Mark My Words

About the Book

Allan Beckley Christopher is a self-made, African-American multimillionaire.Starting out with nothing but family, very high intelligence, ambition and drive, he succeeded against the odds.He dealt with racism, discrimination and the naysayers, Black and white, who were convinced he would never make it as an entrepreneur in the 1960s.Opening a fix-it shop in southside Chicago, through hard work and determination he turns it into a multi-million-dollar corporation. He’s “made his mark.”His home is a thirty-room estate.He is among the Who’s Who of Black America.His company is listed in the Fortune 500.He is a “mover and shaker” in the community, and all the connections that accompany it.He faithfully attends church on Sundays. But has he made it? With the advent of his sixtieth birthday, his character, his past and his beliefs come into focus, honor and question as his story is told through the eyes of his family--including his four LGBT children--and with it his impact on their lives. The time is 1988; the place, Chicago.

About the Author

W.D. Foster-Graham is a native of Minneapolis, Minnesota.He received a B.A. in psychology from Luther College, and was an original member of the multi-Grammy Award-winning ensemble, Sounds of Blackness.His passion for reading and writing was inspired by his father, who read voraciously.He shamelessly admits to a love of romance novels, whodunits and classic movies.He was also inspired by the late novelist E. Lynn Harris, who believed that an author should write the books he/she wants to read. When not in laptop writer’s mode, he loves travel on the open road, nature walks, and time with his husband and son.