Devault-Graves Books

LENNON, the MOBSTER & the LAWYER

This is the new book by author Jay Bergen, the lawyer who represented John Lennon in a landmark legal case where the former Beatle was sued by the Mafia-connected record mogul, Morris Levy (the owner of Roulette Records). The book is published by Devault Graves Books and is available in bookstores and book platforms everywhere. It is a print book and an ebook and will be available in audiobook on May 15th from Audible.

What the book is about:

Before John Lennon retreated peacefully into private life in 1975, he fought a major legal battle that went under the public radar.

Just as his Rock 'n' Roll oldies album hit the market, Morris Levy, the Mob-connected owner of Roulette Records, released Roots, an unauthorized version of the same record. Levy had used rough mixes of John's unfinished Rock 'n' Roll recordings-and claimed the former Beatle had verbally agreed to the arrangement. The clash led to a lawsuit and countersuit between Levy and Lennon.

Attorney Jay Bergen, a partner in a prestigious New York City law firm, represented John in this epic battle over the rights to his own recordings. Millions of dollars were at stake.

Jay tells the intimate story of how he worked closely with John to rebut Levy's outrageous claims. He also recounts how John explained his recording process in poetic, exacting terms before a judge who knew little about the Beatles and John's solo career.

Lennon, the Mobster & the Lawyer catches the high drama of the courtroom skirmishes in this previously untold story. It also paints a detailed personal picture of John and his world in 1975-76, when he was soon to have a new son and went into happy seclusion to be a husband and father.

Order your copy today. Also available through our website at:

www.lennonthemobsterandthelawyer.com

All fans of Robert Johnson need to take note!!!!

The cover image from my award-winning biography of Robert Johnson, Crossroads, is now available on a very nice Hanes t-shirt, a coffee mug, and a refrigerator magnet. I am spreading the gospel of Crossroads through some merchandising and these are all excellent, well-built American products. None of it is cheap Chinese stuff. Not that there's anything wrong with the Chinese. (Please don't hack me Chinese people!)

These items can be shipped right to your door. Payment is through Paypal at my Paypal address: [email protected].

Here are the prices. Please note that regarding the rather high shipping price for the mug is due to the weight of the item being higher than First Class mail is allowed. It is required at that weight to be shipped Priority Mail, which does get to you faster at least.

Robert Johnson t-shirt $22.95 plus $6.00 shipping

Robert Johnson coffee mug $15.95 plus $8.90 shipping

Robert Johnson fridge magnet $4.99 plus $1.50 shipping

SHARE A LITTLE SOUL FOR CHRISTMAS

The best soul food cookbook ever!!! Cooking With Ms. Larthy!!!

During the summer of 2016 author and journalist Tom Graves was exasperated after ruining his third batch of fried catfish that season. Recently divorced and having to cook for himself he thought he'd like to get cooking lessons from an elderly African American lady who would teach him her kitchen secrets. His favorite food by far was soul food which he found similar to the Southern country cuisine he'd been raised on. He did not want a chef to give him lessons; he wanted a kitchen cook, someone whose recipes he could duplicate with relative ease.

A reverend friend of his in Memphis introduced Graves to 80-year-old Larthy Washington who had been her church cook for over 40 years. She agreed to teach Graves and for one year they met bi-weekly at her church for lessons and tastings. Soon after they began, Graves thought the recipes and stories Ms. Larthy told him would make an excellent cookbook. And so the cookbook Cooking with Ms. Larthy was born, filled with 100 recipes from Ms. Larthy plus an array of special guests renowned for their soul food cooking. The book is not only filled with soul food recipes, many of which contain wonderful descriptions and asides, but stories that put soul food and its history in its proper context.

Graves is a natural-born storyteller and foodies and cooks everywhere will enjoy the writing as well as 100 sumptuous soul food recipes that work well for beginning cooks as well as kitchen and cookbook veterans.

Cooking With Ms. Larthy is available from Amazon.com and all local independent bookstores nationwide. This is gift that will keep on giving! The perfect Christmas gift!