Enduring hardship after hardship, and constant tragedies, has drained any hope of having a better life from the beauty. After one traumatic event in particular, Camarih realizes that life will never be what she wants it to, and expects nothing less than good old misfortune. Even her R&B singing boyfriend has become the worst decision she's ever made. And just when Camarih believes life can't get any worse, she unveils a mind blowing secret about the people she thought loved and cared for her, only proving her bad luck theory correct. Mentally, she has given up, until she meets the ignorant, disrespectful, and intimidating Tony Wacko. Knowing as soon as they meet that he is not her type, despite his extremely good-looking exterior, Camarih puts the brash hood boy to the back of her mind. However, Tony has other plans for her. Tony Wacko or Leimert Park's finest, is an ill-mannered, off-kilter, pure unadulterated hood boy, with the sexy looks to match. Ever wondered what a brother straight from the ghetto was like? It's Wacko. He's as ignorant as it gets, but with the same amount of intelligence. Since middle school, he's always had to fend for himself, and getting swallowed up by the hood life has hardened him to seemingly beyond repair. He cares for nothing and no one outside of his money, and a few family members to an extent. Things start to shift when the handsome hard-hearted Tony meets the much softer and sweeter Camarih. For a woman who needs love, the last thing she wants is a man who is incapable of giving it. Will Tony's callous and rude behavior push the gentile spirit that is Camarih away? Or will she be able to soften the brutal, uncivil, and reckless hood? In this urban love story filled with betrayal, jealousy, shocking revelations, and forbidden obsessions, will the good girl and extra rude bad boy be able to develop a true love? Or will Camarih's negative outlook on life and love, continue to be true? But how easy is it for her to walk away when she gave him her all, and when there wasn't much left to begin with?

    Everyone except for Ladi. She's tried her hand at love and the cards that she'd been dealt never stacked up. After getting her master's degree and moving back to Miami, Ladi's only focus is securing her dream job. Something that Ace Baptiste has never been… is unsure. Everything that he wants he goes for and gets it. So when he first lays eyes on Ladi and felt a connection that was undeniable it only made sense for him to have her. Will Ace's persistence be enough to make Ladi his lady or will she be the one thing that he fails at capturing? Ladi's dream job has the potential to lead to a dream love, but that's only if she opens herself up to experience it. Will she put forth the effort and give Ace a chance, or keep her heart closed off to his untainted love?

    After witnessing his fiancée’s death and being left alone to raise his daughter, falling in love again is the last thing on his mind. However, when a total stranger risks her life to help him, he finds himself enthralled with the beauty who swooped in to save the day. Sova Blow is fed up with love. After wasting her best years on men who couldn’t see her worth, she decides to focus on herself while enjoying the single life. That is, until unusual circumstances place the alluring Supreme into her world and leaves her wondering if love isn't so bad after all. They say when someone isn’t looking for love, that is exactly when they find it. Will these two broken hearts find love in each other, or will their pasts keep them from the best love they could ever have?

    Too dangerous. Too stalkerish. Too deadly. Living the life at the college of her dreams with her two best friends Ayanna and Melody, Zoey “Zoe” Richardson is single, having no time for a man and remains focused on her classes so she can graduate next year. Zoey and Yanna have ladies’ night at a local club while Mel follows behind her consistent unfaithful boyfriend to a house party. Getting ready to end their night, Zoey and Yanna ends up rescuing Mel from another unbearable lover’s quarrel, putting her in the crosshairs of Keno. A night where chaos erupts simultaneously in her life. Having to rely on Keno’s help, the two exchange numbers and starts getting to know each other better. Being the sweetest and most charming person she has ever met, it doesn’t take long for Zoey to fall head over heel for Keno until the real him surfaces. Unfortunately for Zoey, Keno’s wolf in sheep covered skin is revealed a little too late, costing her to endure a lifetime of regrettable decisions. Attending FAMU Homecoming weekend turns out to be the best thing that happens to Keno Daniels. According to him, he finds his future wife in Zoey. Despite his on and off relationship with his ex and his current legal woes, Keno sets out to woo Zoey, despite her claim of not wanting a relationship. Claiming Zoey has his, Keno is devastated when Zoey learns his truths and sees the real him, ending their brief relationship. Except, Keno is not easily convinced it’s over and refuses to let go. Ending things with Keno sets Zoey on the right path, leading her to meet her true king—Ezekiel “Zeek” Taylor. After forming a year long friendship and unknown crushes, Zoey and Zeek gravitate towards each other and find a real connection with each other. A connection that has them talking about the future, one with marriage and kids. However, moving on is not so easily done, especially with Keno popping up everywhere. Indiscretion, heartbreak, lies, relationships, love, and dire consequences are easily found in this mind-blowing, page turning story. In Author Lakia’s debut African American Urban Fiction standalone “When A Savage Is After Your Heart,” everything is not fair in love and relationships.

    

    Her only care in the world is fast money, partying and designer labels. She doesn’t have real responsibilities or plans for the future. As far as she was concerned, only today was important. She will worry about tomorrow when it comes. No one is going to stop her from enjoying her life to the fullest. She refused to live the life she watched her mother endure by the hands of her father. Her and her brother, Tone struggled together after their parent’s death. Jiera is determined to make up for all the years she struggled as a young girl. No one else's opinions about her life mattered to her. King Owens is a twenty-five-year-old, handsome rich man. He was taken from his unfit mother and raised by his father and stepmom. King wants out of the life his father was determined he inherit. He doesn’t want the throne to his father’s drug empire. For now, he is living the life that he's determined to get away from. He has a beautiful, career-oriented woman in his life. A successful career, wealth, and a beautiful family was his goals in life. He is determined to have everything he wants, even if it means going against his father’s wishes. King and Jiera have totally different plans for their future. Upon laying eyes on Jiera, King couldn’t deny himself from having her for just one night. What happens when one night of passion binds the two together for the rest of their lives? The ones that supposed to love them the most are the ones trying to hurt them the most. Will lies, betrayal and deceit take the two on a journey together? Or will it tear them apart?

    

    After fifteen years of marriage, Kameron is demanding a divorce on the night of their anniversary, leaving Camille shattered and confused. Needing a relief from the pain and anger that seems to now live where her heart once lived, Camille finds herself in the bed of a handsome stranger. Despite her one night of unforgettable relief, Camille runs for the hill the next morning, making sure not to awaken the man that she only knows by the name of, DJ. Even after things between Camille and Kameron comes to an end, Kameron continues to shake her world with his lies and betrayals. Dion ‘DJ’ Roberts is a twenty-five-year-old NFL quarterback, who had made up in his mind that he is done with love and relationships. After learning the woman that he once loved, loved the money and fame more than him, DJ vowed to never be weakened by the four letter word again. To DJ, the only woman that was worth loving is his sister, until a one-night stand left him wondering… On a night out in the town, DJ and Camille finds themselves in the same club, and neither had not forgotten one detail of the night of passion they shared together. This time, DJ refused to let the lovely Camille disappear without a trace. Even though Camille is finally now divorced, her life is still far from drama free. Will DJ be able to put the broken pieces of Camille’s heart back together, or will his own trust issues alone with obstacles in the form of people make them both walk away, sticking to their vows to never love again?

    

    That was until Keylon committed the ultimate betrayal and Jalisa finally decided she’d had enough. She swore off trying to be with someone until she met Smoke. Smoke was probably the most gorgeous man she had laid eyes on. After experiencing heartbreak, Jalisa wasn’t sure moving on with Smoke was smart, until she realized she was connected with Smoke long before she laid eyes on him. Cortez ‘Smoke’ Campbell is hood royalty. After experiencing tragedy at a young age, Smoke did what he had to do to take the financial burden off of his Granny. Smoke is hesitant on giving his heart out until he and Jalisa ran into each other... literally. Being crossed by the last person he ever expected, Smoke realizes Jalisa is more for him than he could have ever imagined. Or is she? Even though they both had trust issues and were skeptical at first, Smoke and Gunz decided to give love a chance. Take a ride on this love journey to see if Jalisa is really ready to move on wholeheartedly or will her past destroy the new future she wants so desperately. Some say love conquers all, but does it?

    He lost his brother when he was nine and it changed his home life forever. Despite those challenges, Bully was a simple man living a simple life. All he wanted to do was become a welder and spoil the love of his life Safiya, but a freak accident robbed him of those dreams. After losing Safiya, a hatred so dark formed inside of Bully that he literally turned into a savage overnight. Without Safiya, he feels he has nothing to live for and Bully vows to never love another woman. Envy is content being a kept woman, until the streets play their hand and sends her boyfriend Mason, to the feds. Once Mason is in prison, Envy knows she has to come up with a game plan and when a minimum wage paying job doesn't cut it, she ventures into the night life with her best friend Kat. Envy runs into a lot of road blocks in the form of dysfunctional relationships, being betrayed by people she holds dear to her heart, and finding out that no one seems to be who she thought they were. In the midst of it all, she finds herself falling for the mysterious and sexy Bully. She knows she should run in the opposite direction because Bully doesn't try to hide the fact that he doesn't want a relationship but even that isn't enough to deter Envy.

    

    Unless you’re Dr. Rhea Blumetti – who accidentally caused an international incident in South America. As though it’s not bad enough being the baby of a family in the bodyguard business, now Finn Mabrey has been assigned as her permanent solo detail. Her crush for oh, forever, now stuck protecting her ass from herself and the bad guys she ticked off.In the five year since they met, and their uh, interesting first meeting, Finn has tried to keep his distance from Rhea. Too many years, too many scars. But Rhea is keeping secrets about what happened in Columbia and Finn is determined to sort them out. She’s in over her head, he knows that much. He almost lost her once and that will never happen again. Except neither of them expected to enjoy all the time they’re getting to spend one-on-one. And how that might be more complicated than international criminals coming after them.MILOMilo “King” Kingsolver knows that Cassia Cafaro cannot keep a secret to save her life. Not that he minds; he’ll listen to her babble any day. But the beautiful, bubbly baker in a family of hard-asses has been off-limits from day one. But when Cassia asks him for one, itty-bitty favor – to be her bodyguard for a long weekend – Milo discovers no good deed goes unpunished. Especially when that deed involves the Cafaro sisters breaking the One Cafaro Family Rule while big brother Roman is away. No, not breaking. Already completely broken. Smashed to pieces. For the first time, Milo wishes he was wrong. Turns out Cassia can keep a secret. In fact, she’s been keeping a lot of them…EZRABodyguards probably shouldn’t bake or have existential crises. Ezra Blumetti used to like being the exception to the rule. Now he’d like the rulebook back. That is, until his next job crash lands onto his lap. Erin Miyaki. Brilliant, beautiful, on-top-of-the-world, Erin. His old nemesis, always ready to call him on said BS. Not only is she in danger – she might be more of a mess than he is. Stuck together, too, alone, he gets to call all the shots as her bodyguard. Which means payback. Erin should hate him all the more. Instead, they’re getting along. A little too well. As though Ezra’s existence wasn’t upside down enough, though, a family secret shows up on his doorstep, needing his help. A secret kept from Ezra. One Erin helped uncover.Once it was a game of who hated who more. Now the rules have changed and neither of them will ever be the same.WYLIEAntonia “Toni” Cafaro has everyone figured out. With one glaring exception. Wylie.Ever since the mountain man started working at Helios a decade ago – Wylie has provoked her. His unknowable, unfindable first name, his refusal to admit he has a past, and the lack of even one accidental physical touch between them. Then, after a small yet seismic shift between them – Wylie has the gall to vanish – promising Toni will never find him. She proves him wrong and it almost costs him his life. Now, as the clock runs out and they search for answers to keep the past from unraveling their future – Toni has to keep Wylie safe as they try to outwit a tangle of enemies – and each other. But it might be too late.ROMANWho fires the woman who saved your life? Roman Cafaro.Harlow has had the gamut of crappy bosses and pretentious men. But she never knew bone-deep, satisfying, and real hatred until him. Only Harlow can’t help herself from helping him. And it lands her in more danger than she realizes. Right in the line of fire of the man who paid for the match to be lit, who has been waiting for a chance to take down the Cafaro’s. Now Roman might end up paying Harlow back sooner than either of them expected. It will be a miracle if they both survive this, since they might kill each other first. Or fall in love. Hard to say which is more dangerous.

    A marriage of nearly half a century faces its greatest challenge when a stranger arrives, bearing life changing news. Although Steve and Kelly Boyd live together, they barely tolerate each other. Marrying in their teens and quickly becoming parents, the separation due to the war in Vietnam forms the foundation for the next forty-five precarious years.Filling the empty marriage with the companionship of her twin sister, Karen, and the family she made with Steve, Kelly’s life revolves around her six adult children.The stranger’s sudden appearance clarifies so much about Steve’s lifetime behavior to Kelly.Heartfelt conversations at the local coffee shop where son Reggie works as a barista, help the family resolve differences, build new relationships, and grow in acceptance of one another.At the end, love outweighs everything.

    Young Poppy Wainwright feels much like a deck of cards, shuffled around from a boozing mother to a beloved grandmother. Finally bussed to Savannah, Georgia, to live with her grandmother’s cantankerous sister, Sookie. Through the enlightened eyes of a thirteen-year-old girl, the hilarity and insanity ensues.From the best-selling author of A Faithful Son, this rollicking romp of a ride does not disappoint.Aunt Sookie & Me: The Sordid Tale of a Scandalous Southern Belle is irreverent, hilarious, and heartbreaking. All political correctness is buried alongside the dead corpse in the family vegetable garden in this riotous book. But don’t let the folksy and fresh recipe fool you, Garvin serves up a big helping of reality, cutting through small-town bigotry and bias.