Titles by Linda Beckstrom

Before Angalia Bianca became one of Chicago’s foremost authorities on violence interruption and prevention and before she received international recognition and was honored by the City of Chicago, she was a criminal, a master manipulator, a brilliant con artist. Bianca spent twelve years in prison for forgery, embezzlement, drug dealing, and theft. But now she has gone far beyond the expectations for recovery to a life of service fueled by an unrelenting determination to make a difference.
 
Bianca was once a gang member; now she puts her life on the line to interrupt gang violence. For thirty-six years she was a heroin addict; now she mentors people in recovery. She was homeless; now she appears as an invited guest, speaking across the country and around the world. Bianca crawled out of the deepest hole imaginable; now through her work with CeaseFire/Cure Violence she climbs back down to change lives.
 
In Deep is a blunt, honest look at Bianca’s life. Her mind-blowing stories take readers deep into a life of grit and gang violence that seems inescapable. Her story is at once fascinating, terrifying, and ultimately full of hope. Readers will be inspired by Bianca’s climb out of the depths of depravity, and by her commitment to those facing the worst that the city of Chicago has to offer.