You try to avoid it at all costs. For six people, they will learn that love may be attainable and it may be like nothing you've never felt before. Buddah lived by the motto, "Fuck 'em and leave 'em in the dust. He caught himself slipping five years ago and it left his heart and trust broken, indefinitely. For a while he thought this, but soon when he encounters Massika, it will have him wondering if he could love again. Massika's heart was not in it to be in love. All she was focused on was her career, friends, and family. When she encounters the very rude and handsome, Buddah, things will change. Will she embrace that love could be in the air or ignore all of the signs? Adreena has lived a tragic life since she was younger. With love, it has always been a miss. When she feels like love has finally reached her in the form of Banks, she will have to do some serious soul searching. Will she be able to see true love or will she let the problems in her life blind her to the possibilities? Banks was a heartbroken soul who finally found the one in Adreena. Will the many tests that come in his way stop his quest for love or will he overcome the obstacles in his path? Mona was never one looking for the love of a man to make her feel better. She was scared to put herself out there because she didn't want to experience heartbreak. When Bailey comes along, she doesn't know what to do with herself. What would she do when he comes along and tries to show her the love that she deserves. Will she run away or actually realize that love is the thing that she had been running from the whole time? Follow these twenty-somethings as they go through many hurdles and obstacles as they experience love, heartbreak, and everything in between. Will they find love or will they forever be alone? Find out in this gripping story of love, sex, drama, and violence.

    But, being a woman in a male-dominated field, there was no room for 808s and heartbreak, so Dej shook that hurt off and continued to work to be one of the best on-air sports broadcasters that Oakland has ever seen. Meet Saieed Bishop, born and raised in Los Angeles, California, with his mother and older brother, Semaj. Since he was able to hold a ball, Saieed had dreams of being in the NBA. And now, at twenty-six, he’s finally living out his dreams, and feels like he has everything he could ever want, until he meets Dej. Something about the dark chocolate beauty pulls him in, and he works overtime to make sure her heart didn’t turn to ice. Dealing with an overprotective mother, and a schedule that doesn’t leave much time for love, can Dej and Saieed overcome these obstacles as a couple, or is the scale tipped too far against them?

    She’s giving herself to a man because she sees a future with him. She’s giving him pieces of her that should be reserved for her husband. The only man really guaranteed to give her all that she wants and needs. And I just ain’t the type of nigga to take things that don’t belong to me.” – Hunter Hendrix Onyx Stanford left her family and the church to live life for herself. That life led to sugar daddies, stripping, and a reputation in the church as a prostitute. After years of sneaking into the church to feel closer to her family and God, she runs into Hunter Hendrix – a man of God who has a twisted street past of his own. What happens when Hunter sets his eyes on Onyx to claim? Find out by reading their love story!

    Even though, he's book smart, he can't seem to leave the streets alone. He's his dad's protégé, and perhaps better than him. Ja’Keem met Camilla Jones their freshman year at UBR. From that fateful day, they’ve been inseparable. He can't seem to leave her alone, either, but that doesn't mean he's ready to be tied down. Ja’Keem refuses to put a title on what he and Camilla have, because he’s enjoying the college lifestyle, as well as the streets. He has the best of both worlds, and doesn’t see a reason to change. Camilla is no lame, though. She knows her worth, and demands her respect. However, when it’s all said and done, will Camilla be able to say “that’s all me” without looking stupid?

    With so many questions running through her head Ashleigh doesn't know where to turn or who to turn to. With the backbone of the crew, Harlem missing without a trace, it seems like the gang is slowly falling apart. Houston was never the thinker, always one to act on impulse it doesn't take long for him to realize that he is out of his element. Adding insult to injury, the one person that should be in his corner is so stuck on her past that she has no time for her future. Though she should be on his side, Amanda can't focus on Houston because her mind is on the what ifs. Finally at a good place, her past storms in and ruins the plans she had for the future. Instead of letting go and enjoying life, Amanda makes a decision that sends her in a downward spiral that not even Houston can save her from. Will Amanda move towards the future or let her past swallow her whole? In this explosive finale, bonds will be broken and relationships will be tested. Will the crew come out on top or will Kennedy prove to be a bigger boss than her father?

    After her parents kicked her out, Semaj promised to love, support, and send her to college. Semaj was holding up his end of the deal, until he moved up a rank in the streets and started receiving more attention than he was used to. That attention led to Semaj having an affair with a woman who was willing to do anything to get a spot in Semaj’s life, including trying to plot a murder. Scorpion: small, quiet but deadly; injecting you with its deadly venom when you least expect it. That’s what the streets were saying about Phalec Grant, also known as Scorpion. Scorpion was a certified personal trainer during the day, and a ruthless street king by night. Scorpion crosses paths with Zolar, and Scorpion, being the charming ladies’ man that he was, is instantly attracted to Zolar, but nothing or no one could make her break her vows to Semaj; that is… until she catches him in a compromising position. Scorpion, never hearing the word ‘no,’ makes him prey on Zolar even harder. After finding out a piece of information that Scorpion has happened to leave out about his life, Zolar cuts him and his venomous claws off, but that doesn’t stop him from trying to get what he believes belongs to him. Loyalty is tested. Lines are crossed. Backs are against the wall. People will win. People will die. In this novel, you will find out how far people will go for love.

    The oldest of four girls. Graduate of New York Law School, two years earlier than expected, at the top of my class and apple of my father’s eye. After years of hard work and dedication, I’m finally rewarded by being able to sit in on one of the biggest trials in the city, being handled by the district attorney himself. I’m excited and terrified about working with him. After all my years of dreaming, the time has finally come. But then I met him... Luke “Outlaw” Murray. The youngest of six boys. Graduate at the top of his class at hood university where he got his degree in the streets. Certified in Street Nigga-ology. He’s rude. He’s arrogant. He’s abrasive and he’s… did I say he was rude? He’s everything I don’t want in a man. Everything I shouldn’t want… until I do. And this... this is a story about us. But beware, because it's not your average love story.

    Loving all of my flaws and imperfections. Every love has its tragedy but the real tragedy is a love that fails.Poochie, your typical "young and naïve" teenager seems to be oblivious to the world she lives in and just how dangerous it is. She never asked to be the daughter of Cali's biggest Kingpin or for the troubles that came behind it. She also never asked to fall in love with his protégé. Chinno's entire life was a struggle, it consisted of pain, loss and suffering. He was faced with the reality of how cold and harsh the world really is at a young age. With nowhere to turn, he did the only thing he knew how... Hustle. Who knew that when he crossed paths with the boss's daughter, it would change his life forever? Love and money are often hard to balance. A woman can be a backbone or a distraction, which Chinno will learn soon enough. Will the couple be able to overcome the obstacles of the game or will the game claim its next victims?Falling in love is the easy part, staying in love is the challenge.There is no passion like a Thug's passion & Poochie may have found a thug worth fighting for.

    That is until Justice is told the unexpected. After learning that his childhood friend is his biological brother, Justice starts questioning the ones around him, including Jaz. Once he learns that she knew of this secret and kept it away from him, he's left wondering what else is there she hasn’t told him. Being pregnant with a child that is still in diapers and two growing boys is not the life she thought she would be living. But she wouldn’t change it for the world. Jaz has been catching hell with Justice over Chinx and when he walks out on her, it is Jaz turn to beg and plead. After that encounter Harlem had with Brook, Mya thought that maybe he had scared her away and that their life was finally able to go back to normal. That is until she walks in on Brook holding her daughter in their home. Fed up and tired of Brook, Mya is willing to do whatever she has to, to get rid of her once and for all. Little does she knows, Brook leaves apiece of her behind. When Harlem loves, he loves hard. But what happens when the person he loves the most turn her back against him when times get rough. When push comes to shove and Harlem back is against the wall, he is left to make the hardest decision he has ever had. He knows that once he steps up and take control, it will damage Mya. And all he can do is pray that she's willing to hold him down through it all. In this final installment, secrets will come to light, love will be tested and relationships are questioned. Will these couples fight for what they work so hard for or will they sit back and watch everything come tumbling down? Find out in this last and final chapter of Treat Me Like Somebody 4: The Finale!

    The four brothers of the Kinsey Cartel were as crazy as hell. The oldest two, Tremell and Tristan, aka Tre and Tripp, might just have been the craziest of all. Crossing any of them could end your life, especially given Tre’s unique skills at murder. No one messed with them… until a pair of best friends, Shamar and Cyn, came in and turned Tre and Tripp’s world upside down. Shamar Parker, a quiet college girl, found herself caught up in the game, given to Tre as collateral. Tre’s captive would soon become his lover and he vowed never to let her go. With an attitude the polar-opposite of her best friend, Cyn Murray stormed into Tripp’s life, demanding the return of her friend. In the process, she also stormed into his heart and Tripp knew he had to lock her down. But the Kinseys’ old habits died hard and their lifestyle threatened to push the women they wanted most out of their lives. Can their love survive the streets?

    For Camden “Cam” Davis, doing either task seemed almost impossible. Raised by his single mother, Cam’s disdain for his absentee father intensified as he grew older. Being his father’s only child, Cam was afforded many luxuries that other kids his age weren’t. His upbringing seemed normal to his adolescent mind until reality stepped in. After rejecting his family’s financial support, Cam made money the only way he knew how. With his girlfriend, Asha, by his side, Cam soon found out that getting money the easy way was harder than he thought. Jail or the grave were his only two ways out and he found that out the hard way. Asha’s love for money outweighed everything, including her love for Cam. When Cam decided that the street life was no longer one that he wanted to live, Asha had a hard time adjusting. Being broke wasn’t a good look, in Asha’s opinion, and she was unwilling to compromise for Cam’s sake. Nothing or no one was off limits when it came to her conquering the almighty dollar. She loved Cam with all her heart, but he had to either roll with her or get rolled over. Being the youngest attorney in her firm was an accomplishment that Demi was very proud of. She worked hard to make a name for herself and her career had finally taken a positive turn. Regrettably, the same couldn’t be said about her home life. Demi’s husband, Kamari, was a former dope boy who found it hard to leave the only life that he’d ever known. Being orphaned from birth, Kamari had been fending for himself since he was sixteen years old. Meeting and marrying Demi had changed his life in a good way, but their differences was beginning to drive a wedge through their once happy union. Kamari loved his wife more than anything, but his alter ego was having a hard time staying concealed. With a host of supporting characters, watch how the lives of Camden, Demi, Asha and Kamari intertwine in a way that none of them could ever imagine. With lies, secrets, betrayals and deception on the horizon, it’s almost impossible for everyone to walk away unscathed.

    Just to give her cheating husband a dose of how it feels. She sought a one night stand; but instead, stumbled upon a serendipitous situation. Nothing should have come from it, but it changed the dynamics of her marriage. A bed unmade… Niecey had always piqued his senses; just as much then as she does now. Although she is considered off limits, it doesn’t stop Asad from seizing the opportunity once it presents itself. He could care less about boundaries. But as bad as he wants her, he knows he could never have her. Two things prevent him from wanting more of her: One, he is about to go away to prison for a few years; and two, he knows she doesn’t want anything more. He understands that he was only something she needed for that night. Those few years have passed; and through familiar circumstances, they have to face one another again. Asad is a young arrogant tatted up diabolical thug known for his churlish disposition. His mouth is reckless, his attitude sucks, and empathetic he is not. Niecey is an entrepreneur, beautiful, and well-off. She’s flawed, but has learned to love herself anyway. They’re not a likely pair, but those factors don’t matter much when they touch. The connection and unquestionable sexual chemistry between them turns their reunion into an ongoing carnal affair. However, things take a turn in a direction Niecey wasn’t intending. The bed has been made… Neither can contend the interdependence that exists between them. Succumbing to its power, they can no longer deny love’s right to live. But how deep will Niecey let their situation get before she can no longer keep the truth away, and from hurting everyone she cherishes, including Asad? Now they must lie in the bed they’ve made…

    Writers write, painters paint, musicians are in the studio. All artists are up at 3AM. Lovers are up as well; because 3AM is the hour at which all guards are let down; when we're at our purest. If you want to get to someone's soul, get them to talk at 3AM... Symphony Stewart is a beautiful girl with a far from beautiful past that she's trying to run away from, but you know what they say about running away from your past, 'it doesn't work because wherever you go, you take yourself with you'; and that's exactly what Symphony does. She takes her problems from Dallas with her to Houston, and without paying any attention, she collides into Kenyatta Kumar, a reckless talking, rude boy from Homestead with a horrid past all his own, a swag all his own, a cocky demeanor all his own; one that makes him see women for what they are, fuck buddies, that is until he meets the gray tornado eyed mean ass that is Symphony. It's their identical souls that push them together and pull them apart in this complicated love story. Is there such a thing as a happily-ever-after for people like them? Can they move past the pain of their pasts for a better future? Maybe. Ask them at 3:AM.

    But their epic journey would become at times a living hell that tested the strength of every fibre of their being.

    In HAMMERTOWN, poet Peter Culley re-imagines his home town of Nanaimo, British Columbia, not as it is, but as it might be imagined in the mind of a Parisian who had rarely left his city. This is Culley's fifth book of poetry.