Graphic Novel Exposes Role of Complicity in Gang Life

"I've witnessed too many of our youth fall victim to drugs, crime and violence," says author Leonard Charles Lee Collins, executive director of the Cleveland Treatment Center. "I've grown tired of attending or addressing families at funerals. Current prevention programs and strategies aren't culturally sensitive or specific to today's teens. They don't 'keep it real.'"

Collins deliberately keeps it real in his graphic novel, "Complicity: Eye Of The Storm" (published by AuthorHouse in November of 2013), using an entertaining story to deliver an uplifting message of hope.

The story takes place in MAD City, a middle-class working city. Most of the action happens on Martin Luther King Blvd and at Jessie Owens Park. It is an urban American area, and children play and die there.

The main characters are Oscar Holmes, former gang leader of MAD City Posse, and current members B-Dog, Trap, Tiny, T-Man and new MAD City Posse leader G-Rock. The story is told through their eyes and it's through their act of seeking revenge that "complicity" is defined.

Raw, honest and candid, "Complicity" offers an inside look at the struggles of families and communities impacted by violence and gangs. It also looks at the consequence of peer pressure from friends and others. Illustrations from artist Mark McQueen Jr. help make this a one-of-a-kind graphic novel.

"Complicity"
By Leonard Charles Lee Collins
Softcover | 8.25 x 11 in | 78 pages | ISBN 9781481755771
E-Book | ISBN 9781481755757
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author
Leonard Charles Lee Collins served in the army and attended Cleveland Institute of Art and Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, where he studied medical illustration. He was the founder of the Cleveland Health Department's program for teens, "Just Chillin," and the co-founder of the Stopping AIDS is My Mission Program. He hosted the "Just Chillin' with L.C." radio and television programs in Cleveland for 18 years. He is currently the executive director at the Cleveland Treatment Center CTC programs, where Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs and Let It Ride programs are specifically utilized to address violence. Collins also conducts workshops on urban violence, cultural diversity and empowerment and is a successful freelance medical illustrator and varsity track and field coach. More information is available at http://www.clevelandtreatmentcenter.org.

AuthorHouse, an Author Solutions, Inc. self-publishing imprint, is a leading provider of book publishing, marketing, and bookselling services for authors around the globe and offers the industry's only suite of Hollywood book-to-film services. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, AuthorHouse assigns each author personal publishing and marketing consultants who provide guidance throughout the process. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, AuthorHouse celebrated 15 years of service to authors in Sept. 2011.For more information or to publish a book visit authorhouse.com or call 1-888-519-5121. For the latest, follow @authorhouse on Twitter.

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