Schooling Carmen

Desperate to stand out in a family of overachievers, beautiful, bigoted, and bitchy Carmen DuPr will do anything to leave the "hellhole" high school she works in-even if it means getting groped by a geezer who's promised her a promotion. She's not worried about things getting out of hand though-if there's one thing Carmen knows, it's how use her looks to get what she wants-including courtside Lakers seats and diamond jewelry-from attentive men she cares nothing about. But when a devastating medical diagnosis threatens to permanently knock her off her pedestal, Carmen might have to trade her looks for her life-and she's not sure a life without beauty is worth living-which is why she's risking hers by ignoring her doctor's advice. Is it coincidence or divine intervention when a sexy stranger walks into her world insisting there's a whole lot more to Carmen DuPr than what's on the surface? If it's not too late for her to turn things around, her mysterious guardian angel wants to dish out some serious schooling in a few subjects Carmen knows little about-like faith, hope...and love.

Kathleen Cross is an author, educator and speaker who has been a guest on numerous television and radio shows including Oprah, Montel and Dr. Phil to discuss ethnic identity and cross-cultural communication. Ms. Cross is the author of Skin Deep (Avon, 1999) an award-winning novel that has been required reading in several U.S. colleges and universities, and Schooling Carmen (Avon, 2004) the story of an East L.A. high school counselor whose survival depends on her ability to embrace change. Cross has taught at the elementary, secondary and university levels, and after over a decade of work as an education consultant working to improve teaching and learning for urban students of color, she now divides her time between writing, speaking and community service.