Powerful exploration of life, love, betrayal and resilience earns top literary recognition from Black Business Review and The Author Market
BALTIMORE — Sept. 4, 2026 — Black Business Review and The Author Market proudly announce Cliffon Green as the recipient of the 2025 Black Business Review Book of the Year Award for his compelling book, Straight, No Chaser: Life, Love, Lies, and Loss — Served Raw.
The annual award recognizes authors whose work demonstrates literary impact, emotional courage, cultural relevance and the ability to inspire meaningful conversations. Green’s book was selected for its unfiltered examination of the experiences that shape people’s lives, relationships and identities.
Written with striking honesty, Straight, No Chaser explores the complicated pursuit of love, the pain of betrayal, the lies people sometimes tell themselves to survive and the losses that quietly influence who they become.
Rather than presenting a carefully polished version of life, Green gives readers something increasingly rare: the truth without decoration.
“Cliffon Green has written a book that does not hide behind comfortable language or easy answers,” said Alexis Coates, founder and editor-in-chief of Black Business Review. “Straight, No Chaser challenges readers to look honestly at their choices, relationships and personal journeys. That courage and authenticity are what made this book stand out.”
Green’s direct writing style transforms the book into something deeper than a collection of personal reflections. It becomes a mirror for readers navigating heartbreak, disappointment, personal accountability and the demanding work of rebuilding.
Each chapter encourages readers to confront the past without allowing it to control their future.
The Black Business Review Book of the Year Award celebrates writers whose work contributes to leadership, entrepreneurship, personal development, faith, culture and community empowerment. The recognition also calls attention to independent authors who are creating important work outside traditional publishing channels.
Green represents a growing generation of writers using authentic storytelling to reach readers who want more than surface-level motivation. His work speaks particularly to professionals, entrepreneurs and emerging leaders who understand that meaningful growth often begins with an honest assessment of life as it actually is.
“Some books entertain, and some books inspire,” the Black Business Review editorial team stated. “Straight, No Chaser confronts. It is raw, reflective and relevant because it refuses to sugarcoat the human experience.”
Through its annual awards program, Black Business Review seeks to elevate authors whose books deserve wider recognition and whose ideas can create a lasting effect beyond the printed page.
Green’s selection as the 2025 Book of the Year recipient places Straight, No Chaser among the publication’s most significant literary recommendations.
About Cliffon Green
Cliffon Green is an author, entrepreneur and thought leader whose work focuses on life, relationships, leadership, personal growth and strategic thinking. Through reflective storytelling and emotional transparency, Green challenges readers to examine difficult truths, accept personal responsibility and move forward with greater clarity and purpose.
About Straight, No Chaser
Straight, No Chaser: Life, Love, Lies, and Loss — Served Raw is an emotionally honest exploration of the experiences that shape relationships, identity and personal transformation. The book offers readers practical wisdom and candid reflections without disguising the realities of disappointment, resilience, success or failure.
Learn more about Cliffon Green and the award:
Black Business Review Book of the Year Awards 2025
About Black Business Review
Black Business Review is a digital media platform covering Black business news, entrepreneurship, executive leadership, wealth creation, culture and community impact. Through its editorial coverage, special reports and awards programs, the publication highlights the people and ideas shaping the future of business.
Media Contact
Black Business Review
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.blackbusinessreview.net
Photo caption: Author Cliffon Green, recipient of the 2025 Black Business Review Book of the Year Award for Straight, No Chaser: Life, Love, Lies, and Loss — Served Raw.
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