Ashley and JaQuavis bring us this classic love story set against modern life’s most horrifying realities. Liberty is dying of a fatal heart condition, though she desperately wants to survive until her 25th birthday when her sister has promised to visit her. A’shai blames himself for not protecting Liberty, but all Liberty asks is for A’shai to tell her a story, to help her remember what brought them to this point. He knows that this is the last story he will ever tell and the last she will ever hear. As Liberty lies dying, A’shai walks her though their past, reliving their ill-fated journeys through the streets. Their story takes them from an arranged marriage, through Mexico’s drug cartel, child brothels, hustling in Detroit, to escaping the high-powered heads of L.A.’s underworld. But ultimately, this is a story of love and redemption that will leave you breathless from the unpredictable and mind-blowing ending.

    She quickly realizes that life is a force to be reckoned with once she is abandoned by her mother and forced to live with a father who doesn't want anything to do with her. Seeking love, Rozalyn is pushed into the arms of the baddest boy on the block, Tamar Andrews. He shows her there is a thin line between love and hate. Nothing appears to be strong enough to tear her away from Tamar. Go on a journey with Rozalyn as she takes you through her struggles to find out if she will be trapped into fighting for a love that was never hers to begin with; or will she find out the true meaning of til death do us part?

    With groupies threatening her basketball wife status and Josiah's dreams of the NBA blowing up his ego, Seven finds herself in a tailspin. . .should she stay or leave? In steps the unbelievably fine sophomore heartthrob, Zaire St. James, who's been watching Seven and waiting for his chance. With Josiah doing his own thing, Seven finds herself falling for Zaire. But just when she decides to give Zaire her everything, Josiah becomes determined to win Seven back by any means necessary. . . Praise for Ni-Ni Simone "Ni-Ni Simone's fast-paced writing keeps me coming back for more." --L. Divine, author of the Drama High series "Simone tells authentic stories of teen life in the 'hood better than any other author currently writing contemporary YA street lit. Spiced with plenty of Simone's trademark humor." --"Library Journal" on "Teenage Love Affair" "Urban teen readers may recognize their friends and themselves in the language, music and feel of this fluffy-but-fun read." --"Kirkus Reviews" on "If I Was Your Girl"

    . .On the brink of a major promotion, Tamia Luke is within reach of the glitzy life she's always dreamed of--until her client, Dominic "Nico" Archer, blackmails her into becoming his mistress, threatening to reveal her scandalous past. Tamia has no choice but to submit to his demands. But the tables turn when her hostility towards Nico is replaced with insatiable lust. No man--including her boyfriend--has ever satisfied her the way he does. And as her infatuation grows, the closer she comes to losing everything--including her life.

    Changing foreign whips as she hustles one major drug dealer after another is just a day in the life with her treacherous father as her #1 partner in crime. The devious duo's schemes lead to murder plots and countless setups. Unbeknownst to Semaj the same street life she relentlessly chased can be what may become her downfall. When she meets drug kingpin Quasim, who virtually changes her sheisty mindset overnight, her dreams become a reality. But soon her dark past resurfaces, bringing all the havoc she caused to the forefront. Will Semaj ever be able to escape her previous life or will the revelation of her family history pull her into a world that can ultimately destroy her?

    After a reunion with an old friend goes wrong in a night club, Kasheef is forced to protect himself by any means necessary.

    come enter the world of the Teflon Divas the best series to every be release . Shameek A Speight takes writing to a new level ! • A must read! This is an amazing work of literature! In this twisted tale you will be introduced to Tess, Iris, Vanessa, Ebony and Bless who find out that The Pleasure of Pain is a true testament that we always want what we shouldn’t have. Tess is a strong determined business woman by the day and queen of the streets by night. She will stop at nothing to get the life she wants for herself and her three best friends along with her man, even if it means breaking old bonds and creating lifetime enemies. What she doesn’t realize is in the game of cut- throat there are no rules. Bless emerges on the scene after being recently released from prison only to find that things are not the way they were before he got locked up. The worst part is the person he has to fight is the person he least expected would betray him. He is out for blood and hell bent on destroying anyone who gets in his way. Iris is secretly in love with Tess, but plays the friend card in order to get closer to her. She knows that Tess is in love with another man, however that doesn’t stop her from plotting to get Tess’ heart. Vanessa and Ebony are sisters who share the same father and they happen to be Tess’ top lieutenants. Their loyalty and love run deep for Tess and has never been questioned until now… With pleasure there is always a little pain as Tess and her girlfriends will soon find out. Will they break under pressure or will they show why women rule the world?

    . .Bishop T.K. Wilson has done all he can to make First Jamaica Ministries a success. But with his last choir director getting caught in a scandal, attendance and cash flow are down. To fill the pews and collection plates, Bishop is counting on a new choir director, the charismatic Aaron Mackie, to revive the church.Aaron has been waiting his entire life to prove he has what it takes to be a big-time choir director. But his ways around women, past and present, could cost him more than his job. Soon, the Bishop is dealing with in-fighting, jealousies, and personal vendettas. But a final piece of the puzzle has yet to be revealed: Someone has been robbing the church blind. Someone whose connection to the Bishop is far too close for comfort. . ."A masterfully written gem." --RT Book Reviews"Faith, hope, and fornication constitute the theme of this lusty tale." --Booklist (starred review)

    The dreaded Diego Alverez is looking for Tyce in the daylight with a flash light…and he’s pissed! When you factor in the drama of a relationshit, murder, deadly secrets, money, and skittles-you have a killer concoction.The ensemble cast is riding smooth but the unpredictable streets of L.A. can get really bumpy. Can Tyce avoid all the pot holes? Will his luck finally dry up? He’s beaten the odds since birth but the game called life doesn’t play favorites. Tyce’s mysterious beginnings threaten to cancel out his bright future as the past launches a surprise attack. Although he’s exceptional, the question is…how much weight can he really bare? After all, you can’t always win-can you?

    Morrison links two beloved series in a riveting tale of envy and seduction that has basketball star Darius Jones up against a woman who takes being a fan to the next level.Darius Jones is living the good life. He's got a chance to become the league's most valuable player, he's crazy in love with his wife, and his relationship with his mom has never been better. But Darius also has a stalker who's determined to be the number one woman in his life. And no matter where he goes, she's there. . .scheming to kill his wife, Fancy; charming his manager and mother, Jada; manipulating his son's mother, Ashlee; and worst of all, dragging new mother Honey Thomas into the mix with one of the most heartless schemes ever. With his life quickly unraveling, Darius must gamble all he's worked for to save his wife, reclaim his son, and stop a madwoman from ruining the lives of everyone around him. . . . Never Again Once MoreIn Soul Mates Dissipate, her phenomenal Essence® and Blackboard bestseller, Mary B. Morrison left readers cheering with her tell-it-like-it-is-and-then-some story of Jada and Wellington, two lovers whose connection is tested, but never broken. Now, in this eagerly awaited sequel, Jada and Wellington find themselves facing new conflicts that will challenge the decisions they made years ago.Do we choose love, or does love choose us? That's the question Jada Diamond Tanner can't seem to stop asking herself after ten years of marriage. She thought she'd chosen the right man in Lawrence Anderson, her steady, reliable husband and the man who helped raise her son Darius. But did she choose the right life when she turned her back on Wellington Jones, the soulmate whose fiery kisses took her body and spirit to a higher level than she ever dreamed possible?For twenty years, Jada has struggled to keep her distance from Wellington, and he's paid her in respect. But now, the cracks in Jada's carefully constructed life are beginning to show. Darius is a young man out of touch and in trouble. When his destructive behavior threatens to destroy him, Jada reluctantly lets Wellington take more control and be the father Darius needs.With each day back in Wellington's company, Jada begins to question the choices she has made in her life--choices made out of fear, out of foolish pride, out of denial. Slowly, she begins to realize that she still has one choice left: to get true to herself. Armed with the courage and the fire she's been missing for years, Jada's out to seize the opportunity she thought she had lost--and this time, she'll say, "never again once more."Soulmates DissipateBringing the soulful, sexy, and totally uncensored voice of black women to readers everywhere, Mary B. Morrison is blazing a new trail in African American erotic fiction that has made her one of the most exciting, and most popular, authors writing today. Exquisite ebony-skinned fashion photographer Jada Diamond Tanner may have her pick of fine men, but no one has captured her heart like gorgeous financial advisor Wellington Jones. From the moment of their first embrace, Jada is sure he is the soul mate she has waited for. But while the love she shares with Wellington is exhilarating, Jada finds herself facing challenges she never could have imagined--from Melanie Thompson, bright, beautiful, and talented, but hungry for the love she has never had. . .and from Cynthia Jones, Wellington's overbearing socialite mother, who believes Jada will never fit into her circle of aristocratic friends. Forced to make difficult choices, Jada will soon learn some painful lessons about love, trust, and commitment. But she will also discover deep emotional strengths in herself, along with the courage to celebrate the joy each day can bring--with or without the man she loves.

    Forever. The Science of Black Hair: A Comprehensive Guide to Textured Hair Care combines research with testimony in an authoritative reference text dedicated to the care of black hair- relaxed or natural. This powerful book introduces readers to a comprehensive healthy hair care strategy for achieving beautifully radiant hair regardless of hair type. Black hair structure, properties, and maintenance methods are carefully outlined throughout this go-to reference book to give you the tools you need to improve the health and look of your hair, TODAY.

    I’d been in bed for days in immeasurable pain from a broken heart. I was literally past my breaking point and done with this life. How do you keep living when your best friend is brutally murdered and the love of your life may be responsible? Lying in the dark with nowhere to hide from my thoughts and emotions, I felt alone, betrayed, deceived, hoodwinked, bamboozled, and lead astray! I needed to release the pain by any means necessary.” When the repressed traumas of Simone Johnson’s childhood resurface through a recurring dream, secrets are unveiled that explain the negligence of her mother and her deep distrust of men. The support of her best friends, Stacey and Talise, gives her strength, but when tragedy strikes, leading Simone into a chasm of darkness, who will be there to help her find her way out?Simone, Stacey, and Talise are your typical best friends navigating life. They brush shoulders with entertainment’s elite and experience great successes.Simone is living an extravagant lifestyle, which some may say has come to her easily. She doesn’t trust men and is willing to remain guarded to protect herself. Even though star NBA player, Deon Bradford ? a good guy, looking for a woman to love him for him – has her in his sights, and is making every effort to bring down her guard, Simone remains distrustful. She feels that she can do without a man’s love, until an unsuspecting man comes into her life and shows her what true love is really like, but is he who he portrays himself to be or will Deon win her heart?Talise is the romantic, who dreams of a marriage just like her parents. When she meets a man that she knows is her soul-mate, but later finds out that they stand on opposite sides of religion, will this be a deal breaker?Stacey is the brother, the shoulder, and the comic relief, but when Stacey falls in love, he falls hard. Will his need to give into his heart cost him the ultimate price?Once the secrets start tumbling out of the closets and no door is able to contain them, who do you turn to when your reality feels like a dream and you are sure that this can?t be life?

    That is until someone comes along and is all to determined to disrupt her happiness, causing Reese to step from within the shadows of her brother and his friends.Come along on Reese’s journey of unconditional Love, Life and Murder. As the protected becomes the protector all under the guise of being her Brother’s Keeper.

    The Dirty Divorce Part 3 begins with Rich instantly being a mark with a death sentence placed on his head. He's faced with his biggest nightmare when secrets are revealed that he thought were buried. While Lisa spirals out of control more than ever, Marisol and Rich battle their way to be the top dog in the industry that has made their lives a living hell. More than ever they learn that karma is a vicious cycle. The lifestyle of fast money and luxurious things will never prepare them for the new drama that is about to unfold. Get ready for another shocker full of disbelief as you take a ride on this next installment.

    Working their way up from the humblest of beginnings, the Langstons have thrived beyond anything they could have ever imagined. Now they live in the finest home, drive the best cars, and indulge in all the trimmings that signify their massive success. But then the recession hits and rips apart the family’s financial stability. Unable to support their three children and other relatives, Adam and Evia find themselves drowning in financial trouble and teetering on the brink of complete disaster. With nowhere to turn, the Langstons have no idea what to do. Until Shay-Shaunté, Evia’s multimillionaire boss, comes to the Langstons with a five-million-dollar offer that seems so hard to refuse. Will the Langstons make this deal? Or will they recognize that the glitter of five million dollars may be far from gold?

    Sabella’s shame over a horrific discovery wreaked havoc on her mind and body. The darkness in Isak’s life had manifested in a more sinister fashion. He was no longer the even tempered peacemaker of his volatile family. While Sabella blamed herself for his brutal transformation, she believed he was better off away from her maybe…hating her. Isak however, harbored no such feelings. In his mind, Sabella was still his wife and he had every intention of getting her back. Explanations would be required and Belle knew she could never share what she’d learned about herself and the ugly truth of her existence.

    Storms are common in the Atlantic between June and November. Most weather disturbances falter and die, no sooner born than ended.Wind blowing from the east six miles high may collide with wind blowing from the opposite direction, creating a shear that will decapitate a storm and rip it apart before an eye can solidify. Warm waters fuel a hurricane, but cold ocean currents can destroy the system before it gains strength.For the moment, this particular disturbance has no name. Meteorologists say she is a tropical depression that should be watched, but five days east of Florida, with gale force winds, she is worthy of no more than a warning to seafaring ships. When winds reach hurricane force, they will dignify her with a name: Katrina. Nine-year-old Thelonious Monk DeCay lives in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward with his grandmother. His mother dead and his father missing, Monk is determined to find his father.With their harmonicas and bottle-cap taps, Monk and his best friend entertain the tourists in Jackson Square under the watchful eyes of eccentric historian Quinton Toussaint, who knows where to find Monk’s father.Hurricane Katrina changes everything. Left homeless and alone after the storm, Monk befriends a deranged man and survives by sneaking across the rooftops and courtyards of the French Quarter, stealing food and supplies while hiding from both a murderer and the police.In the midst of the storm and its aftermath, a woman Monk has never met appears in New Orleans with answers to his questions about his long-lost father.

    He could play the piano, throw a curveball, and tie a triple bowline knot in three seconds flat. But in the 1950s and 60s, he could not bake bread at the Wonder Bread factory. Factory bosses said white people would not want to eat bread touched by the hands of the African Americans who worked there. In this powerful intergenerational story, Joseph learns that people joined their hands together to fight discrimination so that one day, their hands—Joseph’s hands—could do anything at all in this whole wide world.

     Honesty, Loyalty, Reality and Killian were raised by Khalil, a single father that hustled with a ‘get it by any means necessary attitude’ over the years to make sure that they had everything that their hearts desired. After sending them to the best colleges, the streets of the Westside of Atlanta called them and they answered. Honesty and Killian have hooked up with a family friend Gorgeous and now they have money coming in hand over fist. Loyalty and Reality are blessed with men that spoil them. But all the money in the world cannot stop the green eye of jealousy that has reared its ugly head or the ghosts from the past that are coming back to haunt their father Khalil. The person least expected is plotting on the family and everyone they are connected to and turning their world upside down. Trained to go and always prepared for the double cross, there was nothing that could ever ready Khalil for the triple cross that was going on right under his nose. With one foot in the streets and one foot out, he finds out ‘What da Lick Reads?’ as he searches for who is terrorizing everyone around him.

    A constant reminder of her mother’s indiscretions, Brianna is unwilling to continue to be the target of her step father’s anger. She leaves her suburban life style for the streets of Charlotte NC. In true Charlotte faith Brianna is linked up with Treshawn Nash, a local hustler. Tre has lived the alternate life; raised by his grandmother who showered him with love in the midst of violence, drugs, and poverty. The two are made for each other. Brianna provides the genuineness and innocence Tre has longed for. While he gives Bri the unconditional love she desperately needs. However, when tragedy strikes their world is turned up side down.

    His sexual IQ routinely leaves women speechless, addicted, and craving for more. When he finally meets his match, Lisa Lee, she turns his entire world upside down while smiling in the process. Confused, he gains clarity and learns the greatest lessons about love from the most unlikely of sources; an impressively beautiful bank robber named Alicia.

    Jasmine was always overlooked for her brains and praised for her beauty until she met Nico, the educated hoodlum with a sexier, smarter, and even prettier wifey on his arm. His main chick, Mia, is a force to be reckoned with a quiet storm who will ride or die for the love of her life.Frustrated and caught between a fledgling video-vixen career and dysfunctional friends, Jasmine wants to be upgraded from Nico's mistress to his wifey. But Jasmine soon finds out that the glitz and glamour of huge diamonds and fancy cars come with an even heavier ransom drug deals and murder.Meanwhile, Mia's not willing to let go of her man so easily. She digs up dirt on Jasmine that can destroy her, but Mia can't even imagine what lengths Jasmine will go to, to keep her secret under wraps.

    So when her license gets revoked, after a spiteful parent complains to the Office of Child Care services, because her bad son Lil Goose was kicked out of the center, Quita feels relieved. Now she can offer cheap prices and beat the legal competition in her neighborhood. Out from up under the rules that O.C.C enforces, she crams twenty kids in a center built for eight. Her motto is, Pay the vig or watch your own kid. Although the center s conditions are unsavory, she brags about fat pockets and fly gear. But what happens when Cordon, the son of Flex, a well-known drug dealer, goes missing? She has to answer to him and her life, as well as the lives of her staff members, is threatened. Quita s DayScare Center introduces you to the worst parents in the world and their offspring. You've never read a book like this before we guarantee it! You'll think twice before you drop your kids off again. At least we hope so!

    More than that; a love triangle with a married man. KP, the man of her dreams swept her completely off her feet before telling her he was married with two kids. Too deep in love to let go, she became accustom to being KP's other woman and didn't have a problem with her role as KP's mistress until she met Isaiah. Isaiah ready to commit and make Janiece his, he stops at nothing to win her over, even though Janiece is stuck on KP. Things spiral out of control when KP decides it's time to leave Kimberly, his wife to be with Janiece. Drama kicks into high gear when Isaiah fights to have Janiece and Kimberly also fights to keep KP. The ultimate decision has to be made by Janiece. Who will she run to when she is ready to love?

    The bestselling author of the Guilty series explores the unlikely romance between a woman who has served time for an unthinkable crime and a devoutly Christian man who believes there is a price to pay for every sin committed.

    Informed by the latest, sometimes provocative scholarship and including more than seven hundred images—ancient maps, fine art, documents, photographs, cartoons, posters—Life Upon These Shores focuses on defining events, debates, and controversies, as well as the signal achievements of people famous and obscure. Gates takes us from the sixteenth century through the ordeal of slavery, from the Civil War and Reconstruction through the Jim Crow era and the Great Migration; from the civil rights and black nationalist movements through the age of hip-hop to the Joshua generation. By documenting and illuminating the sheer diversity of African American involvement in American history, society, politics, and culture, Gates bracingly disabuses us of the presumption of a single “black experience.”Life Upon These Shores is a book of major importance, a breathtaking tour de force of the historical imagination.

    Then Chance's upright life flips upside down when he's framed for murder and loses everything--his job, his home, his girlfriend and almost his mind. Behind bars, Chance's only ray of hope in his life is his pen pal, Deyja. . .. When he's released after seven years, he finds her, but he doesn't reveal his true identity to her. Deyja doesn't realize she's falling for her former pen pal. All she knows is she's finally found a man who satisfies her every desire. But when Chance's old friends creep back into his life, will his past destroy his future with the woman he loves?

    No one knew exactly where they got the money to buy up businesses and real estate, but everyone on the streets respected them. Their criminal enterprise is unraveling quickly, though, as member loyalty is challenged and betrayal becomes the name of the game.Taz is dealing with almost more than he can handle now that his crew is falling apart. Cliff is still consumed by a desire for revenge against Taz, and the two of them are locked in an epic battle for Tazneema's heart. Meanwhile, a vital member of Taz's team ends up dead. This calls for a gruesome retaliation, but when Taz discovers the killer's identity, he'll have some serious choices to make. Now Taz's leadership is being questioned by his once loyal crew. Does he have what it takes to stay on top, or is all this heat enough to make him want to leave the streets alone?Clifford "Spud" Johnson delivers an action-packed tale of betrayal, murder, and revenge that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

    He always separates emotion from work, until this case--and this woman--tempt him to break all the rules....Plus a Brenda Jackson classic sizzler--Spontaneous

    Instead, her property was seized, the business she built from the ground up had been snatched from under her, and all her assets frozen. Simply put, today was a Nightmare!To make matters worse, the cause of her misfortune was the man she planned to divorce today, Maurice “Mighty” Liberman. She'd been so close, almost in the parking lot of the court building when she got the call. Mighty, a vicious crime boss, had been in a horrible car accident. Arriving at the hospital and finding her once robust husband in a coma, Kelcee is left to fend for herself and her twins. Determined not to let her present circumstances destroy her, Kelcee must find a way for her family to survive. Her back against the wall, the media and FBI watching her every move, Kelcee sees few options, finally making the perilous decision to sit at the helm of her husband’s empire. Will she have what it takes to be Boss Lady or will she succumb to the forces against her and perish?

    Everything is perfect except for one thing...her husband Germaine. She has run her course with him and he needs to be replaced. When the handsome and seductive Kingston enters her life, he becomes the perfect substitute. Clueless to his wife's plan, Germaine continues to be a loving naive husband while Niquole's full blown affair quickly becomes her sick obsession. Desperate to start a new life with her new man, Niquole does everything in her power to push Germaine out of the picture. Little does she know Kingston plans are different from hers. Sit back and see what happens when a wife learns that the price of betrayal can have a shattering toll.

    A constant battle to sustain his hustle in the streets of seven cities becomes a more complex task, as a new hustler from Florida orchestrates a low-key takeover. Lust, betrayal, disloyalty, selfishness, and greed all fuel an imminent explosion as these events unfold—setting the stage for A RUMBLE IN VA!

    Real and his lady, Constance, were living in the lap of luxury, with fancy cars, expensive clothes and a million dollar home until someone close to them alerted the feds to their illegal activity.At the blink of an eye their perfect life was turned upside down. Just as Real was sorting things out on the home front, the head of Miami's most powerful Cartel gave him an ultimatum that would eventually force him back into the life he had swore off forever. Knowing this lifestyle would surely put Constance in danger, he made plans to send her away until the score was settled but things spiraled out of control. Now Real and Constance are in a fight for survival where friends become enemies and murder is essential. Atlanta's underworld to Miami's most affluent community—no stone was left unturned as Real fought to keep Constance safe while attempting to regain control of the lifestyle he once would kill for.From the city of Atlanta to the cell block of Georgia's most dangerous prison, life under the City Lights would never be the same.

    The Generational Curse! I was once told by a New York Times Best Selling Author that "Mixed reviews make for a great book..." and this is it! People are TORN because Nadet's a grown man now and making the same bad decisions his mother made. It's crazy how history repeats itself if there's not an intervention... temper is the generational curse that has taken down many men. Will Nadet be next or will someone intervene? After being rejected by his mother, Nadet goes on a criminal rampage to pay the system back. Using his intellect as the number one weapon; he soon sets up a criminal empire that no one is quite sure how it works. Setting traps for crooked cops, organizing drug dealers, and sending a message to the system is what placed him high on the Federal Most Wanted List! Nadet's hatred of the police and justice system, fueled by the wrongful imprisonment of his mother, made him nothing short of a monster. In this non-stop action thriller that you will not be able to predict, Nadet some how finds his softer side when a little girl is the object of police corruption. How can a criminal now be a hero? The lines of right and wrong are blurred throughout this novel. Get set for the ride of your life, Dante Feenix is Back! Be sure to read the highly anticipated "Diary Of A 12 Inch Brotha" by Feenix.

    One week later, as a favor, she attends a wedding with a friend as his date and is shocked when she sees Roarke again.Roarke Hawthorne despises cheating. Cheating tore apart his family years ago. When the physics professor sees the woman he spent the night with show up at his sister’s wedding on the arm of his brother, he knows he should keep his distance. But because of the night they set fire to the sheets in his hotel room, he can’t resist the urge to be close to her–nor can he resist the temptation to have her back in his bed.Word count: 30,700

    No one's met the mysterious boss who gives them their orders via laptop, but the arrangement works for everyone involved. Their criminal enterprise keeps them rolling in dough, allowing them to purchase property and businesses all over town.When Taz falls in love with Sacha, an ambitious young lawyer, he makes an unexpected enemy. Cliff, another lawyer at the firm, wants Sacha for himself, and he'll stop at nothing to win her back from the thug she's with. He sets his sights on one of Taz s family members, in order to get close to Taz's inner circle. Now Cliff and Taz are locked in a monstrous battle that can only end in tragedy. Which one will come out on top?

    My grandmother was an old school hooker who relied on a few regulars to supply her basic needs, and my mother was a cracked- out-trick who was killed by a junkie pimp in an alley way. I was there, five-years-old, cold, hungry and huddled near a dumpster. I watched him beat the life out of my mom for the twenty dollars she’d just made. I sat there for hours until the hunger pains forced me to move. I grew up in this ass-for-cash game. I’ve seen the best and survived the worst. I am the madam of an elite prostitution ring in the hood, and this is the story of how the ring was brokenHoney Williams aka Honey Dip is a former junkie trick turned call girl that secretly yearns for a relationship with her daughter and a chance at a normal life. She is tired of the game but doesn't want to turn her back on the prostitutes that saved her life and welcomed her into their family when nobody else wanted to be bothered. Just when she thinks things couldn't be anymore complicated, she falls in love with a man who is young enough to be her son and declared off limits by Portia.SEX, DRUGS, LIES, AND BETRAYAL... WELCOME TO THE NIGHT LIFE. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!REVIEWAuthor Julia Press Simmons does it again with another 5 star novel! In this tale of Fornication you will meet Honey Dip as she travels down the road of prostitution, sisterhood and maybe even true love!You will also meet Portia, the leader of the prostitution ring and her girls all know that Portia is not the one to be played with. But, is this sisterhood true or is it all about the money? Would you be more loyal to your pimp or a dollar? These girls have a story to tell and you don't want to miss out!Find out what this author put together in Fornication. If you've read any of her other books you know you will not be disappointed! Julia's pen game is tight!I can't wait for volume 2!!!Stephanie TarrerDivas & Gents Into Urban/Street Lit! (Facebook)

    Meet Sasha Jones a hard working Mental Health Therapist who devotes all her time and energy to her unappreciative boss; the prestigious Dr. Gregory Hayward. For years she has went far and beyond her duties to please him. Yet he acted as if she didn t exist. That is until she receives an unexpected phone call from Dr. Hayward himself saying that he needs to see her right away. When Sasha arrives she is introduced to the handsome Lorenz Hayward. Not realizing what lies ahead. She allows herself to be allured into a taboo situation. Sasha becomes blinded by blissful copulation, and doesn t realize that she has become a pawn in deadly game of revenge.

    You see, survival of the colored race in America is at a difficult point where it has to be taught to our youth. The old practices of lynching and segregation which are thought to have been eradicated from our society lives on but in various other forms: police brutality, income inequality, unemployment and single motherhood… designs to keep our communities in perpetual turmoil and slavery.This book should be required reading for the youth and a lesson to any group that man’s inhumanity to man has not ended in America and is practiced around the world.

    Amaryllis Price, once a relationship destroyer and professional husband stealer has turned her life around. Now that she's made a vow to live right and walk the straight and narrow, Amaryllis finds herself at a crossroads when her past catches up with her. Charles Walker, a man Amaryllis could never resist, appears, and he's even sexier than Amaryllis remembered. Will she remain celibate and resist the wiles of the devil?Bridgette Nelson, Amaryllis's best friend and roommate, is next in line for a promotion. But when she unleashes a harsh tongue against her boss's nephew, Bridgette is forced to change her vocabulary or lose the very thing that she worked so hard to get.

    Major players on the singles' scene, the last thing on either of their minds is playing for keeps. Until Jasmine is forced into a temporary marriage of convenience. And she realizes the sexy-as-all-get-out man is the one she wants to have and to hold….The free-living, free-loving playboy Troy never planned to turn in his player's card. But the proposal intrigues him…especially since he can't keep his hands off the hot-as-sin reporter. As the passion heats up between the newlyweds and rising media stars, Troy makes a new vow. He'll win the heart of the woman he's promised to honor forever with the love that began with a single kiss….

    But beneath the fast-track facade is a small-town girl who's never forgotten her humble beginnings—and whose past is a closely guarded secret. Until Chloe's family comes to visit and brings a special holiday gift. Sensual Southern charmer Lyfe Alton was her childhood sweetheart…and is the man who still owns her heart.Lyfe was devastated when Chloe left their Georgia hometown for the bright lights of the big city. Now he has just four weeks to seduce her back into his bed…or lose her forever. With Chloe nestled in his arms where she belongs, can Lyfe turn their sizzling Christmas affair into a season for second chances?

    She was given the news that her mother had killed her father in a domestic dispute. Taking to the streets, she met her boyfriend Sherm, who soon received a life sentence for robbery.Silk, tired of dancing in the strip clubs turned to Sherm for guidance. He ran down the game to her but enforced LEAVE NO WITNESSES. Following his rules, she pulled off licks, killed the men and got the money to make her life comfortable. But her actions have confused things in the streets—the wrong people are being accused for what she's done. Women and children are being subjected to brutal treatment and these people will stop nowhere to get revenge.Now ready to retire her pistol, Sherm tells Silk he needs a large sum of money to get out of prison. She has to pull of one more lick to get what he needs.Will she make it through this final lick?Part 2Silk was determined to get the money she needed to free Sherm. After going on the big lick that she felt would set her straight, she was hit with a surprise. Her deadly secret would be uncovered, would cause her to lose a loved one and she’d be on the run. Almost out of time, Silk gets desperate and goes against the rules of the game. When Sherm finds out about her indiscretion, she’s all alone, making one bad decision after another. Now, what she thought may be her way out, may be her demise!!Part 3Silk’s situation can’t get much worse. She no longer has the man she loves who introduced her to the game, she’s being hunted by one of the deadliest cliques and her hit list keeps growing. Can she take down everyone who stands in her way? Will she ever find her way out of this lifestyle? Or, will her past come back and challenge her face-to-face for the last time?

    When Frederick asks Mama how she can walk so far, Mama recounts her journey mile by mile. Every step of the way is special, as it brings them closer together; and Mama passes the time by remembering, listening, praying, singing, and more.Set on a plantation in 1820s Maryland, this story based on the life of young Frederick Douglass shows the power of his mother's love. The faith she has in her son puts him on a path to escape enslavement and to become a champion of human rights, an influential writer and speaker, and an unforgettable leader.Expressive, candlelit paintings illuminate the bond between parent and child in this heartfelt story. Love Twelve Miles Long will resonate with children of all backgrounds who cherish the tender moments they share with those they love.

    What is there left for him to do to prove his worth, but try to enter the drug-selling game full-time? He’ll need help and convinces himself it should come from no one other than Kimmi, the girl who told the secret that got him busted in the first place.Practically at gunpoint, he forces Kimmi to ride along while he makes drug stops and hand sales.But Kimmi doesn’t go easily, considering she has problems to solve of her own. She tries everything in her power to keep her mother’s new, live-in boyfriend, Jerome, from creeping into her bedroom at night and having his way with her. He feels entitled since he gives money to help pay the household bills. To earn the cash Jerome donates, in hopes that her mother will kick him out once she realizes they can make it on their own, sexy, curvaceous, 17 year-old Kimmi, places an escort ad online and risks rape and losing her life more than once. In between trying to fight off the sexual advances of her mother’s boyfriend, and riding the hot blocks of Chicago’s South Side with an aspiring, big-time drug dealer, Kimmi discovers the most dangerous thing she’s ever done, is try to stay alive.

    Carmen is an entertainment reporter for a local television station, who wants to do bigger things. Her opportunity comes while she is covering the opening of an art exhibition. A woman is found murdered and Carmen is the only reporter on the scene. The police say that the victim, a known call girl named Tangela House, appears to have been strangled during sex. Anxious to prove she can do more than just fluff stories, Carmen begins her own investigation into the victim’s past, and quickly finds that there is more to the case than just rough sex gone wrong. Now with the help of Mike Black, Carmen must stay alive long enough to uncover what secrets lay beneath the surface.

    From "Essence"]-bestselling author Chunichi comes the pulse-pounding, powerful tale of a street-savvy woman from the hood who is determined to create a better life for her unborn child.

    And if Grace had her way, she would not reveal the circumstances that led her to make what some deem to be a foolish sacrifice and an act of treason against her race. The decision to remain silent, however, is not Grace's to make, for the spirit of her ancestors have emerged and insist, in ways Grace cannot ignore, that she bear witness to the violent racial history that continues to divide the town of Vigilant. But when Grace discovers a century-old tale of a bloodsoaked, eye-for-eye vengeance that includes the mysterious death of her own father, she questions whether she has the ability and the will to accept the mind-bending spiritual challenge in front of her. As Grace reluctantly embarks on the unlikeliest of journeys and into the magical world of the African-American traditions used by her ancestors to fight slavery and oppression, she undergoes a spiritual transformation that leads to the true nature of her calling: to lead Jonathan Gilmore, the town of Vigilant and her own soul on a path toward reconciliation, redemption and true grace.

    The only solution Micah can see is to step down from his position as pastor of Revival Tabernacle. Maybe some time away from the parish can restore his ailing heart.Lord, please help me. I can’t keep living like this.Delilah Rivers utters this plea as she stares at a handful of pills. Despondent at the shambles her life has become, Delilah tries one final tactic before ending her life, she goes to church.What God hath joined together...Micah is the last man she expects to treat her with care and respect. His compassion and understanding move her as nothing else can. God wouldn’t send a humble, devout man to cherish someone like her. Her past is sordid, her flaws many, but will she be able accept a better way to love and be the blessing Micah needs her to be?

    The fact that he's married really isn't a factor at all. What Karma wants, Karma gets, even if she has to get blood on her hands. Never since the beginning of time has anyone had to deal with so much trash, all brought by The CleanUp Woman.

    When Congressman Martin Marshall tells him about a ethanol venture in Cuba with a group of Chinese businessman, Black agrees. But he still has his hands in doing business the old ways. So when an opportunity to expand his gambling interests in the Bahamas he can’t resist. Black takes CeCe and his bodyguard, Kevon on a trip to Nassau. His intention while there is to buy a condo and expand their gambling and extortion operations. Expecting him to be in Freeport, Martin had set up a meeting the next day with the Chinese. When things don’t go their way, Black is shot and left for dead

    One frigid night in Pennsylvania, that changed forever. They tore her family apart. They put her in chains. They never expected her to fight back. In 1837, Margaret Morgan was kidnapped from her home in Pennsylvania and sold into slavery. The state of Pennsylvania charged her kidnapper with the crime, but the conviction was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. It was the first time a major branch of the federal government had made a pro-slavery stand, and the ruling in Prigg v. Pennsylvania sewed the bitter seeds of the states' rights battle that eventually would lead to the Civil War. Yet, the heart of this story is not a historic Supreme Court ruling. It is the remarkable, unforgettable Margaret Morgan. Her life would never be the same. Her family had been torn apart. Uncaring forces abused her body and her heart. But she refused to give up, refused to stop fighting, refused to allow her soul to be enslaved.

    "She can have all the collards she wants. She's earned it." And so begins the tale of a simple mule in Gee's Bend, Alabama, who played a singular part in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. When African-Americans in a poor community-- inspired by a visit from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.-- defied local authorities who were trying to stop them from registering to vote, many got around a long detour on mule-drawn wagons. Later, after Dr. King's assassination, two mules from Gee's Bend pulled the farm wagon bearing his casket through the streets of Atlanta. As Alex looks into the eyes of gentle Belle, he begins to understand a powerful time in history in a very personal way.

     The stories contained in DARKER THAN NIGHT include: Granddad’s Garage: Was their beloved grandfather just a pack rat? Or a guardian of forgotten treasures? Daddy’s Little Girl: Her father was so overbearing that he'll go to any lengths--even murder--to keep his daughter safe . . . The Sting: One man's deepest fears come to terrifying life when he crosses the wrong person. After the Party: Getting pulled over by a cop in the middle of the night is only the beginning of your troubles. Hitcher: Never pick up strangers . . . no matter how beautiful . . . A Walk Through Darkness: Is it really possible to commit the perfect murder? The Monster: Is there something deadly under the bed--or is it only a figment of a child's imagination? Death Notice: She considered it her duty to report on the recently deceased . . . until they decided to reach out to her on their own . . . The Woman Next Door: Taking a bite of the forbidden fruit just might be your undoing . . . Presumed Dead: Sometimes, even though you really can go back home, perhaps you never should . . . because death might be waiting for your return. The Last Train Home: A hard-working young mother is plunged into the ultimate nightmare. Ghostwriter: A writer discovers an unexpected cure for writer's block--in the cemetery next door . . . AUTHOR'S NOTE: This book contains many stories that were previously published in TWISTED TALES, my short story collection that was released in 2006. PRAISE FOR BRANDON MASSEY'S THRILLERS: "I've been waiting a long time for a writer like Brandon Massey." -- Tananarive Due, award-winning author "An intense thriller . . . a wild ride!" -Kevin O'Brien, New York Times bestselling author “A razor-sharp thriller guaranteed to keep you turning pages well into the night. Start this one on your day off--you won't be able to put it down.” —Douglas Clegg, bestselling author of The Queen of Wolves and The Hour Before Dark "The talented Mr. Massey has the rare knack of grabbing the reader early and not letting go. Massey knows how to ratchet up the suspense." —John Lutz, New York Times bestselling author “A taut, involving, and utterly convincing thrill ride.” —Gregg Olsen, New York Times bestselling author

    Certified and ruthless, he is worth a half a million until tragedy strikes. His home is invaded, and his son is held for ransom. He vows for revenge. Inside the Georgia Penal System, Young Hollywood continues his ruthless traits until he's placed on high max with hardened criminals. There, he meets up with a man he never knew before. After they untie, the real A-Town Veteran is released from prison but not before sucking up every piece of game and knowledge he could.This entertaining triumph goes from the streets, to prison and to the corporate world of record labels and rap entertainment. This highly anticipated, descriptive urban novel about crime, corruption and passion in Atlanta's own underworld will have you on your toes from the first page to the very last. This is one masterpiece you'll never want to end.

    Will Detective Ben Smith and his team find the love of his life before time runs out? Will justice prevail for those responsible for the lies, murder and destruction that have wrecked havoc on the District Attorney’s office and its key members…..?”

    Witnessing Christina and her fiance arguing, Steven Williams comes to her defence. But it is not the last encounter they will have."

    Look for The Switch in the groundbreaking anthology: Steamfunk!"As she looked on, the target unzipped his jumpsuit and pushed it down. His blond companion sauntered over to his desk, and slipped off her pants. She straddled him, curling an arm about his neck. With her other hand she unzipped her tunic to bare her plump breasts. Moans of pleasure filled Z100’s apartment.Z100 watched them, arousal spreading down her pelvis. She cut the tape off, got up and poured herself another glass of wine. She’d planted the tiny cameras in the men’s offices. They were later retrieved by spies posing as under dweller janitors."York is a city of contradictions. Women are hard-pressed for lovers, because lovemaking can be dangerous. The upper city is powered by computers, the underground by steam. And the wealthy don't work for a living, underdwellers do it for them.But certain underdwellers have a big problem with this arrangement. And so does the time keeper.Welcome to the Revolution...Cover art and design by Quinton Veal

    1960) is best known for his landmark body of text-based paintings, made since the late 1980s, which draw on the writings and speech of diverse figures including Jean Genet, Zora Neale Hurston, Jesse Jackson, and Richard Pryor. Throughout his career, Ligon has pursued an incisive exploration of American history, literature, and society across a body of work that builds critically on the legacies of modern painting and more recent conceptual art. His subject matter ranges widely from the Million Man March and the aftermath of slavery to 1970s coloring books and the photography of Robert Mapplethorpe—all treated within artworks that are both politically provocative and beautiful to behold.Glenn Ligon: AMERICA, created in close collaboration with the artist, surveys twenty-five years of Ligon’s art, including paintings, sculptural installations, prints, and drawings. Essays examine his working methods in depth and situate his output within a broad cultural context, while lavish new photography highlights the formal subtlety of his art. This first comprehensive survey of Ligon’s career will greatly advance our appreciation of his pioneering oeuvre.

    He only takes serious cases that the police have abandoned. When asked what kind of laws he might break, Brian counted on his fingers while saying, 'Illegal phone taps, bribery, extortion, assault, blackmail, threats'.After solving a missing persons case, which turned out to be a 12-year-old homicide, Brian hardly has time to celebrate. His girlfriend is killed and his assistant is shot in the chest, so he wants to close Godsend Private Investigations before the agency can even get started good. But then something changes his mind: A wealthy couple offers him $600,000 for the return of a kidnapped child. And since Brian himself is the father of an adorable little girl, he decides that his agency shoud exist as a necessary evil. This time he may break a law called homicide.

    With her aggressive style and razor tongue she’s made it in a man’s world with room to spare and bodies in her wake. She’ll put anyone who crosses her – especially any man – in his place, and then she’ll despise him for his weakness. No man dares challenge her…except one.Simon Bishop knows what buttons to push – not to ignite Gabrielle’s wrath – but to strip away her emotional armor to reveal the woman within – the woman she yearns to be: Elle. Elle has no power and no control. Elle is free to give herself over to a strong man, a man she trusts to take care of her so that she can give all to him. And what Elle has to give is a fiery passion that that knows no boundaries and no shame.Elle is the woman that every real man desires, and the woman that every other woman, deep in her heart, wants to be.Author’s Note:When I posted an early draft of “Elle” online a few years ago, I was surprised at the number of responses I received from female readers who told me how much they identified with Elle’s character; how she spoke to their hearts and epitomized their own feelings about being strong women and the price to be paid for that strength. Based on those responses, I knew that one day Elle would become a published novel. ~ The Black~

    Nene does what she wants and gets her money by any means necessary even if that means sleeping with married men , blackmailing or anything else that comes with getting paid. The story starts off with her meeting Tavion " Tone " Smith , one of the cites most notorious Kingpins and she ends up birthing his child. Once they start their family and everything hits the fan Nene finds her self doubting giving Tone the benefit of the doubt. With her daughter by her side will Nene give up on her love for Tone to benefit her and her daughter or will she fall victim of the " Baby Daddy Love " syndrome . Find out in this installment of " Married To Ben Frank "

    The third part of Tarell Alvin McCraney's Brother/Sister play cycle.Set in the fictional Louisiana town of San Pere, the play follows 16-year-old Marcus on a journey to find his father, whilst discovering himself, his sexuality, his friendships and his world.

    Having forged a safe, predictable life, the last thing she needs is a cliché, oversexed Jamaican male expressing interest.For Quinn Mayhew, life is too good to waste time chasing a haughty, irritable woman who is too cautious to accept him for the man he is, but somehow she symbolizes everything he desires in his future.When Camille's inner fortress finally starts to crumble, Quinn is arrested for murder and everything changes...

    Nonetheless, Evers consistently investigated the rapes, murders, beatings, and lynching's of black Mississippians and reported the horrid incidents to a national audience, all the while organizing economic boycotts, sit-ins, and street protests in Jackson as the NAACP's first full-time Mississippi field secretary. He organized and participated in voting drives and nonviolent direct-action protests, joined lawsuits to overturn state-supported school segregation, and devoted himself to a career that cost him his life. This biography of a lesser-known but seminal civil rights leader draws on personal interviews from Myrlie Evers-Williams (Evers's widow), his two remaining siblings, friends, grade-school-to-college schoolmates, and fellow activists to elucidate Evers as an individual, leader, husband, brother, and father. Extensive archival work in the Evers Papers, the NAACP Papers, oral history collections, FBI files, Citizen Council collections, and the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission Papers, to list a few, provides a detailed account of Evers's NAACP work and a clearer understanding of the racist environment that ultimately led to his murder. Selfless dedication marked the life of Medgar Evers, and while this remains his story, it is also a testament to the important role that grassroots activism played in exacting social change during some of America's most turbulent and violent times.

    Tamera Watson’s husband is gone and so is her life savings and all the corporate grant funds for a non-profit program for underprivileged kids. With the last of her pennies she pays a private detective to hunt him down, so she can gun him down. When she finds him will she be able to pull the trigger? Or will the God of her heart stop her before she lets her desire for revenge take her too far.

    Always declared the odd one, she makes it her mission to be noticed by anyone who will pay attention. Reality starts to settle in when she realizes life isn t always peaches and cream. After witnessing the rape of her best friend, and then the death of one of her classmates, she starts to believe life isn t what she thought it would be. Sex, drugs, catering to her new demons, and hanging out with the older crowd become her escape and not even her high school sweetheart can steer her straight. It isn t until she realizes everyone around her is not who they seem to be when she decides to change her life. But when she experiences an unwanted pregnancy and the death of her mother, Cookie is left to wonder if this is the way her life will always be. Based on a true story, Cookie is a gripping tale of a teen girl who had to grow up sooner than later. Taking place in one of the fastest-growing suburbs of Fort Worth, witness the life of Cookie and her quest to be loved, appreciated, and wanted. You will soon discover life is never what it seems.

    Wisdom Jones has made a deal with the Devil. Purchase price of a kidney: his life. But this Devil isn’t the malicious spirit who’s the total embodiment of evil: this one’s human, the CEO of the biggest drug operation ever established inside of Detroit city limits, and rumored to dabble in the black market for human organs. Though the tab may be staggering, no cost is too steep for the life of Wisdom’s precious mother. Her dying wish is to see her disobedient family restored to their once proper alignment with God. She lays her hand on her only responsible son’s head and makes him swear the oath. Wisdom isn’t ready to honor a dying wish. What good would it do to restore his mother’s health if stress from her wayward family delivered her right back to death’s doorstep? The Devil gives Wisdom a week to give his mother one more present: the gift of restoring her family back to its rightful splendor. No More Time-Outs follows Wisdom Jones while he prowls the dangerous streets in pursuit of reformation. The clock is running and there’re absolutely…no more time-outs!

    One look at the lush apartment in Washington, D.C., and every fly girl around wants a chance to call Platinum Lofts her new home.The moment Farah lays eyes on Lesa Carmine, a pretty young woman with an active lifestyle and a sunny disposition, she knows she's found the perfect girl for her ultimate plan. The two become fast friends--until Farah becomes intrusive and then her siblings move in, violating Lesa's privacy. Farah seems dangerous when she's around them, and Lesa attempts to sever ties without paying rent.Feeling overcome with blinding rage, Farah finds all kinds of ways to seek revenge. From poisoning to spreading vicious lies, she makes it known that she doesn't take Lesa's brush-off lightly.When Lesa snoops around in Farah's past and discovers who she really is, she makes a grave mistake, one that could jeopardize her life. Brace yourselves, because just when you think you have it figured out, you'll realize you don't.

    Three best friends learn that what is done in the dark is better left in the dark in order to maintain their friendship.

    Chris Jordan is the ultimate husband, for the past ten years he has enjoyed a beautiful life with his wonderful wife with his wife Emily and their three kids, Chris wakes one day to find himself in the middle of an attraction with a sexy out of town business woman who is here to do a lot more then just invest in real estate, Chris will be lead to question the life he has built and the vowels he has taken, and ultimately be asked who do you love more?

    At the age of one, James is adopted by his paternal grandparents, who raise him as their own son, never telling him about his older half-brother or his real parents. Six-year-old Warren is left to his own devices. Twenty-seven years later, James is flourishing as a prosecuting attorney until an event leads him to discover his older half-brother. Warren is now on Death Row, two weeks away from execution for the rape and murder of a white woman. He is innocent, but can James do anything to save his brother’s life before it’s too late?