Before you believe in God, you should believe in yourself. Only you can choose Heaven, God will only help you along the way. Here is the ambitious story of Lance, a half-black, half-Italian, who resides in Marcus Garvey Projects in Brooklyn. He is an emotional and passionate young man, with an unlimited ambition to be a successful writer in all facets. He is a representation of the average American who may face many obstacles, while chasing a bright future and running from a dark past. His heart is big, though he is chained down by his ignorance. He has never laid eyes on his father, but despises the very sound of his name. Like his father, Lance is enthused by the taste of women, but he also has no value for them. He makes his judgments based on what he sees and what he experiences. Lance is scared of commitment and the power of women in general, until one woman engulfed him, while penetrating his barrier. Her name is Ayana. Ayana is a woman of self-love, and she loves everything that is capable of it. She is strong, but sensitive. She values education and other forms of growth. She works hard to be nothing like her mother, Suzette, who lacks inner beauty and self-value. Their mother doesn't value Ayana and her little brother Milo. They are sold to their uncle, Frank, as sexual toys for rent and living expenses. After being sent to foster care, Ayana finds the keys to escape her nightmares through school and self-evaluation. She tries to make Milo see life the way that she does. However, when you put more value into someone who doesn't value him or herself, it can pull you down to their level. Milo begins to suck the life out of his sister. How can Ayana continue to elevate herself, when the ones she loves are beginning to be too heavy for her to carry? Should she continue to struggle and cater to Milo's wishes? Or should she move on to conquer her own dreams? Like Ayana, Lance is swimming against life's currents in order to get to where he strives to be. He does what he feels is right, but in all the wrong ways. He feels that a part-time, minimum wage job is not going to get him where he wants to be. He feels he has to be in the game, just not as deep as others are, in order to progress and be safe. He keeps this life secret from his family, school and friends at the studio where he is interning. He is heavily, influenced by his environment. His childhood friends seem to be successful in the streets. Chase is modest about it, Chrome is flamboyant, and YB looks up to all three of them. Though water and oil don't mix, oil tends to float to the surface and reveal itself. Death is the father of revenge. Lance eventually must make a choice between Life and Death. Lance and Ayana come together with their fears and their goals to become one, as a baby enters the world. Lance has a dream to be the father he never had, and he lets his ambition drive him without any direction. Bad choices are made based on his views, morals and principles. Through all these obstacles, something drastic and permanent happens which is Heaven and Hell at the same time. This story is a tale of resilience, learning and recovering from mistakes. It is about faith, hope, and most of all, Love. This is a rebirth to its greatest stature, as when a boy becomes a man, and when that man turns on the lights to chase away the darkness in his mind by re-evaluating himself. SEEDS IN THE CONCRETE is a thriller, a drama, a mystery, and an over all Love story in redemption. This is a story to inspire people to never be something they are not, but become everything they can. Enjoy.
About the Author: Born in Brooklyn, New York, L. Joevon currently lives and produces in New York City as a writer with various artistic abilities. His creativity helped him endure many of the obstacles he faced by escaping the reality of his life. L was raised by a single misguided mother until the age of seven. Growing up in a broken home generated a lot of misguided confusion and anger. After going through eight foster homes, he realized he needed to find a way to cope with his pain. His outlet became art. With no family to trust. L found one within the New York City Crip Gang where he was praised for his loyalty and support. His commitment to the streets built his rep and landed him in incarceration at the ripe age of 17. After his short stay, he was approached with the opportunity to be a hype-man for the hip-hop groups Re-Up Gang and Cult Team. Having his foot in the door, L. Joevon found a new love for music and the industry. At the age of 19, while creating a mixtape under a different alias, L was gunned down in an attack that nearly took his life. Despite the odds, he got back on his feet and completed the album with conscience filled raps based on the truths he witnessed in his neighborhood. In less than two months, he sold over 2,000 copies of his first mixtape "Ethiopian". L. Joevon performed in local underground spots that landed him a management deal. Unfortunately, L experienced the manipulation of power over talented individuals in the industry. He was faced with a decision to make; either become a puppet for funding, or take his career into his own hands. L chose to defend himself, and was faced with three years of incarceration. During his time, he started using his creative mind to escape the reality he was facing. L received news from an ex-girlfriend that he had a son. Grief consumed him as L felt responsible for becoming an absent father. He wrote Seeds in the Concrete along with multiple songs inspired by his time in solitary confinement. He found answers to problems through autonomy, and used that to create an ultimate new reality to live in. He studied business, philosophy, and the arts. Through this L found that the greatest and most vital tool was love. L. Joevon is currently being managed by Am'I ( Autonomy Manifested, Inc.) He is working hard to craft an innovative and creative project. Through Seeds in the Concrete, L. Joevon is hoping to inspire others to be the seed growing from the concrete.