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Juror Number 2 book cover Efrem Sigel

Introducing

Juror Number 2: The Story of a Murder, the Agony of a Neighborhood by Efrem Sigel

“In the early morning hours of June 7, 2007, five young men, all gang members, all involved in peddling crack cocaine, were playing dice in the courtyard of East River Houses, a New York City Housing Authority project in East Harlem. Three of the players were members of the Bloods gang; two were Crips. At a little past 4:30 a.m., a lone shooter, a Blood, entered the courtyard and began firing at the dice players. Within minutes, two young men were dead, one, a fellow Blood, killed by accident; the other, a Crip, assassinated at point-blank range.

“It took ten and a half years, but in December 2017, a man went on trial in Manhattan for this double murder. I was juror number 2 in that trial.”

Juror Number 2 is a timely, compulsively readable memoir, true crime story and societal expose. Beyond the drama of a murder trial, Sigel takes you inside families, schools, the NYPD, gangs and crime in one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods—to highlight what’s working and what isn’t.

To order Juror Number 2, click here. New paperback price and Kindle edition NOW AVAILABLE! Also available: Sigel’s novel, The Disappearance, hailed by Booklist as: “Gripping, emotional and tender. Has a deep emotional core that will resonate with any reader.” Publishers Weekly says: “Powerful and elegantly crafted.”

What they say about Juror Number 2

Novelist Sigel turns his sharp eye for detail to a beautifully written hybrid of true crime and memoir. After serving as a juror on a 2017 Manhattan murder trial, The People v. Abraham Cucuta, Sigel was moved to examine the societal ills that cause underprivileged youth in New York City to turn to selling drugs and joining gangs.  True crime buffs and fans of memoirs will be enthralled by Sigel’s irresistible mix of clear reporting, empathy, and thoughtful examination of the link between poverty and violence.”   BookLife, October 28, 2020; Publishers Weekly, Dec. 21, 2020

Truly compelling. Impossible to put down. A powerful piece of writing.” —novelist Max Byrd

Sigel writes with compassion. The trial takes up the first half of the compact, engrossing work. [In] the second half. . . he skillfully puts a human face on the denizens of run-down housing projects, overwhelmed schools, and the police. An absorbing account that will especially speak to advocates of social and criminal justice reform.” —Kirkus Reviews, July 2020

Engrossing, engaging and so well written. Such a gift to show the humanity of the men who were caught up in this.” —Wendy Kopp, founder, Teach for America

Compelling and insightfulJuror Number 2 mesmerizes as it explores the intimate relationship between education and violent crime in New York’s housing projects.  Not to be missed.” —John Lescroart, bestselling author

Riveting. Far more than a courtroom drama; it challenges all of us to ask hard questions about our individual roles in promoting changes that can save and improve lives.” —Joseph Johnson, Provost, San Diego State University; founder, National Center for Urban School Transformation

Powerful. Exceptionally well written. From his unique vantage point as a juror in a murder trial, Sigel’s memoir brings us face to face with the young men in East Harlem who turn to gangs and crime—their fractured families, their economic deprivation, their lack of access to quality education. Juror Number 2 is a call to action.” —Patty Machir, executive director, Futures and Options

Efrem Sigel is the author of two novels, more than 30 published short stories and memoirs and hundreds of articles. His OpEds on education appear in the NY Daily News.

The Sixth Conspirator book cover Max Byrd

The Writers’ Press Recommends: The Sixth Conspirator by Max Byrd

Acclaimed historical novelist Max Byrd delivers a riveting account of America’s secret mission to track down the conspirators in Lincoln’s assassination. The Sixth Conspirator is both a fascinating spy story and irresistible love story.

What they say about The Sixth Conspirator

“Will delight any Civil War buff.” —New York Times Book Review

“As in his highly acclaimed novels, Jefferson, Jackson, and Grant, Max Byrd tells the tale with witty and fast-paced writing that kept me turning pages.” —Cokie Roberts, award-winning author and TV journalist

“I absolutely love this novel!” —Diane Johnson, New York Times bestselling author

For more about The Sixth Competitor and to order, click here: https://maxbyrdbooks.com/

Call for Submissions: Published Writers

Announcing: A Publisher Seeking Work from Established Writers

Now there’s help for published writers of fiction and nonfiction: The Writers’ Press (TWP). We’re dedicated to publishing exceptional fiction and nonfiction from established writers. Until August 31, 2020, TWP is open to submissions from any author who has published at least one novel, story collection or work of literary nonfiction. If that’s you go to Submit.

What we like: We have an old-fashioned preference for novels with plot, character and setting: memorable stories with memorable characters, told in a straightforward way. Genre novels (sci-fi, fantasy, erotic romance) have very little chance unless they transcend the genre to become literature. We love mysteries and thrillers but please bring us characters and settings that stay with us long after we discover who did it.