Contact: Ed Hill, 215-378-3674; www.EdHill.HisBizNews.com

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 7 /Christian Newswire/ -- These days, $77 might get you a haircut and permanent relaxer in most salons or, perhaps, an oil change and simple inspection at your local auto repair shop.

But when Ed Hill was growing up in Gary, Indiana, more than 50 years ago, that meager sum was all his mother had to take care of six small children and her aging mother in their two-bedroom bungalow each week.

"To manage the six knuckleheads that we were, in the neighborhood we lived in, my mom had to be doing something right," said Hill, 58. "She knew how to survive."

From Hill's mastery of the tacit code that governed life in "the hood" to his victory over cancer, his life story reflects a powerful theme of survival through perseverance and faith in God. In his debut book, "Grace, Guts and Glory in America: Stories and Psalms of a Man Saved by Grace" (iUniverse, 2009), Hill retraces the triumphs and tragedies that shaped his life and the lives of those whose influence helped him become a successful man of faith.

Hill started writing "Grace, Guts and Glory in America" 10 years ago, after surviving a nasty bout with cancer. The prospect of losing his life gave Hill a passion to share his legacy with others, particularly young African-American boys trying to survive the rigors of inner-city life.

"Too many young African-American boys either end up taking someone else's life, losing their own, or getting locked up in prison because they made a series of wrong choices," said Hill, a retired Vice President from a major global healthcare conglomerate who, as a boy, slept on a bed made out of an old ironing board and quilts, propped up on oil cans. "Young boys have to be willing to say to bad influences in the hood, 'No, I'm not going to be like you. I have the guts to be something more.'"

"Grace, Guts and Glory in America" shares Hill's personal, professional, and spiritual journey through compelling stories of life lessons he learned from his own experiences and those of others, as well as his songs of pain and praise that emerged along the way.

His hope is that his book will help people draw closer to God and overcome obstacles to their own success.

"I want people to recognize that the grace of God can, in fact, be a foundation for them to have the guts to make the choice to be whatever they want to be in America...that the sky is the limit," said Hill. "Once they do that, then they can receive the honor, glory, and everything else that comes with making the right choices."

"Anyone can dream big and be a success," he said. "I did!"

To schedule Ed Hill for a media interview, speaking engagement, or book signing, please call 215-378-3674 or visit www.EdHill.HisBizNews.com.