several people are keenly interested in John Fratelli’s activities and how they relate to a long-ago crime...and some of them will stop at nothing to find the information they desire. On a hunt that leads from Florida’s tropical beaches to the posh vacation homes of the Northeast, Stone finds himself walking a tightrope between ambitious authorities and seedy lowlifes who all have the same prize in their sights. In this cutthroat contest of wills, it’s winner-takes-all—and Stone will need every bit of his cunning and resourcefulness to be the last man standing.

The Berkley Building Company's office closes on week-ends. So when Rose Shapiro arrives for work on Monday morning June 20, 1966, she has to unlock the door to gain entry. She finds her boss, Max Robbins-dead-the apparent victim of a heart attack. At the funeral home because bruises are found on Max's body, the Medical Examiner performs an autopsy. He opines that Max did die of a heart attack, but one caused by powerful blows to his solar plexus. So who killed Max? Crude, black-sheep son of real estate mogul, Sam Robbins, Max wasn't short of enemies. The police discover evidence that David Lev, Max's boyhood friend and lawyer was the last person to see Max alive. David, normally unflappable, borders on panic. He turns for help to his ex-mobster cousin, Jack Lerner, once head of Detroit's infamous Purple Gang, whose criminal activities teenaged David abhorred and which embarrassed him. With input from Chick Marcus, another childhood friend of David and Max, Jack makes the problem go away. Max's killer is never discovered. Thirty-eight years later, Chick, only survivor of the trio, eighty and frail, but with perfect recall tells us who killed Max and why.

A monumentally devastating plague leaves only a few survivors who, while experiencing dreams of a battle between good and evil, move toward an actual confrontation as they migrate to Boulder, Colorado.

As one of the most popular performers on Comedy Central’s mega-hit The Chappelle Show, Charlie Murphy—older brother of comedy legend Eddie Murphy—shares his passion for comedy and tells his true Hollywood stories in this juicy and highly entertaining memoir. Once described by Chris Rock as “Eddie Murphy on acid,” Charlie Murphy has achieved fame as a recurring performer on the critically acclaimed, three-time Emmy-nominated cult sensation Chappelle’s Show on Comedy Central. Celebrated in particular for his “Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories” skits, featuring hilarious renditions of Rick James and Prince, Murphy now recounts many of the actual stories that inspired these popular sketches in vivid and comical detail in Doing Time: The Making of a Stand-Up Guy. With his flare for storytelling and his distinctive and fearless voice, it’s no wonder that Charlie Murphy has been the subject of many featured stories in numerous magazines, including GQ, Essence, Rolling Stone, and he was recently listed as one of the Hottest People to Watch in Entertainment Weekly’s “Must List.” Featuring outrageous misadventures as part of his younger brother Eddie’s entourage, and hysterical encounters with numerous celebrities, Doing Time: The Making of a Stand-Up Guy is a fascinating and wildly funny chronicle from one of the most talented comedians today.

For every comedian you enjoy watching on HBO and Netflix, there's a thousand more hilarious individuals clawing and scratching for a chance to flash across your television screen. It doesn't matter if it's on Comedy Central or The Discovery Channel. Pulling from his personal "man diary" Mickey Housley shares anectdotes from his journey as a stand-up comedian. From proud moments like winning contests to embarassing moments like getting punched in the chest after a show. Mickey details his growing pains in compelling, insightful fashion, making him a guy you can both easily learn from and cheerfully root for. If you ever wondered what it takes for a comedian to establish a sustainable career in comedy, Chronicles of a Stand-up Guy delivers the goods and then some.